Official UK procurement notice
Provision of a Finance Solution and Associated Services to the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission
Authority: Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Central government)
This Planned Procurement Notice relates to requirements that were the subject of a preliminary market engagement exercise undertaken by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) under Find a Tender Service reference 2026/S 000-080852. The engagement considered replacement solutions for HR, payroll and finance functions. The system must ensure data is exchanged securely. The finance system is expected to support, as a minimum, core financial management and accounting functionality, including general ledger, chart of accounts, budgeting and forecasting, accounts payable, purchase-to-pay, accounts receivable, income management, banking, reconciliations, VAT, fixed assets, financial reporting and audit trails.
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionPurpose of this Notice
This Planned Procurement Notice relates to requirements that were the subject of a preliminary market engagement exercise undertaken by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) under Find a Tender Service reference 2026/S 000-080852. The engagement considered replacement solutions for HR, payroll and finance functions. Following engagement, the Assembly Commission intends to conduct separate procurements for HR & payroll and for finance solutions.
This notice provides advance information to help potential suppliers assess the opportunity, identify any delivery partners and plan bid and demonstration resources. The Assembly Commission intends to rely on this notice as a qualifying planned procurement notice under section 15(3) of the Procurement Act 2023 to enable a reduced tendering period were permitted by section 54. This notice is not a call for competition; the tender notice and associated procurement documents will explain how to participate.
Scope of Requirement
The Assembly Commission intends to undertake two separate procurements for the provision, implementation and ongoing support of a modern human resources and payroll solution and a finance solution.
The procurement forms part of the Assembly Commission's wider objective to modernise corporate systems and processes, improve user experience, strengthen organisational reporting and support data-driven decision making.
Following completion of preliminary market engagement, the Assembly Commission intends to adopt a best-of-breed approach, procuring specialist solutions capable of operating within an integrated corporate services environment. The requirement is therefore not anticipated to comprise a single Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.
Solutions should support an integrated user experience, effective data sharing, enhanced reporting and analytics, workflow automation, robust governance and security controls, and future scalability.
The Assembly Commission is seeking solutions that support the delivery of:
•Human Resources, including workforce administration, employee and manager self-service, recruitment, onboarding, learning, performance management and workforce reporting.
•Payroll, including payroll administration, statutory compliance, reporting and integration with workforce data.
•Finance, including financial accounting, budgeting, accounts payable and receivable, procurement-to-pay processes and financial reporting.
This planned procurement notice relates to the finance solution requirement only. A separate planned procurement notice is expected to be issued for the HR and payroll solution requirement. The Assembly Commission is not currently seeking to procure a single combined HR, payroll and finance ERP solution through this notice.
The two separate contracts are expected to include software provision, implementation and configuration services, data migration, integration, training and ongoing support and maintenance.
Outline Requirement – Finance Solution
The Assembly Commission intends to procure a modern finance solution to support the delivery of its finance, accounting, budgeting, payment, reporting and financial control functions. This will be a separate procurement from the planned HR, payroll and pensions solution procurement. The system should have the technical capability to integrate with other best of breed applications such as finance and procurement and in doing so support integrated reporting. The system must ensure data is exchanged securely.
The finance system is expected to support, as a minimum, core financial management and accounting functionality, including general ledger, chart of accounts, budgeting and forecasting, accounts payable, purchase-to-pay, accounts receivable, income management, banking, reconciliations, VAT, fixed assets, financial reporting and audit trails. The system should support robust financial governance, delegated authority controls, budgetary control, segregation of duties, workflow approvals, management information and statutory/accounting reporting requirements.
The Assembly Commission is also likely to require functionality to support specific finance processes within a parliamentary context, including payments and claims relating to Assembly Members and political parties, supplier management, payment processing, expenditure reporting, commitments, accruals and financial analysis across relevant organisational, project, contract, Member, constituency and party dimensions.
The solution will need to support secure access for authorised finance, procurement, budget-holder and other relevant users, with appropriate role-based permissions, auditability, reporting, document attachment, workflow, integration and data-retention capability.
The Assembly Commission expects the solution to be capable of interfacing with relevant corporate systems and external services, including HR/payroll, banking, procurement/e-procurement, identity management, reporting tools and other systems where required.
Associated services are expected to include system configuration, data migration and validation, integration, testing, user training, transition and go-live support, and ongoing maintenance and support, including updates to reflect applicable legislative changes. Detailed scope, functional and technical requirements, implementation arrangements and service levels will be set out in the tender documentation. At this stage, the Assembly Commission is seeking to provide advance notice to the market of the intended standalone finance solution procurement and to allow potential suppliers sufficient time to consider their capability, delivery model and interest in the opportunity.
