Kauf, Implementierung, Integration, Unterstützung und weitere Optimierung von Callcenter-Software.

✓If the bidder relies on third-party capacity (economic or technical), they must use the specific “Verbintenis terbeschikkingstelling middelen” model: for financial capacity, third and bidder are jointly and severally liable; for technical capacity, the third must actually perform the part of the contract for which their qualifications are invoked and may only be replaced with prior approval; the third entity must not be subject to exclusion grounds.

✓Such as clarified in the “Voorwerp van de opdracht” and technical specifications, the scope of the framework agreement is the acquisition, implementation, integration, hosting (according to the chosen model), maintenance, optimisation, further development and exit/transfer support of callcentersoftware supporting central appointment scheduling, central telephony and decentral secretariats of ZAS.

✓The CPV codes are 48000000-8 (software and information systems) and 48200000-0 (network/internet/intranet software).

✓There are no lots, because ZAS wants one technically and functionally coherent solution (software, HiX and other integrations, implementation and optimisation) under a single contractor to avoid fragmented responsibility and interoperability/support risks.

✓Quantitatively, an indicative rollout of about 180 licences is foreseen: around 60 licences for phase 1 (central appointments and central telephony from Q4 2027) and around 120 licences for phase 2 (decentral secretariats such as polyclinic and MTD from Q2 2028), with the number of licences subject to re-evaluation.

✓The framework agreement’s initial term is 48 months, with an estimated start on 1 October 2027 and end on 30 September 2031, and options for four extensions of 12 months each at the explicit request of ZAS, with a three‑month notice period per extension.

✓The minimum value that ZAS must call off over the full term (including extensions) is EUR 310,000 excl.

✓VAT; the estimated maximum value is EUR 5,925,000 excl. VAT.

✓Once this maximum is reached, no new orders can be placed, except for modifications under art. 37–38 KB 14 January 2013.

✓Such as described under “Plaatsingsprocedure” and the later award-criteria section, the contract will be awarded using a “mededingingsprocedure met onderhandeling” (competitive procedure with negotiation) under art. 38 of the Belgian 17 June 2016 law, justified by the complexity, necessary integrations with business‑critical systems, and the need to align functional, technical, financial and contractual conditions via negotiation.

✓The selection phase limits the number of candidates to three, using objective, non‑discriminatory criteria.

✓For this ranking, ZAS uses: (1) a single self‑chosen reference (max. 70 points), assessing sector relevance and strategic fit (e.g. hospitals/healthcare where patient contacts and appointment planning are central), experience with complex healthcare integrations and interoperability (e.g.

✓HiX or similar EPDs, planning systems, IAM, reporting platforms), integration maturity and phased expansion approach, and the candidate’s own role (analysis, implementation, integration, training, go‑live, support, optimisation); (2) organisational capacity and offered profiles (max. 25 points), looking at team composition, relevant certificates and ability to handle the scale and complexity described; and (3) Creditsafe score (max. 10 points), with a scoring table (A=100%, B=80%, C=60%, D healthy=40%, E healthy=50%, D/E unhealthy=irregular).

✓The text mentions scaling points from 0% to 100% based on how comparable/relevant references and capacities are.

❓Price determination is “overheidsopdracht tegen globale prijs” (global price contract); detailed award weighting for the offer phase is not fully included in the excerpt, but the reference, organisational capacity and financial health clearly play significant roles in selection.

✓Such as highlighted in the parts on special conditions and risks, the framework agreement includes clauses on termination, continuity and subcontracting that carry important risk implications for bidders.

✓Both parties may terminate the agreement wholly or partly with immediate effect if the other party goes bankrupt, obtains suspension of payments, is subjected to attachment on part/all of its assets, is dissolved, taken over or changes legal entity, or where default and/or official measures are invoked.

✓After written formal notice, either party may terminate with immediate effect if the other fails to meet its obligations for 90 days.

✓To safeguard continuity and patient safety, the contractor must continue deliveries/services under the conditions of the specifications and its offer even after expiry of the total cooperation term if, through no fault of ZAS, there is a delay in awarding a new contract under public procurement rules.

✓The framework agreement is expressly non‑exclusive: ZAS retains the right not to purchase services via the framework even within its scope.

✓Use of subcontractors is allowed but must be declared; when third-party capacity is used for selection, the third is jointly and severally liable (for financial capacity) and must execute their part (for technical capacity).

✓Communication outside the official Q&A forum or directly with other people than the designated dossierbeheerder is prohibited and may lead to exclusion.

❓No explicit penalty regime or performance guarantees are detailed in the provided text, but general Belgian execution rules (KB 14 January 2013) apply, and clauses on default and official measures are mentioned.

❓Such as can be inferred from the repetition of some clauses, there are no substantive contradictions in the core points; instead, several sections restate the same conditions (e.g. framework term of 4 years + 4×1 year extension, minimum and maximum value, Q&A procedure, financial/technical selection criteria) in different parts (main selectieleidraad and annexes).

✓Where there is apparent duplication, the specific, more detailed statement governs: for example, the minimum and maximum framework values and licence numbers are consistently presented; no conflicting figures appear in the excerpt.

✓The text repeatedly emphasises that the maximum estimated value is not based on inventory quantities and gives no indication of the award price; it only caps cumulative orders.

✓In case of doubt, the selectieleidraad must be read together with the official contract notice and any Q&A clarifications (which form an integral part of the documents).

Answers on the required criteria

Must securities be provided (bid bond, performance or warranty guarantee)? If so: which, in what amount and by when?

❓The text does not require any bid securities or guarantees in the selection phase: there is no mention of a bid bond, performance guarantee, or warranty guarantee, nor of amounts, deadlines or specific forms of security to be lodged.

❓Such provisions, if any, would typically appear in the later “bestek” (tender specifications) that is sent only to selected candidates, but they are not described in the provided selection guide.

❓As such, based on the input, no securities are required at this stage.

Is subcontracting allowed? If so: with which limits and which disclosure duties?

✓Subcontracting is explicitly allowed.

✓The annexed “deelnameformulier” contains a specific field where the candidate must indicate whether subcontractors will be used (“Onderaannemers: Er zullen onderaannemers worden aangewend: JA / NEE”).

✓Furthermore, the “Verbintenis terbeschikkingstelling middelen” model explains that a candidate may rely on the capacity of other entities (such as subcontractors or group companies) to meet the economic/financial and technical/professional selection criteria.

✓In such cases, the candidate must: (i) prove availability of the third party’s resources via a signed commitment; (ii) have each third party fill in a separate UEA (ESPD); (iii) ensure that, where technical/professional capacity is relied on, that third party actually performs the relevant part of the contract; and (iv) accept joint and several liability with that third party if the financial capacity of the third is used.

✓The third entity must also not be in an exclusion situation.

✓Thus subcontracting is permitted but subject to disclosure in the forms and strict rules on capacity reliance and liability.

Is there a site visit, and is attendance mandatory? If so: when?

❓The text does not mention any site visit or inspection of premises, nor any mandatory attendance requirement, dates or registration process.

❓Therefore, based on the provided documents (which cover only the selection phase), there is no site visit requirement described.

In which language must the tender and the supporting documents be submitted, and are documents in other languages accepted?

✓Regarding language, the guide explicitly states that the “aanvraag tot deelneming” (request to participate) must be drawn up in Dutch (“De aanvraag tot deelneming wordt opgemaakt in het Nederlands”) and that the candidate must use the provided Dutch form.

✓It also requires a declaration that the candidate and its contact persons have sufficient knowledge of Dutch, both technically and for maintenance.

❓Foreign candidates are addressed in relation to providing tax and social security attestations, and they may use eCertis to find equivalent documents, but there is no explicit acceptance of tenders or supporting documents in other languages; the operative language for the submission is Dutch.

How long is the bidder bound by the tender (validity period), and is there a deadline for bidder questions? If so: until when?

❓On tender validity and bidder questions, the selection guide does not state how long bidders are bound by their tenders (no explicit validity period is given in the provided text).

✓However, it does clearly set out the procedure for questions: questions must be submitted via the Q&A forum linked to the contract notice in the Bulletin der Aanbestedingen on the federal e-Procurement platform, up to the “datum” indicated there.

❓The exact deadline date for questions is not in the text itself; instead, bidders must refer to the announcement.

✓The contracting authority will in principle publish all questions and answers at the latest six calendar days before opening of the offers, and these answers form an integral part of the contract documents.

✓Questions via other channels or to other persons than the designated dossier managers are prohibited and may lead to exclusion.

Further details

✓The input text is a “selectieleidraad” (selection guide) and its annexes for a Belgian public procurement procedure initiated by “Ziekenhuis aan de Stroom vzw” (ZAS) for the purchase, implementation, integration, support and optimization of call center software.

✓It describes the legal framework (Belgian public procurement law), the procedure (mededingingsprocedure met onderhandeling – competitive procedure with negotiation), and the requirements for candidates in the selection phase.

✓The perspective is clearly Belgian: references are made to Belgian laws, Belgian social security and tax authorities, the Belgian Bulletin der Aanbestedingen and the federal e-Procurement platform.