TfGM AS400 Hosting and Support Services

Following a procurement exercise in July 2021, Frontline Consultancy and Business Services Limited (Frontline) were awarded a 3-year contract to provide TfGM with hosting and support services for the AS400 system that it currently employs. Information on this contract can be found on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c01ca9b7-a336-4e97-b0ba-6582c331ecf1

TfGM are now seeking an additional 12-month provision of this hosting and support service under a new contract, and this notice provides transparency around the reasons for this single source requirement, and of TfGM's intention to tender for a new hosting and support system in early 2025.

The decision to contract with Frontline is based on the need to maintain TfGM's AS400 until a full review can be undertaken from January 2025, following the launch of the final tranche of Bus Franchising by TfGM across Greater Manchester. A longer-term procurement is likely to be advertised in early 2025, once the full scope of the services required to provide support has been considered and then determined.

Though the additional services were not included in the original procurement, a change in contractor at this stage would cause significant disruption and cannot be made for economic and technical reasons, as there is a significant risk of disruption to the operation of bus services in Greater Manchester, including payments to and from bus operators for using bus stations, timetabling, and route planning services.

A review of the long-term requirement for the AS400 product will be undertaken in January 2025, once all buses in Greater Manchester fall under franchised services. There would be significant duplication of costs associated with a change of service in June 2024, and then again following the review in January 2025. The proposed contract allows for maintenance of service provision in the short term, and time to implement any changes following the review in 2025.

The additional requirements at a value of £63,899.99 procured under this new contract do not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract.