Defence Online

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Ref: 089658/S 000-2026
Nature of contract: Service contract
Procedure: Not specified
Regulation of procurement: Not applicable
Type of bid required: Global bid

UKPGA UK4: Tender Notice

I) Contracting Authority/Entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
National registration number: PJGZ-5912-BTWQ

Postal address: 65 Knock Road
Town: Belfast
Postal code: BT5 6LE
Country: United Kingdom

Email: SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk

Internet address

I.3) Communication
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted
Electronically
Tenders must be submitted electronically via the relevant Call for Tender (CfT) opportunity on eTendersNI, website details immediately below.
Paper submissions will not be accepted or considered and will be rejected by the Contracting Authority / Buyer.
The tender documents are available with unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: URL

I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Public authority – central government

Procuring Entity
CPD – Supplies & Services Division
Construction and Procurement Delivery – Supplies and Services Division, is a Centre of Procurement Expertise and provides a central procurement function for central government in Northern Ireland
Postal address: Clare House, 303 Airport Road West
Town: Belfast
Postal code: BT3 9ED
Country: United Kingdom

Email: SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk

II) Object
II.1.1) Title
ID5867746 PSNI – Core IT Managed Services Contract
Reference number: ID5867746

II.1.3) Type of contract
Services

II.1.4) Short description
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (Authority) has a requirement for the provision of Core IT Managed Services (Contract). The Core IT contract encompasses the Authority’s operational systems excluding Wide Area Networks, Local Area Networks, Printers, and those dedicated internal networks and systems supporting sensitive specialist departments. The Supplier may be required to interface with these systems and collaborate with relevant third parties as necessary to ensure the effective delivery of services. The primary focus of this Core IT procurement is, to make a strong contribution to public confidence in policing by driving improvements in public service delivery through the provision of world-class IT services, which enhances frontline policing efficiency and resilience. In parallel, the aim is to deliver improved value for money for taxpayers through robust and effective contract management that drive continuous improvement in supplier performance throughout the initial contract term. The Authority therefore wishes to procure a Core IT solution which: • Meets all existing business requirements, providing continuity of service across all Authority operations; • Supports the transition from the current contractual arrangements to the new contract, ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing IT services and operational capability; • Provides flexibility and scalability to accommodate future and evolving business requirements, including changes in operational scope, technology, or user demand; • Maintains the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of all Authority systems, networks, and data in accordance with applicable legislation, security policies and standards; • Ensures the secure storage and management of Authority data, both on-premises and within any approved hosted or cloud environments; • Complies with all relevant current and future requirements relating to IT infrastructure, operational standards, and data protection legislation, including but not limited to UK GDPR and associated security frameworks; • Implements continuous quality enhancements in all areas, identified as requiring improvement, ensuring that service performance and user satisfaction are maintained and developed throughout the contract term; • Supports the adoption of automated services and modern management capabilities to streamline operational processes across both on-premises and cloud-hosted environments, delivering infrastructure services through a standardised, service-oriented model that provides a consistent and simplified user experience regardless of where the underlying data or services are hosted; and • Actively explores and adopts innovative technologies,. including artificial intelligence (AI) and Automation, where such technologies demonstrably streamline processes, enhance efficiency, resilience, and value for money, whether on-premises or cloud.
The Core Towers are:
1. Infrastructure and Hosting Services;
2. Application Support.
3. Desktops, Laptops, and Peripherals; and
4. Service Desk.
Please see DRAFT Services Specification provided at PSQ stage for further details.

II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value (including VAT)
432,000,000
Value (excluding VAT)
360,000,000
Currency
GBP

II.2) Description
II.2.1) Title
Contract/Lot No
1

II.2.2) CPV codes
Main CPV codes
30211000
30211300
30211400
30212000
30212100
30213000
30213200
30213300
30214000
30215000
30216110
30216120
30216130
30216200
30231000
30231100
30231200
30231300
30231310
30231320
30232000
30236000
30236110
30236120
30236122
30236200
30237000
30237110
30237120
30237130
30237200
30237280
30237300
30237400
32500000
48100000
48200000
48220000
48400000
48510000
48520000
48600000
48700000
48800000
48900000
50300000
50800000
51100000
51300000
51600000
72000000
72200000
72400000
72600000
72800000
80533100

