Official UK procurement notice
Future Hosting and Storage Services (FHAS)
Authority: DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Defra DDTS (Digital, Data, Technology & Security Services) provides digital services to six organisations within the Defra Group (Authority; Environment Agency; Rural Payments Agency; Animal and Plant Health Agency; Natural England; and Marine Management Organisation), serving locations throughout the UK. Within DDTS resides Group Infrastructure and Operations (GIO), providing critical end-to-end technology services and support to c. 33,000 colleagues across the Defra Group. The Future Hosting and Storage Services (FHAS) will include at its core the following activities:
- Data Centre Facilities Management and Site Services (On-Premises).
- Cloud Hosting Services o Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). o Platform as a Service (PaaS). o Software as a Service (SaaS).
- Cloud Engineering Services.
- Cost Management and Optimisation (FinOps); and
- Transformational Services Infrastructure Services
- Optional Services The Procurement is being conducted under the Procurement Act 2023, using the Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP) to provide the optimum outcome for the Authority.
- How the procedure runs: The Authority requires any Potential Supplier to complete a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to getting access to the full documentation set. In order to request the NDA please email [email protected] and [email protected] using the email title, 'FHAS Potential Supplier'. Please include the following information in your email: Company name. Company number. Contact details including email, telephone and preferred person to contact. The Tender will be split into the following high-level stages: Stage One: Requests to Participate and PSQ which will be used to down-select to a range of 3 - 5 Suppliers Stage Two: Invitation to Submit Initial Tender (ISIT) Stage Optional Stage Three: Interim Down Selection ((The Authority may take a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of (5) suppliers through to the next phase of dialogue/negotiations if the interim down-selection is utilised. Further details of the approach used to determine how many Potential Suppliers will progress through to further negotiation will be included in the Invitation to Submit Initial Tenders)). Stage Four: Dialogue and Negotiations Stage Stage Five: Invitation to Submit Final Tender (ISFT) Stage Stage Six: Identification of Preferred Bidder Stage Seven: Standstill and Contract Award Full details of the process and each stage will be detailed in the Conditions of Participation documentation as well as the ISIT documentation. The Authority anticipates that the procedure will include negotiation at Stage Three and Stage Six. Under the PA2023 Section 24, the Authority may refine an award criterion as part of the competitive flexible procedure. It may also, refine the relative importance of the award criteria. Defra will, following the end of negotiations, consider whether it will refine the relative importance of the award criteria by changing the weighting of each criteria within the limits set out in the table below: Award criteria Weighting at Final Tender Range (Percentage Points) Quality 70% - 20% Price 30% + 20% The Authority intends to use Schedule 5, Paragraph 8 of the PA2023.
CPV: Computer storage units · Data storage services · IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support · Information systems · Information technology services · Maintenance of information technology equipment · System, storage and content management software development services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£245,500,000
- Economic & financial standing
N/A
- Technical & professional ability
N/A
- Condition of participationshortlisting
As described in Conditions of Participation document.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (5)
- Potential Suppliers Solution: 35%
- Security Solution: 5%
- Implementation Services: 15%
- Price: 30%
- Sustainability and Social Value: 15%
Published award criteria (5)
- Potential Suppliers Solution: Suppliers scores for Core Services will account for 35% of their final score Technical Score (out of 70%). .Suppliers Solution services submissions will be scored using the following criteria: Quality - 70% Price - 30% Please see the tender documentation for more details.
- Security Solution: Suppliers scores for Security Core Services will account for 5% of their final score Technical Score (out of 70%). Suppliers Security Solution services submissions will be scored using the following criteria: Quality - 70% Price - 30% Please see the tender documentation for more details.
- Sustainability and Social Value: Suppliers scores for Sustainability and Social Value (S&SV) will account for 35% of their final score Technical Score (out of 70%). S&SV services submissions will be scored using the following criteria: Quality - 70% Price - 30% Please see the tender documentation for more details.