Estimated Value
The Assembly Commission is currently finalising the business case for this project, but early estimates for the 8 year contract which will cover licensing, implementation, support and maintenance and training is £1.1M exclusive of VAT. This early estimate is anticipated to cover implementation, support, maintenance and licensing for the finance solution. This will be subject to change pending business case approval.
The Tender Notice will set out the final approved budget value.
Procurement Approach
The Assembly Commission intends to conduct this procurement using the Competitive Flexible Procedure.
The Assembly Commission anticipates conducting a three-stage competitive flexible procedure without a separate request-to-participate stage. Stage 1 will require an initial tender submission comprising evidence relating to conditions of participation and relevant previous experience, together with a high-level description of the proposed solution and its compliance with mandatory requirements.
Stages 1 and 2 will provide opportunities for suppliers to receive feedback before submitting their final tenders. Initial written responses and demonstrations will be reviewed but will not be formally scored, and these stages will not be used to shortlist suppliers, subject to applicable exclusion requirements and the published rules of the procedure. All suppliers submitting a Stage 1 response will be invited to take part in Stage 2.
Suppliers may choose to refine their written responses and demonstration material in light of the feedback received. Repeat live demonstrations are not anticipated. Suppliers will instead be required to provide their final demonstration material in a recorded format, such as a video or screencast, for assessment alongside their final written responses after the Stage 3 deadline. The tender documentation will explain the feedback arrangements, permitted revisions and submission requirements.
The Assembly Commission intends to rely on a qualifying planned procurement notice to permit a reduced tendering period under section 54(4) of the Procurement Act 2023.
Indicative Evaluation Approach
The Assembly Commission currently anticipates that tenders will be evaluated on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) using the following indicative weightings:
•Quality: 60%
•Cost: 30%
•Social Value: 10%
We have not yet finalised the criteria or associated weightings, but to help suppliers plan we are considering the following criteria:
Stage 1
•Conditions of participation
•Supplier’s previous experience of successfully delivering a similar service provision
•Supplier’s proposed delivery team
•Supplier’s proposed solution
Stage 2
•Supplier demonstration of two specific scenarios
Stage 3
•Implementation, migration and transition
•Business continuity and disaster recovery
•Contract management
•Social value
•Costs
The stages above indicate when information will initially be requested, rather than separate evaluation or elimination stages. A single formal assessment of the final submissions will take place after the Stage 3 deadline, including assessment against conditions of participation, mandatory requirements and the published award criteria.
The final evaluation methodology, award criteria and procurement process will be detailed within the procurement documentation.
The Assembly Commission reserves the right to refine aspects of the requirement, procurement documentation and evaluation methodology during the Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.
- How the procedure runs: Purpose of this Notice This Planned Procurement Notice relates to requirements that were the subject of a preliminary market engagement exercise undertaken by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) under Find a Tender Service reference 2026/S 000-080852. The engagement considered replacement solutions for HR, payroll and finance functions. Following engagement, the Assembly Commission intends to conduct separate procurements for HR & payroll and for finance solutions. This notice provides advance information to help potential suppliers assess the opportunity, identify any delivery partners and plan bid and demonstration resources. The Assembly Commission intends to rely on this notice as a qualifying planned procurement notice under section 15(3) of the Procurement Act 2023 to enable a reduced tendering period were permitted by section 54. This notice is not a call for competition; the tender notice and associated procurement documents will explain how to participate. Scope of Requirement The Assembly Commission intends to undertake two separate procurements for the provision, implementation and ongoing support of a modern human resources and payroll solution and a finance solution. The procurement forms part of the Assembly Commission's wider objective to modernise corporate systems and processes, improve user experience, strengthen organisational reporting and support data-driven decision making. Following completion of preliminary market engagement, the Assembly Commission intends to adopt a best-of-breed approach, procuring specialist solutions capable of operating within an integrated corporate services environment. The requirement is therefore not anticipated to comprise a single Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. Solutions should support an integrated user experience, effective data sharing, enhanced reporting and analytics, workflow automation, robust governance and security controls, and future scalability. The Assembly Commission is seeking solutions that support the delivery of: •Human Resources, including workforce administration, employee and manager self-service, recruitment, onboarding, learning, performance management and workforce reporting. •Payroll, including payroll administration, statutory compliance, reporting and integration with workforce data. •Finance, including financial accounting, budgeting, accounts payable and receivable, procurement-to-pay processes and financial reporting. This planned procurement notice relates to the finance solution requirement only. A separate planned procurement notice is expected to be issued for the HR and payroll solution requirement. The Assembly Commission is not currently seeking to procure a single combined HR, payroll and finance ERP solution through this notice. The two separate contracts are expected to include software provision, implementation and configuration services, data migration, integration, training and ongoing support and maintenance. Outline Requirement – Finance Solution The Assembly Commission intends to procure a modern finance solution to support the delivery of its finance, accounting, budgeting, payment, reporting and financial control functions. This will be a separate procurement from the planned HR, payroll and pensions solution procurement. The system should have the technical capability to integrate with other best of breed applications such as finance and procurement and in doing so support integrated reporting. The system must ensure data is exchanged securely. The finance system is expected to support, as a minimum, core financial management and accounting functionality, including general ledger, chart of accounts, budgeting and forecasting, accounts payable, purchase-to-pay, accounts receivable, income management, banking, reconciliations, VAT, fixed assets, financial reporting and audit trails. The system should support robust financial governance, delegated authority controls, budgetary control, segregation of duties, workflow approvals, management information and statutory/accounting reporting requirements. The Assembly Commission is also likely to require functionality to support specific finance processes within a parliamentary context, including payments and claims relating to Assembly Members and political parties, supplier management, payment processing, expenditure reporting, commitments, accruals and financial analysis across relevant organisational, project, contract, Member, constituency and party dimensions. The solution will need to support secure access for authorised finance, procurement, budget-holder and other relevant users, with appropriate role-based permissions, auditability, reporting, document attachment, workflow, integration and data-retention capability. The Assembly Commission expects the solution to be capable of interfacing with relevant corporate systems and external services, including HR/payroll, banking, procurement/e-procurement, identity management, reporting tools and other systems where required. Associated services are expected to include system configuration, data migration and validation, integration, testing, user training, transition and go-live support, and ongoing maintenance and support, including updates to reflect applicable legislative changes. Detailed scope, functional and technical requirements, implementation arrangements and service levels will be set out in the tender documentation. At this stage, the Assembly Commission is seeking to provide advance notice to the market of the intended standalone finance solution procurement and to allow potential suppliers sufficient time to consider their capability, delivery model and interest in the opportunity. Estimated Value The Assembly Commission is currently finalising the business case for this project, but early estimates for the 8 year contract which will cover licensing, implementation, support and maintenance and training is £1.1M exclusive of VAT. This early estimate is anticipated to cover implementation, support, maintenance and licensing for the finance solution. This will be subject to change pending business case approval. The Tender Notice will set out the final approved budget value. Procurement Approach The Assembly Commission intends to conduct this procurement using the Competitive Flexible Procedure. The Assembly Commission anticipates conducting a three-stage competitive flexible procedure without a separate request-to-participate stage. Stage 1 will require an initial tender submission comprising evidence relating to conditions of participation and relevant previous experience, together with a high-level description of the proposed solution and its compliance with mandatory requirements. Stages 1 and 2 will provide opportunities for suppliers to receive feedback before submitting their final tenders. Initial written responses and demonstrations will be reviewed but will not be formally scored, and these stages will not be used to shortlist suppliers, subject to applicable exclusion requirements and the published rules of the procedure. All suppliers submitting a Stage 1 response will be invited to take part in Stage 2. Suppliers may choose to refine their written responses and demonstration material in light of the feedback received. Repeat live demonstrations are not anticipated. Suppliers will instead be required to provide their final demonstration material in a recorded format, such as a video or screencast, for assessment alongside their final written responses after the Stage 3 deadline. The tender documentation will explain the feedback arrangements, permitted revisions and submission requirements. The Assembly Commission intends to rely on a qualifying planned procurement notice to permit a reduced tendering period under section 54(4) of the Procurement Act 2023. Indicative Evaluation Approach The Assembly Commission currently anticipates that tenders will be evaluated on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) using the following indicative weightings: •Quality: 60% •Cost: 30% •Social Value: 10% We have not yet finalised the criteria or associated weightings, but to help suppliers plan we are considering the following criteria: Stage 1 •Conditions of participation •Supplier’s previous experience of successfully delivering a similar service provision •Supplier’s proposed delivery team •Supplier’s proposed solution Stage 2 •Supplier demonstration of two specific scenarios Stage 3 •Implementation, migration and transition •Business continuity and disaster recovery •Contract management •Social value •Costs The stages above indicate when information will initially be requested, rather than separate evaluation or elimination stages. A single formal assessment of the final submissions will take place after the Stage 3 deadline, including assessment against conditions of participation, mandatory requirements and the published award criteria. The final evaluation methodology, award criteria and procurement process will be detailed within the procurement documentation. The Assembly Commission reserves the right to refine aspects of the requirement, procurement documentation and evaluation methodology during the Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.
