Official UK procurement notice
ICT Managed Service · UK public procurement notice
Authority: North Star Housing Group Limited (Housing)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNorth Star Housing Group is seeking to appoint a Managed Service Partner (MSP) to provide and support core ICT infrastructure and networks.
North Star's current managed service contract terminates in mid-February 2026 and its architecture was designed around a legacy co-location data centre and MPLS network design. Over recent years, North Star has adopted a "Cloud First" strategy for the delivery of its ICT services and many of its legacy systems are now delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. A small number of applications remain to be hosted by the appointed MSP, and these will potentially further reduce during the contract term as further hosted applications are replaced by SaaS solutions
The MSP will be required to support North Star's delivery of services to its headquarters in Stockton-on-Tees and eight smaller sites in the region, although it is envisaged that the MSP will deliver a significant amount of service remotely and limited attendance at North Star premises may be required. Note that visits to staff homes or partner locations will not be required and that supply, support and logistics for end-user devices is not in-scope.
The scope of the MSP contract includes:
- Strategic Architecture
- Hosting
- Wide Area Networks
- Local Wired and Wireless Area Networks
- Second- and Third-Line Service Desk
- Security including Firewall Management
- Patching
- Backup
- Business Continuity
- End-User Device Services (limited to provision of thin-client desktop, e.g. Citrix)
- Account Management
- Monthly Service Reports and Meetings
- Onboarding of Services
- Rate Card for ad-hoc work
Total value (estimated)
£1,800,000 excluding VAT
£2,160,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
15 February 2026 to 15 February 2029
Possible extension to 15 February 2032
6 years, 1 day
Description of possible extension:
15 February 2026 to 14 February 2029
3 years
Possible extension to 14 February 2032 at North Star's sole discretion
- How the procedure runs: Stage One: Participation: • Publish Tender Notice, providing access to the Requests to Participate document via Intend portal • Receive Requests to Participate from interested suppliers. • Assess responses against conditions of participation, exclusions and objective criteria to limit suppliers • Inform Suppliers not invited to participate further (estimated 21 July 2025) • Invite remaining Suppliers to submit final tenders. Stage Two: Evaluate: • Receive final tenders (estimated no later than 21 August 2025) • Evaluate final tenders • Meet with bidders (to be confirmed at a later date, estimated 16 September 2025) • Determine Most Advantageous Tender Stage Three: Award: • Inform Suppliers of the outcome and issue assessment summaries • Publish Contract Award Notice • Following standstill enter into the contract with the winning Supplier • Publish contract details notice
CPV: Computer platforms · Information technology services · System and support services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£1,800,000
- Technical & professional ability
Bidders must have the capability to deliver all in-scope Managed Services from within their own resource or working with third parties where similar collaborative projects can be referenced.
Bidders must be able to demonstrate accreditation to Industry Standards or have equivalent documented processes in place as follows:
- Quality Management: ISO 9001
- ITIL Service Management: ISO 20000
- Business Continuity Planning: ISO 22301
- Security: Cyber Essentials Plus or ISO 27001/2
Bidders must be able to offer a hosting solution where all data in transit or at rest is held within the United Kingdom.
Bidders must be able to offer all second- and third-line Service Desk services, including 24x7 service monitoring, from locations n the United Kingdom only.
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 (3)
- Technical: 60%
- Price: 30%
- Social Value: 10%
Published award criteria (3)
- Technical
- Price
- Social Value
- Technical & professional ability
Bidders must have the capability to deliver all in-scope Managed Services from within their own resource or working with third parties where similar collaborative projects can be referenced.
Bidders must be able to demonstrate accreditation to Industry Standards or have equivalent documented processes in place as follows:
- Quality Management: ISO 9001
- ITIL Service Management: ISO 20000
- Business Continuity Planning: ISO 22301
- Security: Cyber Essentials Plus or ISO 27001/2
Bidders must be able to offer a hosting solution where all data in transit or at rest is held within the United Kingdom.
Bidders must be able to offer all second- and third-line Service Desk services, including 24x7 service monitoring, from locations n the United Kingdom only.