- Implementation Services: Suppliers scores for Implementation Services will account for 15% of their final score Technical Score (out of 70%). Suppliers Implementation Solution services submissions will be scored using the following criteria: Quality - 70% Price - 30% Please see the tender documentation for more details.
- Price: Price – 30 Total Cost of Solution 22.5% Transformation Scenario – Data Centre Exit 2.5% Rate Card Scenario – Blended Cost for Project Services 5%
- Economic & financial standing
N/A
- Technical & professional ability
N/A
- Condition of participationshortlisting
As described in Conditions of Participation document.
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA, CPTPP)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 22 May 2025, 15:19 BST
- Last source update
- 19 Aug 2025, 13:55 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 1 Aug 2026
- Authority reference
C25613- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-047419- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-051e88Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
No payment terms in addition to those mentioned in section 68 of the Procurement Act 2023. Full details can be found in Schedule 11 - Charges and Invoicing draft Contract, which can be seen within the Defra Clinked Data Room Service and the Uk Tender Notice documents.
- How it runs
The Authority requires any Potential Supplier to complete a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to getting access to the full documentation set. In order to request the NDA please email [email protected] and [email protected] using the email title, 'FHAS Potential Supplier'. Please include the following information in your email: Company name. Company number. Contact details including email, telephone and preferred person to contact. The Tender will be split into the following high-level stages: Stage One: Requests to Participate and PSQ which will be used to down-select to a range of 3 - 5 Suppliers Stage Two: Invitation to Submit Initial Tender (ISIT) Stage Optional Stage Three: Interim Down Selection ((The Authority may take a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of (5) suppliers through to the next phase of dialogue/negotiations if the interim down-selection is utilised. Further details of the approach used to determine how many Potential Suppliers will progress through to further negotiation will be included in the Invitation to Submit Initial Tenders)). Stage Four: Dialogue and Negotiations Stage Stage Five: Invitation to Submit Final Tender (ISFT) Stage Stage Six: Identification of Preferred Bidder Stage Seven: Standstill and Contract Award Full details of the process and each stage will be detailed in the Conditions of Participation documentation as well as the ISIT documentation. The Authority anticipates that the procedure will include negotiation at Stage Three and Stage Six. Under the PA2023 Section 24, the Authority may refine an award criterion as part of the competitive flexible procedure. It may also, refine the relative importance of the award criteria. Defra will, following the end of negotiations, consider whether it will refine the relative importance of the award criteria by changing the weighting of each criteria within the limits set out in the table below: Award criteria Weighting at Final Tender Range (Percentage Points) Quality 70% - 20% Price 30% + 20% The Authority intends to use Schedule 5, Paragraph 8 of the PA2023.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 4 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 4 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 22 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
All submissions must be made using Defra tender portal: atamis-9529.my.site.com/s/Welcome ↗
Timeline
22 May 2025 → 1 Aug 2026 · 8 dates- Planning notice published22 May 2025, 15:19 BST
- Next notice expected17 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published8 Aug 2025, 16:32 BST
- Latest notice published19 Aug 2025, 13:55 BST
- Clarification questions by22 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline4 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Contract starts87 days ago1 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST
- Award decision expected by86 days ago1 Aug 2026, 23:59 BST
Notice history
6 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 22 May 2025- Pipeline notice published22 May 2025, 15:19 BSTUK1
- Tender notice published8 Aug 2025, 16:32 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £245,500,0008 Aug 2025, 16:32 BSTwas £189,000,000
- Status changed to active8 Aug 2025, 16:32 BST
- Procurement method changed8 Aug 2025, 16:32 BST
- Tender notice published19 Aug 2025, 13:55 BSTUK4
Published amendments (2)
The supporting document had an incorrect Participation Stage submission date of 2nd September 2025. The Participation Stage submission date is the 4th September 2025.
The supporting document had an incorrect Participation Stage submission date of 2nd September 2025. The Participation Stage submission date is the 4th September 2025.
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-05: 1 release · 22 May 2025
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Competitive Flexible Procedure Overview
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender