NTU wish to undertake a pre-procurement market engagement exercise before any possible procurement is started, to determine suitable Rules Based Data Categorisation & Scenario Forecasting Planning System and capabilities.

In the first instance we would ask that as much information as possible is given in response to our requirements of strategic aims, functionality and operability, as asked for in this document.

We may ask that solutions be demonstrated in the proposed workshop sessions, when we have had the opportunity to assess the supplier responses.

This exercise is aimed at making informed decisions surrounding future solutions as part of pre-procurement planning and is an essential step before deciding whether to initiate a full project leading to procurement.

We will therefore also be looking at supplier and technology capabilities, opportunities to deliver and estimated costs for full and partial solutions.

At this stage, we will not be formally assessing proposals, so nothing provided at this stage will be evaluated as part of any future procurement process.

We welcome responses from organisations who feel that they have ideas on how our vision can be delivered, and comment on the extent to which our requirements are reasonable, realistic and properly specified.

If you feel your organisation is able to contribute to this exercise, please email lewis.simpson@ntu.ac.uk to request a document containing further details.

Please then provide responses to the questions in the document and return it via email to lewis.simpson@ntu.ac.uk no later than 17:00 GMT on the 25th March 2020.

Following receipt of the responses, and depending on the information obtained, we may invite a selection respondents to attend separate workshop sessions to present and discuss their responses between 2nd April - 9th April 2020.

Organisations not attending a session will not be disadvantaged in any future procurement, as this pre-procurement market engagement is only an exploratory fact-finding exercise: it is not an invitation to tender or a request for formal expressions of interest.

Any supplier invited to present or provide information to NTU is doing so to support pre-procurement market research only, to help make any future procurement more focused and efficient, and to clarify NTU's requirements.

The expected formal procurement process will start only after completion of this pre-procurement market engagement or soft market testing exercise.

Please apply to the buyer using the contact details in this notice.