The Special Telecommunications Service (STS) wants to purchase hardware and software equipment for the implementation of the electronic management and control system of the PNRR, a contract with an estimated cost of more than 60 million lei, according to a tender notice published in the Public Procurement Electronic System.

In the justification of the open tender, the DPS emphasizes that the development of the IT management system of the PPRR meets the requirements of Art. 22 par. (2) lit. d) from Regulation (EU) 2021/241 (regarding the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism), for which the Ministry for European Investments and Projects (MIPE) has, in accordance with the law, all rights to IT applications developed by the Special Telecommunications Service, including their source codes.

DPS says it has limited technical resources to manage the PNRR IT system

In the tender specifications, the DPS explains the role of this IT system and why the tender was launched:

• “The electronic management and control system of PNRR (e_SMC) is an integrated and unified IT system that will ensure effective interaction with the IT system of the European Commission (SFC), based on the principle of ensuring interaction with other IT systems, own databases and external ones.
• MIPE is the operational administrator of PNRR’s IT management system and DPS is its technical administrator, being also the institution responsible for the development and technical administration of the IT system.
• Currently, the Contracting Authority (na STS) has limited technical resources, which do not allow the development and technical administration of the PNRR IT management system, given its complexity and the requirements to ensure simultaneous, easy, secure and fast access of many users to this application,” says the procurement documents.

The hardware and software solutions to be procured under this procedure represent the hardware support for the deployment of an integrated IT system, and the entry into force of the supply contract (which is for a period of 12 months) will depend on the DPS providing the necessary funding through the PNRR.

Former MIPE Secretary: PNRR’s current IT management system is in the interim, but the milestone has been reached and the money has been provided

Given that the development of the PNRR’s IT management and control system was an important milestone that had to be completed by the end of 2021, HotNews.ro wanted to find out why this auction is happening.

Marius Vasiliou, former Secretary of State at MIPE and the one who led the emergence of the current PNRR IT control system last year, explained to HotNews.ro that the development of this system was an important milestone to be fulfilled for the first payment request. from PNRR.

According to him, in order for Romania to meet all the deadlines necessary for pre-financing from the PNRR, the PNRR IT management and control system was created in the summer of 2021 in an interim mode on the same IT infrastructure of the DPS and MIPE is also used to manage the European funds

• “The milestone was met on time and the money was given. Then we proved the existence of this IT system to the European Commission. In addition, the sustainability issue is whether the IT infrastructure can support all projects in the PNRR until 2026. From a legal point of view, there is no longer an obligation to buy anything, but DPS must ensure the functioning of the IT system until the end.” Marius Vasiliou, former MIPE State Secretary, told HotNews.ro.

Returning to the STS auction, the deadline for accepting bids is December 6, 2022. On the same day, a bid opening meeting will also be held.