II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
UKN – NORTHERN IRELAND

II.2.5) Award Criteria
Quality
Name: Qualitative Proposals (to include Technical Proposals and Social Value)
Weighting: 65

Price
Name: Financial & Commercial
Weighting: 35

II.2.6) Estimated Value
Value (excluding VAT)
360,000,000
Currency
GBP

II.2.7) Contract dates (estimated)
Start
2028-01-01 00:00
End
2033-12-31 23:59
Duration
6 years
Possible extension
2042-12-31 23:59
Extended duration
15 years
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
Extension end date if all extensions are used is estimated to be 31 December 2042.
Following contract award there will be an implementation period of approximately 12 months (but could be longer or shorter depending on circumstances) prior to “go-live”. The initial term from “go-live” will be five years. There are 3 x three year optional extension periods, plus an additional one year extension period, all subject to review and satisfactory performance assessment by the Contracting Authority.

II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Maximum number
3

II.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
(13.2.1.1.) The Authority has incorporated within the scope “Volume Based Services” in order to provide the Authority with the flexibility to increase or decrease the volumes of such Services during the Term of the Contract in line with changes in its operational requirements and in order for the Charges for such Services to vary in line with the service volumes that are required. Required volumetrics for this contract have been included as part of Charges.
(13.2.2.4) All such projects will progress through a project scoping, design and development process and their final implementation will be subject to there being an approved business case and allocated budgets and resources. Accordingly, it is not possible for the Authority to be definitive at this stage in relation to whether and how each of these projects might impact the scope and scale of the Operational Services for the Core IT Services in respect of Service Desk, Hosting Services, Application Support, and Desktops, Laptops and Peripherals. It should be noted that many of the impacts of these projects (e.g. in relation to service desk and hosting requirements) may be managed through the Volume Based Services mechanism described above and may not need to be called-off as Optional Services. Possible projects may include, but not be limited to: Supply of hardware as agreed and other hardware as defined by the Authority within the Service provision of this contract; Software upgrades; Changes to the number of applications hosted; – additional; Changes to the number of applications supported under Application Support; Supply of infrastructure, support and transition services for a potential replacement Data Centre; Server Refresh x 3 over length of contract; Backups and restores; Decommissioning and upgrading of end user devices; and Cloud storage.
(13.2.2.7.) In addition to any new Services arising from such projects, the Authority has also listed a number of other Optional Services summarised below: Extension of the Term – Authority will require the option to extend the initial five-year term by three periods of three years each, plus an additional 1 year which provides a maximum contract term of 15 years, excluding the implementation period; Service Desk Hours – Authority may require a change to the hours of its Service Desk operation; Service Desk Location – the current Service Desk is provided on Authority premises; however, Authority may require an option to extend the Authority network to off-site locations in the UK to facilitate remote access by the Core ICT Managed Services provider; ICS Location – ICS may move location as the Authority estate changes; Software upgrades and hardware replacements – Authority will examine in dialogue its approach to software upgrades and implementing hardware replacements (and potentially other periodic services of variable frequency) through the Core ICT Managed Service contract, which may result in such services being defined and structured as Optional Services within the Draft Project Agreement; Storage Area Network (SAN) – Authority will need to replace its existing SAN during the Term of the Core ICT Managed Services contract, so the Authority will require the Core ICT Managed Services Supplier to support the security, design, implementation, and transition of Services to a new SAN. Equally, the Authority will require the Supplier to provide a similar set of services in respect of the replacement and/or implementation of other elements of ICT infrastructure such as server and backup solutions; and Additional resources – Authority may also require access to specialist ICT resources to provide expert support on ICT projects identified during the term of the contract. It is envisaged that the accessing of specialist ICT resources for this purpose would also be structured as an Optional Service. Further details of this requirement are provided in Section 7 of [the specification].
(13.2.3.1.) there may also be other changes in the scope and/or scale of the Services required from the ICT Managed Service during the Term of the contract that could not be identified or foreseen at the time of this procurement but which are consistent with; the overall nature of Buyer’s current and future operational requirements for Core ICT Managed Services; the Operational Services (i.e. the four service towers) described in this Schedule and the overall scope of the ICT Managed Services requirements as set out in the Project Agreement. In such circumstances the Authority may seek to agree a modification to the ICT Managed Services contract through the Change Control Procedure to facilitate the provision of such services by the Supplier, with the Charges for such services set by reference to the mechanisms and protections provided in the Draft Project Agreement (as outlined above). It is envisaged that such modifications would be made without requiring a new procurement procedure in accordance with the PA 2023.

III) Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation

III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Additional technical selection criteria
As per PSQ stage documentation

III.1.7) Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them
Based on historical spend patterns, annual expenditure under the contract is anticipated to range between £9 million and £24 million, reflecting fluctuations in service demand from year to year. This estimate is provided for information purposes only and does not represent a guaranteed level of expenditure.
The estimated total contract value is £329 million (excluding VAT). However, the anticipated value range is £200 million to £360 million (excluding VAT), with the upper value of £360 million being reflected within the scope section of this Notice.
This range reflects the potential scale of the contract and takes into account potential optional extension periods and the uptake of potential optional services as detailed in the tender documents. This figure does not however take into account the application of indexation or increases to charges due to increases in the Real Living Wage. Neither CPD nor the contracting Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The Contracting Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. Suppliers remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the Supplier in connection with taking part in this procurement process regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, directly or indirectly of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the Contracting Authority at any time. No legally binding contract shall arise (and a Supplier shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract will be entered into) until such time as entry into the Contract has been confirmed by the Contracting Authority.

IV) Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive flexible procedure

IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement
Yes

IV.1.10) Identification of the national rules applicable to the procedure
Information about national procedures is available at
An indication of the anticipated stages in the Competitive Flexible Procedure are as follows:
-Conditions of Participation (COP)/ Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) submissions returned
-Evaluate COP/PSQ submissions and select shortlist of 3 suppliers – informing all of outcome
– Tender Stage to shortlisted suppliers
-Detailed Solution Stage with Dialogue Sessions
-Submission of Detailed Solutions (DS)
– (Optional) Refined Detailed Solution with Dialgue Sessions
-Issue Invitation to Submit Final Tenders (ISFT) to Suppliers
-Evaluation of final tenders and selection of preferred supplier
The Contracting Authority may during the process refine the wording and / or weighting of an award criterion in line with section 24 of the PA 2023. Where this is the case revised tender documentation will be provided to all suppliers clearly indicating any refinements made.
The Contracting Authority reserves the right amend the stages of the competitive flexible procurement process. The process described above is indicative only and the finalised process will be provided in the tender documents.

IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Tender period dates
Enquiry deadline
2026-10-20 15:00
Estimated award decision date
2027-12-10 23:59

IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English

Deadline for requests to participate
2026-10-29 15:00

VI) Complementary information
Link to source/bidding documents

Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Risk details
If at any time during the procurement, or post award, it comes to the attention of the Contracting Authority (CA) or CPD, by whatever means, that a Supplier has become ‘excluded’ or ‘excludable’ as per Sec 57 of the PA 2023, the CA, after compliance with its obligations under the PA 23, reserves the right to exclude said Supplier from the procurement procedure or terminate any contract they have been awarded.
The Contracting Authority expressly reserves the rights:
(I). not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;
(II). to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering Competition;
(III). to award a contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the services covered by this notice; and
(IV). to award contract in stages.
and in no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.
This project will be used to progress the Government’s wider social, economic and environmental objectives.
The Contracting Authority reserves the right to hold additional rounds of negotiation / dialogue with tenderers; to require the submission of any further or additional information or tender submissions; to award the Contract following the submission of initial tenders and/or to down-select tenderers at specified points in the process. For the avoidance of doubt, final tenders will not be subject to any negotiation with the Contracting Authority (however, they may be subject to clarification, if required, at the Contracting Authority’s absolute discretion). The Contracting Authority reserves the right: to reject any or all PSQ or tender responses and to cancel or withdraw the procurement process at any stage; to award a contract without prior notice; to change the basis of, the procedure and the timescales set out or referred to in the procurement documents; to require a tenderer to clarify its PSQ or tender response in writing and/or provide additional information; to terminate the procurement process; and/or to amend the terms and conditions of the PSQ or tender evaluation process or negotiation process in line with section 31 of the Procurement Act 2023.
Suppliers should note that all dates, time periods and figures in relation to values and volumes specified in this notice and the procurement documents are approximate only and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change any or all of them.
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement
Yes

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
2026-09-22 13:59