- 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
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Concession
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 23 Apr 2025, 10:25 BST
- Last source update
- 2 Oct 2025, 11:25 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 22 Sept 2025
- Authority reference
NSHG0005- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-030724- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-050613Find a Tender
- How it runs
Stage One: Participation:
- Publish Tender Notice, providing access to the Requests to Participate document via Intend portal
- Receive Requests to Participate from interested suppliers.
- Assess responses against conditions of participation, exclusions and objective criteria to limit suppliers
- Inform Suppliers not invited to participate further (estimated 21 July 2025)
- Invite remaining Suppliers to submit final tenders.
Stage Two: Evaluate:
- Receive final tenders (estimated no later than 21 August 2025)
- Evaluate final tenders
- Meet with bidders (to be confirmed at a later date, estimated 16 September 2025)
- Determine Most Advantageous Tender
Stage Three: Award:
- Inform Suppliers of the outcome and issue assessment summaries
- Publish Contract Award Notice
- Following standstill enter into the contract with the winning Supplier
- Publish contract details notice
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 3 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 19 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
23 Apr 2025 → 15 Feb 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published23 Apr 2025, 10:25 BST
- Market engagement31 May 2025, 23:59 BST
This Preliminary Market Engagement is designed to assess the services available in the marketplace and suppliers who can provide these. This will inform the tender process and the specification of services, infrastructure and other items which will comprise the tender requirements.
This Preliminary Market Engagement is for North Star information gathering purposes only and does not form part of any formal Tender procedure. At any time prior to the issue of a Tender Notice, North Star may vary the specification or choose not to tender any or all of the in-scope items. Similarly, organisations that participate in this Preliminary Market Engagement are under no obligate to respond to any subsequent tender which North Star may issue.
The principal purpose of this preliminary market engagement is to advise and engage with the market prior to going to tender. Primary objectives are to:
- Establish potential bidder interest in the new contract
- Discuss solution, service and technology options
- Determine how suppliers can help to support North Star's ICT Strategy particularly with respect to "Cloud First" initiatives
- Discuss service management and service reporting options
- Explore the potential for innovation and added value
- Determine market capacity and drivers
- Establish key cost drivers, current cost bases, pricing model options and estimated delivery times and budgets
- Establish a fit for purpose service specification
The Preliminary Market Engagement process shall be conducted as a 1-hour workshop with each participant with a maximum of eight (8) workshops available. The workshops will be virtual meetings using Microsoft Teams. Suitably qualified suppliers may apply to attend participate in a workshop on 14 or 15 May 2025 at North Star's head office in Stockton-on-Tees. Details of how to apply are included in the above below-mentioned Brief. Please note that workshop appointments shall be allocated on a "first come first served basis" to interested parties responding as stated in this Brief.
Suppliers may request a copy of the Preliminary Market Engagement Brief by following the below link:
northstarhg.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Procurement-No… ↗
This Brief contains further information about:
- North Star's current MSP contract
- Proposed scope for the new service to be tendered
- Workshop Virtual workshop arrangements and appointment requests
- Discussion topics for the workshops.
- Next notice expected1 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published6 Jun 2025, 16:45 BST
- Clarification questions by19 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline3 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by399 days ago22 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent390 days ago2 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published389 days ago2 Oct 2025, 11:25 BST
- Standstill ends378 days ago13 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts254 days ago15 Feb 2026
Notice history
9 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 23 Apr 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published23 Apr 2025, 10:25 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published28 Apr 2025, 08:40 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published6 Jun 2025, 16:45 BSTUK4
- Status changed to active6 Jun 2025, 16:45 BST
- Procurement method changed6 Jun 2025, 16:45 BST
- Deadline published: 3 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST6 Jun 2025, 16:45 BST
- Contract award notice published2 Oct 2025, 11:25 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete2 Oct 2025, 11:25 BST
- Contract signature expected14 Oct 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Published amendments (1)
An amendment has been made to this notice to present a direct link to the project brief.
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-04: 1 release · 23 Apr 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANS Group Limited15 Feb 2026 – 15 Feb 2029 · up to 15 Feb 2032Extensions: Possible extension to 14 February 2032 at North Star's sole discretion | £1,800,000 | 22 Sept 2025standstill to 13 Oct 2025 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10final-stage tenders | 4 | 3 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- ANS GROUP LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender