Official UK procurement notice
Outsourced ICT Infrastructure Management and associated Services
Authority: Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Authority requires the provision, management, and continuous improvement of the following services:
a. ITSM Tooling & Service Desk
Provision and management and operation of a full 24×7×365 Service Desk including telephone, webchat, the Authority’s portal with self‑service capabilities, leveraging AI and automation.
b. Service Management functions
End‑to‑end IT, ITIL aligned, service management, including incident, request, change, configuration, and problem management; major incident handling; release and deployment management; knowledge and asset management.
c. Workplace & End‑User Services
User Experience focussed provision and support of PCs, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices; user experience analytics; build and patch services; field engineering and Tech Bar support; Active Directory management; and evergreen refresh activities.
d. Infrastructure Services
Management of on‑premises hosting, VMware platforms, monitoring and event management, capacity and availability oversight, patching and backup services, and Azure cloud services.
e. Networking Services
Provision and maintenance of LAN, WLAN, network monitoring, management, maintenance, incident response, and installation services.
f. Security Services & Cyber Operations
Security event management, security management planning, vulnerability management, compliance reporting, risk management, cybersecurity programmes, business continuity, service continuity, and disaster recovery support.
g. Infrastructure & Technology Projects
Agile delivery support, portfolio management, service transition, project coordination, technical resource provision, and overall project management for delivery of infrastructure programmes.
h. Architectural Support
Road‑mapping, innovation forums, project assurance, and obsolescence management.
i. Other Services
ITSM platform provision and management.
j. Print management
Managed print services (MFDs, scanners, printers and specialist printers).
k. Additional Optional Services
The Authority reserves the right (by including contractual options for it) to purchase additional products, software, software licences and/or services during the contract term, including project-related professional services, items of a catalogue-type nature as described in the contract and/or which are otherwise related to and/or extend and/or enhance and/or upgrade the products, software, software licences and/or services which are the subject of this Procurement.
The Contract will also include a detailed change control procedure
Depending upon the specific service, the services will need to be provided both on-site - across the Authority’s premises and any external data centre locations used by the Authority - and remotely.
- Not divided into lots: Achieve better value for money by combining the requirement in a single contract and to render management and administration of the overall requirement simpler and more effective (in addition to being most cost effective for the Authority), at a time when it (in the same way as other Trusts) faces significant resource and funding constraints. Following PME, the Authority is satisfied of the appropriateness of this.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 11 Jan 2027, 23:59 GMT.
- How the procedure runs: This Tender Notice is to provide notification that the Authority is about to embark on a Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with S20 (1) and (2) (b) of the Procurement Act 2023, pursuant to which the Authority intends to award a public contract under S19 of the Procurement Act 2023. The Competitive Flexible Procedure for this procurement will have 5 stages. It will include both dialogue and negotiation with shortlisted suppliers during Stage 3 and it will also include dialogue with the preferred supplier at Stage 5 and, possibly, also negotiation with the preferred supplier at Stage 5. The Authority will be limiting the number of suppliers it takes through into Stages 2 – 4 of its Competitive Flexible Procedure to no more than 3 shortlisted suppliers. The conditions of participation reflect the criteria being used to select this limited number and the process by which responses to the conditions of participation will be assessed is set out in the Competitive Flexible Procedure document. The stages forming part of this Competitive Flexible Procedure are as follows: Stage 1 – Invitation to Participate Stage 2 – Initial (non-assessed) Tenders Stage 3 – Dialogue and negotiation Stage 4 – Invitation to submit Final Tenders Stage 5 – Preferred Supplier Further detail is provided in associated tender document Competitive Flexible Procedure. The Authority has provided high level summary of its award criteria for the procurement in this Tender Notice, as set out below. It is relying on S24 of the Procurement Act to refine the award criteria including but not limited to the introduction of sub-criteria and/or sub-weightings and/or otherwise, up to the point at which it issues its invitation to submit Final Tenders. The Authority also reserves its rights to rely on S31 of the Procurement Act 2023. The following is a high level summary of the award criteria for this procurement (which the Authority intends to further refine applying the flexibilities described under S24 of the Procurement Act 2023 and, potentially, S31 of the Procurement Act 2023): Social Value – 10% Quality – 55% - 60% Price – 30% – 35% The authority does not propose to set the minimum tendering period permitted by Reg 54 (4) of the Procurement Act, entry 4.
CPV: Business and management consultancy and related services · Computer audit and testing services · Computer network services · Computer support and consultancy services · Computer-related management services · Computer-related services · Data management services · Data services · Data storage services · Hardware consultancy services · Helpdesk services · IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support · +5 more
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£49,999,999
- Economic & financial standing
The Authority has set a number of conditions of participation for this procurement which are described in the Procurement Specific Questionnaire, which is available within the CFP Document. The Authority is satisfied that the conditions of participation are a proportionate means of ensuring that suppliers have the financial and legal capacity and technical ability to perform the contract. They include, among other things, minimum turnover requirements, credit-worthiness, legal constitution, data protection and other statutory compliance matters, evidence of previous experience, availability of resources and provision of references.
- Technical & professional ability
Refer to high level description already set out in the Tender Notice, cross-refer to Appendix B of Competitive Flexible Procedure document and also cross refer to the technical standards Question relating to ISO and ITIL etc set out in the PSQ.
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)
- Award: 60%
- Award: 30%
- Award - Social value: 10%
Published award criteria (3)
- Award: The percentage weightings alongside give the bottom end of the authority's intended range. The authority reserves the right to apply any percentage within the ranges below, as described below. The following is a high level summary of the award criteria for this procurement (which the Authority intends to further refine applying the flexibilities described under S24 of the Procurement Act 2023 and, potentially, S31 of the Procurement Act 2023): Social Value – 10% Quality – 55% - 60% Price – 30% – 35%
- Award: The following is a high level summary of the award criteria for this procurement (which the Authority intends to further refine applying the flexibilities described under S24 of the Procurement Act 2023 and, potentially, S31 of the Procurement Act 2023): Social Value – 10% Quality – 55% - 60% Price – 30% – 35%
- Award - Social value: The following is a high level summary of the award criteria for this procurement (which the Authority intends to further refine applying the flexibilities described under S24 of the Procurement Act 2023 and, potentially, S31 of the Procurement Act 2023): Social Value – 10% Quality – 55% - 60% Price – 30% – 35%
- Economic & financial standing
The Authority has set a number of conditions of participation for this procurement which are described in the Procurement Specific Questionnaire, which is available within the CFP Document. The Authority is satisfied that the conditions of participation are a proportionate means of ensuring that suppliers have the financial and legal capacity and technical ability to perform the contract. They include, among other things, minimum turnover requirements, credit-worthiness, legal constitution, data protection and other statutory compliance matters, evidence of previous experience, availability of resources and provision of references.
- Technical & professional ability
Refer to high level description already set out in the Tender Notice, cross-refer to Appendix B of Competitive Flexible Procedure document and also cross refer to the technical standards Question relating to ISO and ITIL etc set out in the PSQ.
- 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
- Yes · next expected 11 Jan 2027
- First published
- 2 Apr 2026, 15:26 BST
- Last source update
- 3 Sept 2026, 15:47 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 19 Oct 2026
- Authority reference
C436230- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-082243- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-067c1bFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
The Authority does not expect there to be any additional payment terms beyond those that will be set out in the contract, as intended to be awarded under S19 of the Procurement Act 2023
- How it runs
This Tender Notice is to provide notification that the Authority is about to embark on a Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with S20 (1) and (2) (b) of the Procurement Act 2023, pursuant to which the Authority intends to award a public contract under S19 of the Procurement Act 2023.
The Competitive Flexible Procedure for this procurement will have 5 stages. It will include both dialogue and negotiation with shortlisted suppliers during Stage 3 and it will also include dialogue with the preferred supplier at Stage 5 and, possibly, also negotiation with the preferred supplier at Stage 5.
The Authority will be limiting the number of suppliers it takes through into Stages 2 – 4 of its Competitive Flexible Procedure to no more than 3 shortlisted suppliers. The conditions of participation reflect the criteria being used to select this limited number and the process by which responses to the conditions of participation will be assessed is set out in the Competitive Flexible Procedure document.
The stages forming part of this Competitive Flexible Procedure are as follows:
Stage 1 – Invitation to Participate
Stage 2 – Initial (non-assessed) Tenders
Stage 3 – Dialogue and negotiation
Stage 4 – Invitation to submit Final Tenders
Stage 5 – Preferred Supplier
Further detail is provided in associated tender document Competitive Flexible Procedure.
The Authority has provided high level summary of its award criteria for the procurement in this Tender Notice, as set out below. It is relying on S24 of the Procurement Act to refine the award criteria including but not limited to the introduction of sub-criteria and/or sub-weightings and/or otherwise, up to the point at which it issues its invitation to submit Final Tenders. The Authority also reserves its rights to rely on S31 of the Procurement Act 2023.
