Planning

Railcards Support Services (RRS)

RAIL DELIVERY GROUP LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

11 Jun 2025 at 09:28

Summary of the contracting process

The Rail Delivery Group Limited (RDG), located in London, is undertaking the procurement process for the Railcards Support Services (RRS) project, and is at the planning stage as of 11th June 2025. This initiative falls under the services category with a focus on utilities, encompassing platform support, communication and multimedia software, networking, Internet, and intranet software packages, among others. The procurement process is aimed at improving and maintaining RDG's existing systems, involving regions across the UK from UKC to UKK. Key upcoming dates include a bidders' briefing day on 21st July 2025 and the deadline for submitting a market engagement questionnaire by 1st August 2025.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in IT services, particularly those with capabilities in systems integration, support, and software maintenance. Companies with a strong track record in managing complex support systems and delivering superior customer service could greatly benefit from participating, as RDG aims to align its services with future technological and operational advancements. This contract offers the potential to collaborate in a high-profile project and contribute to the ongoing enhancement of the RRS, providing a robust pathway for business growth and competitive advantage in the public transport service sector.

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Notice Title

Railcards Support Services (RRS)

Notice Description

The RRS is an existing service, and RDG is considering going to market for the support, maintenance and future enhancement of the RRS (via CI/CD) delivered via pre-existing platforms (see Scope Outline for more detail). The primary core services RDG would look to re-procure cover five platforms/services and a Systems Integrator (SI), equalling six packages in total. RDG is looking to procure Railcard Support Services with a view of delivering a 'best in class' service at an improved price. RRS has undergone considerable change through the latter part of FY24 and FY25 and delivers a secure and reliable service, but with scope to find additional efficiencies and to continue improving customer experience. Successful Bidders will therefore be responsible for the following, as outlined in the below diagram: Transition (where required) - Appropriate time working with RDG and the incumbent supplier(s) to understand the existing solution. Support & Maintenance - Performing the activities and tasks required to keep RRS existing platforms and services functioning against agreed non-functional requirements and service levels. Keep the RRS solution with the latest stable versions (configuration management) with detailed impact analysis. Ongoing Product Enhancements (CI/CD) - Delivery of RDG's roadmap for RRS as well as proactive identification of customer experience and service improvements and efficiencies. Beyond the transition phase, the Supplier(s) will be expected to provide full support from day one and have a clear and good understanding of the RRS roadmap so that the Suppliers can maintain system availability, as well contribute to process / system efficiencies, look to reduce costs as well as customer experience enhancements. RDG is seeking input from interested parties to inform the procurement strategy ahead of commencing a formal procurement process. RDG also wants to work with the market to better understand suppliers' capabilities and experience so RDG is well placed to lot the six packages (five platform / system support & one SI), as RDG will seek to design the lots to ensure award to no more than three suppliers for reduced complexity and contract overheads. Procurement Aims The key aims of the potential procurement is to: Remain a highly reliable, robust and excellent customer focused service; Reduce the cost of service; Enable delivery of the RRS Roadmap while remaining flexible to evolving technologies, business need and customer behaviour; Be appropriate for RRS investment appetite and team size; Alignment of core service support contracts as RDG move into GBR; To review the marketplace for suppliers for the Railcard services as a whole; To evaluate the marketplace for a solution that works for today's requirements and any future requirements; and To source the most appropriate supplier(s) for managing the Railcard services at the best price.

Planning Information

The first step will be for suppliers to register an informal expression of interest to: RRSprocurement@raildeliverygroup.com Copying Sam Stevens (sam.stevens@raildeliverygroup.com) An Expression of Interest form it is in the Appendix of the MOI which will be issued upon request. Suppliers will need to complete the template, detailing the following along with their three preferred slots for the 121 supplier sessions: Organisation name & address; Lead contact name, email, telephone, and title; Alternative contact name, email, telephone, and title. There will be a Bidders briefing Day on 21st July, 2025 and the 121 sessions will be following that, for that week. Suppliers will be able to access a Market Engagement Questionnaire (MEQ) from date of issue of the PMEN. This will be a Word document that will be emailed to each supplier that formally registers an expression of interest. Suppliers should complete a copy of the questionnaire, and email it to the following addresses: RRSprocurement@raildeliverygroup.com Copying Sam Stevens (sam.stevens@raildeliverygroup.com) This process will aim to provide RDG with greater market awareness of existing capabilities in the event a procurement exercise is necessary, by posing a series of questions, and will assist RDG in the lotting process. If the details of your submissions change, please notify RDG via: RRSprocurement@raildeliverygroup.commailto Copying Sam Stevens (sam.stevens@raildeliverygroup.com) Information enclosed in the questionnaire will be treated in the strictest confidence. Suppliers should note that RDG may use the information provided to help inform the potential procurement exercise, the requirements, and any other associated approach. The deadline for return of the questionnaire is set at 23:59 on 1st August 2025. Those who miss the deadline can still forward the information, but RDG reserve the right to either exclude or include the responses for consideration. PLEASE NOTE: if suppliers wish to disclose information that may be confidential in nature to their organisation and wish this to be covered by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) then RDG will only enter into its standard NDA agreement. The NDA is included in the Appendix of this MOI.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-054679
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031438-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support


CPV Codes

48200000 - Networking, Internet and intranet software package

48500000 - Communication and multimedia software package

72300000 - Data services

72400000 - Internet services

72600000 - Computer support and consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Jun 20258 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
12 Aug 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
27 Mar 2026 - 26 Mar 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
RAIL DELIVERY GROUP LIMITED
Contact Name
Sam Stevens
Contact Email
sam.stevens@raildeliverygroup.com
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
EC4V 3DS
Post Town
Central London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)

Local Authority
City of London
Electoral Ward
Castle Baynard
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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