Isle Of Man TT Website

Summary

The request sought details on how the Isle of Man TT website contract was awarded to DotPerformance and the associated costs. The Department for Enterprise confirmed the procurement process and contract date but withheld specific financial figures under a commercial interest exemption.

Key Facts

• DotPerformance was awarded the contract for 'TT and Classic TT Website Design and Build' in September 2018.
• The contract was secured through an open procurement process using the quick quote method on the Procurement Portal.
• The agreement includes a monthly managed hosting service with Amazon Web Services (AWS) costs recharged without mark-up.
• Specific cost and charge details were redacted to avoid prejudicing a competitive tender process for 2025 and onwards.
• The Department determined that withholding financial information outweighed the public interest in disclosure due to potential impact on future value for money.

Data Disclosed

• September 2018
• 2025
• Section 30(2)(b)
• 4100197
• 2024-09-03
• 2024-09-25

Exemptions Cited

• Section 30(2)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Prejudice to commercial and economic interests)

Original Request

Good Afternoon, can you please confirm how the Isle of Man TT website was given to DOT performance and how much the cost was? Can you please advise if it was a tender process? Many thanks

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator 1st Floor, St Georges Court Upper Church Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EX

Telephone: (01624 686400) Website: https://www.iomdfenterprise.im/

Our ref: 4100197 24 September 2024

Dear #####

We write further to your request, received 3 September 2024, which states:

"Good Afternoon, can you please confirm how the Isle of Man TT website was given to DOT performance and how much the cost was? Can you please advise if it was a tender process?

Many thanks"

Our response to your request is as follows:

Whilst our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, some of the information is exempt from disclosure under section 30 of the Act as disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial and economic interests of the island.

In answering your request, this Department will, wherever possible respond to each part individually, however, the Department will redact any payable charges from the response as the provision will be subject to a competitive tender for 2025 and onwards, and it is the view of this Department that release of these costs will prejudice that tender process and therefore the commercial interests of this Department.

The Department can confirm that DotPerformance were awarded the contract for ‘TT and Classic TT Website Design and Build’ in September 2018 following an open procurement process undertaken through the quick quote process on the Procurement Portal for an initial specified cost. The contract also included a monthly managed hosting service and re-charge of hosting costs with Amazon Web Services (AWS) without mark-up.

Application of Section 30(2)(b) The Department will apply an exemption under s30(2)(b) of the Act to the costs and charges of the provision. This Department is aware that one potential tenderer will be aware of their own costs, but this Department does not believe that this would in any way prejudice the outcome of competition.

Any service like this should be open to commercial competition, with a number of local businesses and several off-island who might wish to tender for the provision in the future. The Department is fully aware that the information provided in response to a request of this nature is deemed to be a disclosure to the world in general rather than a disclosure to an individual requestor, it is the Departments opinion that whilst disclosure of the information would most likely be in the public interest, the release of any financial information would not, due to the aforementioned prejudice this would have.
On balance the disclosure of the costings has been assessed in favour of not releasing the financial information in advance of any tender process. If no tender process is to occur then the balance changes and would allow the publication. As section 30 is a qualified exemption, it is subject to a public interest test. The public interest must be something that is of serious concern and benefit to the public at large.

Factors in favour of disclosure

Disclosure would promote increased transparency and provide insight and better
understanding of the cost of providing a public service through a government
promoted sporting event.

Factors in favour of withholding

This Department's ability to obtain the best financial outcomes from a tender process
require a level starting position for all potential tenderers, lf the costs for this year's
provision are released and are made publically available this will provide an indication
to all potential providers and is likely to reduce the Department's ability to obtain best
value for money.

In taking these statements into account this Department has determined that the
factors in favour of maintaining the partial exemption outweigh the factors in favour of
disclosing all information in full.

In taking these factors into account the Department for Enterprise determined that the factors in favour of maintaining the exemption outweigh the factors in favour of disclosing the information.

Please quote the reference number 4100197 in any future communications.

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An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper

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If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

This response took 1.5 hours to complete.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Officer