The following is a high level summary of the award criteria for this procurement (which the Authority intends to further refine applying the flexibilities described under S24 of the Procurement Act 2023 and, potentially, S31 of the Procurement Act 2023):
Social Value – 10%
Quality – 55% - 60%
Price – 30% – 35%
The authority does not propose to set the minimum tendering period permitted by Reg 54 (4) of the Procurement Act, entry 4.
- Risks
If the data centre project is delayed or otherwise is not completed as envisaged, this may have a knock-on impact in terms of the transition from the existing legacy services to the new outsourced ICT infrastructure management and associated services. The Authority intends to include flexibilities into the Contract to help manage and/or mitigate any such impacts but, although the (low) risk of this happening is known, every potential consequential impact cannot be known. To that end, the Authority reserves the right (without thereby being obliged to do so) to modify the contract pursuant to Section 5 of Schedule 8 of the Act, so as to ensure that the Contract is able to be performed to the satisfaction of the Authority, including with regard to the benefits expected by the Authority from the new services. This may include but is not limited to extending the term of the Contract so that the Authority benefits from then receiving the operational services for the same length of time as it would have done, had transition from the old to the new services taken place as originally envisaged.
Should the incumbent provider not be the chosen supplier, the Authority may similarly wish to mitigate the adverse impact of delays caused to completion of transition from the existing legacy services to the new outsourced ICT infrastructure management and associated services caused by other known potential risks such as failure or delay in the provision or access to necessary information which is not directly under the control of the Authority, at the time or in the manner envisaged
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 25 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 11 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
This Tender Notice is being used for Invitation to Participate purposes and requests to participate may be submitted by following the procedure set out in the Competitive Flexible Procedure Document and the Procurement Specific Questionnaire. The date by which the completed Procurement Specific Questionnaire (together with any other information required by the same date as set out in the Competitive Flexible Procedure Document and/or the Procurement Specific Questionnaire. The deadline for supplier submission of responses to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire is the 25th September 2026. The date of 19th October 2026 below is the estimated date by which suppliers will be notified of the outcome of the Authority's evaluation of supplier responses to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire. The date of the 11th January 2027 is the estimated date by which the Authority intends to issue Invitations to Submit Final Tender and is the date by which the Authority will refine its award criteria and follow the process described in regulation 24 (4) of the Procurement Act 2023. The estimated date when the contract will be awarded is 5th March 2027. Suppliers are encouraged to read the Competitive Flexible Procurement document for further information about the timetable for this procurement.
Link to Atamis portal
New Supplier Link
link atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome ↗
Associated Tender Documents being published at the same time as this Tender Notice: Competitive Flexible Procedure document, inclusive of scope description (Appendix B to CFP) and PSQ (which will also be published separately for ease of reference and completion. These documents are in the Stage 1 Documents folder within Supplier Documents.
Associated Tender Documents being published later: Refinement of award criteria, sub criteria and percentages. Publication in accordance with Section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023
Associated Tender Documents being published later to short listed bidders: Output based specification, pricing evaluation matrix and final ITT etc.
These documents will be published to the shortlisted bidders through Atamis.
Timeline
2 Apr 2026 → 28 May 2027 · 9 dates- Planning notice published207 days ago2 Apr 2026, 15:26 BST
- Market engagement149 days ago29 May 2026, 23:59 BST
Pre-Market Engagement:
Please note that this PME does not constitute a call for competition and any future procurement will be advertised via a relevant UK e-notification service in accordance with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023. Participation in any stage of the PME is entirely voluntary and is not a condition of any future tender participation.
Without, in any way, restricting or limiting the Trust’s freedom to set such Conditions of Participation (including as to technical capability and/or experience) as it so chooses, the Trust welcomes participation in the pre-market engagement by all suppliers with demonstrable capabilities in the provision of large scale outsourced ICT infrastructure management services, of the type described in this Preliminary Market Engagement Notice, irrespective of the particular sector(s) into which a supplier might most frequently provide such services.
The Trust reserves the right to conduct the PME in such flexible way as best suits its needs but it currently intends to begin PME on or around 22 April 2026 by undertaking the following activities:
- Delivering a presentation to potential suppliers on or around 22 April 2026 at which it will explain the nature and scope of its existing service in more detail, as well as providing information relating to its current thinking and expectations for the re-procurement.
The presentation will be delivered (i) in person, at a time and venue to be notified and also, at the same time (ii) online, via MS Teams, to enable participation of interested parties unable to attend in person. Depending upon the circumstances of the day (e.g., time left available at the end of the presentation, Trust resource commitments elsewhere etc), the Trust may but without accepting any obligation to do so take questions at this session.
Interested parties wishing to attend in person must have registered their interest in attending such event with the Trust on or by 17 April 2026 (by email to the address set out below). In person attendance is expected to be restricted to a maximum of 2 representatives of each interested party and, in any event, will be limited by the maximum capacity of the selected venue (i.e. limited by reference to the overall number of people which the Trust considers the room can comfortably support. Further information will be provided about this, on application to register for the event. Places at the in-person event will be filled on a “first come, first served” basis.
Interested parties wishing to attend on-line (including those unable to gain an in-person place at the event) must have registered their interest with the Trust on or by 20 April 2026 (by email to the address set out below), in order to do so.
- A few days after the presentation (most likely on or around 27 April 2026 so that participants in the PME have time to digest the information provided at the presentation and determine whether or not they wish to continue to participate in the PME), the Trust intends to publish an RFI. Interested parties should note that the RFI will be subject to a submission deadline for responses (which will be in the region of 10 days from the date of publication) and that it will include wordcount limit(s).
- Having reviewed responses to the RFI, the Trust may then (at its sole discretion) request further information from any responder and/or may request to meet (on-line or in person) with any one or more of the responders to the RFI, in each case to clarify their responses where considered unclear and/or obtain such further information from them as the Trust so chooses.
- The Trust may also, at any time during the PME, modify, supplement or request further information from any one or more of the parties remaining interested in the procurement at that time, as it so chooses.
- The Trust’s estimated date for closing the PME is 29 May 2026.
Publication date of Tender Notice (estimated):
6 July 2026 (subject to any Cabinet Office/NHSE/DHSC assurance and/or controls processes, where applicable)
Amendment- 14.7.2026
During the pre-market engagement on 20th April 2026, we shared an outline timetable for the procurement, which anticipated us publishing our Tender Notice (including our Invitation To Participate (ITP)) in early July 2026. We had earlier published a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice indicating that our estimated date for publication of the Tender Notice was 6 July 2026. The procurement timetable was (and remains) subject to NHS England spending control processes being completed.
The spend control processes are progressing and we are awaiting confirmation of their completion. However, we do not yet have a firm date for when that will happen. We are also conscious that publishing the Tender Notice (including the ITP) during July 2026 would require respondents to compile and submit their responses during August, which may cause issues with team availability during the summer holiday period.
As a result, we have decided that the Tender Notice (including the ITP) will now be issued no earlier than 3 August 2026[JY2.1] (irrespective of any completion of the spend controls processes before then).
We trust that you will welcome this update and thank you for your continued interest in this opportunity.
UPDATE 14.8.2026
Further to the amendment issued on 14 July 2026, the Trust would like to provide a further update regarding the anticipated publication date of the Tender Notice (including our invitation to participate (ITP)). The Publication date will now be on or around the 28 August 2026.
Suppliers should note that this date remains indicative and is subject to change should any further approvals or internal processes require additional time. The Trust will continue to provide updates via Atamis should there be any material change to the timetable.
We thank suppliers for their continued interest and patience
- Tender notice published59 days ago28 Aug 2026, 14:48 BST
- Next notice expected58 days ago28 Aug 2026, 23:59 BST
- Latest notice published53 days ago3 Sept 2026, 15:47 BST
- Clarification questions by45 days ago11 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST
- Submission deadline31 days ago25 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST
- Award decision expected by6 days ago19 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
- Today26 Oct 2026
- Contract startsin 214 days28 May 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
13 events · 9 releases on Find a Tender · since 2 Apr 2026- Pipeline notice published2 Apr 2026, 15:26 BSTUK1
- Pipeline notice published8 Apr 2026, 13:41 BSTUK1
- Preliminary market engagement notice published9 Apr 2026, 14:24 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published9 Apr 2026, 14:30 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published9 Apr 2026, 15:54 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published14 Jul 2026, 14:21 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published14 Aug 2026, 12:27 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published28 Aug 2026, 14:48 BSTUK4
- Published value published: £49,999,99928 Aug 2026, 14:48 BST
- Status changed to active28 Aug 2026, 14:48 BST
- Procurement method changed28 Aug 2026, 14:48 BST
- Deadline published: 25 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST28 Aug 2026, 14:48 BST
- Tender notice published3 Sept 2026, 15:47 BSTUK4
Published amendments (6)
Contract Location - missing
amendment to description
amend narrative
change of date of planned ITT
Update re Tender Notice (including ITP) publication date
Routine re-releases (9)
- 2026-07: 1 release · 14 Jul 2026
- 2026-04: 5 releases · 2 Apr 2026, 9 Apr 2026
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (9)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender 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
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement 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
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender