The present invitation to tender relates to the provision of IT operations and IT service management for DG Taxation and Customs Union IT systems (ITSM3 operations).

The core of the services corresponds to the technical and operational support of the infrastructure, platforms (middleware) and IT applications; this involves testing, deployment, monitoring, configuration and administration of hardware and software components.

The main objective of ITSM3 is to ensure IT service continuity, through a standardised catalogue of services, continuously adapted in response to DG Taxation and Customs Union evolving business and policy needs. These translate into growing capacity, availability and security requirements.

In addition to technical and operational services, this invitation to tender covers other needs:

— service desk,

— IT service management processes,

— security management services,

— provision of training sessions, workshops and translations,

— project management office and related support services,

— takeover from the incumbent ITSM2 lot 1 contractor and handover at the end of the contract,

— maintenance and development of necessary tooling to support the services included in the contract,

— service strategy and transformation processes, to ensure continual service improvement (CSIP); taking into account the expected long duration of the contract, this is to re-align IT services to evolving business and policy needs of DG Taxation and Customs Union, making the best use of available technologies and methodologies.

All the above must be supported by coordination services, given the number of actors involved with DG Taxation and Customs Union IT systems (contractors, national administrations, Commission DGs and agencies, etc.).