CPV: Financial analysis and accounting software package · Software supply services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1PlannedPublished value£1,100,000
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How Northern Ireland Assembly Commission buys Software-related services (CPV 7226), and who usually turns up
Northern Ireland Assembly Commission’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Software-related services (CPV 7226) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in Northern Ireland.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered outside the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 28 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid50% / 27%
2–333% / 32%
4–617% / 19%
7+0% / 22%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate17% / 57%
Within ±2%83% / 23%
Above estimate0% / 19%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 7226Published estimate£1.1m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 55 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid27%
2–338%
4–622%
7+13%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elcom Systems LimitedLive contract | Provision of PECOS P2P Systems Software Licensing, Support and Maintenance to the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (2026–2028)runs to Jun 2028 | — | £51k | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly. Contracts Finder contracts appear on the Retender Radar, not yet in these figures.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
What this replaces i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
44% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
44% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
The prior contract this notice most likely re-tenders · matched by title and category (44% title match), the holder is not guaranteed to re-bid
Provision of PECOS P2P Systems Software Licensing, Support and Maintenance to the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (2026–2028) — held by Elcom Systems Limited; the published contract ends 30 Jun 2028.
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
- Planned procurement
- 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)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 3 Nov 2026, 17:56 GMT
- Last source update
- 3 Nov 2026, 17:56 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 11 Mar 2027
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-104440- Accelerated
- Qualifying planned procurement notice
- Latest notice
- Planned procurement notice (UK3)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-07971aFind a Tender
- How it runs
Purpose of this Notice
This Planned Procurement Notice relates to requirements that were the subject of a preliminary market engagement exercise undertaken by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) under Find a Tender Service reference 2026/S 000-080852. The engagement considered replacement solutions for HR, payroll and finance functions. Following engagement, the Assembly Commission intends to conduct separate procurements for HR & payroll and for finance solutions.
This notice provides advance information to help potential suppliers assess the opportunity, identify any delivery partners and plan bid and demonstration resources. The Assembly Commission intends to rely on this notice as a qualifying planned procurement notice under section 15(3) of the Procurement Act 2023 to enable a reduced tendering period were permitted by section 54. This notice is not a call for competition; the tender notice and associated procurement documents will explain how to participate.
Scope of Requirement
The Assembly Commission intends to undertake two separate procurements for the provision, implementation and ongoing support of a modern human resources and payroll solution and a finance solution.
The procurement forms part of the Assembly Commission's wider objective to modernise corporate systems and processes, improve user experience, strengthen organisational reporting and support data-driven decision making.
Following completion of preliminary market engagement, the Assembly Commission intends to adopt a best-of-breed approach, procuring specialist solutions capable of operating within an integrated corporate services environment. The requirement is therefore not anticipated to comprise a single Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.
Solutions should support an integrated user experience, effective data sharing, enhanced reporting and analytics, workflow automation, robust governance and security controls, and future scalability.
The Assembly Commission is seeking solutions that support the delivery of:
•Human Resources, including workforce administration, employee and manager self-service, recruitment, onboarding, learning, performance management and workforce reporting.
•Payroll, including payroll administration, statutory compliance, reporting and integration with workforce data.
•Finance, including financial accounting, budgeting, accounts payable and receivable, procurement-to-pay processes and financial reporting.
This planned procurement notice relates to the finance solution requirement only. A separate planned procurement notice is expected to be issued for the HR and payroll solution requirement. The Assembly Commission is not currently seeking to procure a single combined HR, payroll and finance ERP solution through this notice.
The two separate contracts are expected to include software provision, implementation and configuration services, data migration, integration, training and ongoing support and maintenance.
Outline Requirement – Finance Solution
The Assembly Commission intends to procure a modern finance solution to support the delivery of its finance, accounting, budgeting, payment, reporting and financial control functions. This will be a separate procurement from the planned HR, payroll and pensions solution procurement. The system should have the technical capability to integrate with other best of breed applications such as finance and procurement and in doing so support integrated reporting. The system must ensure data is exchanged securely.
The finance system is expected to support, as a minimum, core financial management and accounting functionality, including general ledger, chart of accounts, budgeting and forecasting, accounts payable, purchase-to-pay, accounts receivable, income management, banking, reconciliations, VAT, fixed assets, financial reporting and audit trails. The system should support robust financial governance, delegated authority controls, budgetary control, segregation of duties, workflow approvals, management information and statutory/accounting reporting requirements.
The Assembly Commission is also likely to require functionality to support specific finance processes within a parliamentary context, including payments and claims relating to Assembly Members and political parties, supplier management, payment processing, expenditure reporting, commitments, accruals and financial analysis across relevant organisational, project, contract, Member, constituency and party dimensions.
The solution will need to support secure access for authorised finance, procurement, budget-holder and other relevant users, with appropriate role-based permissions, auditability, reporting, document attachment, workflow, integration and data-retention capability.
The Assembly Commission expects the solution to be capable of interfacing with relevant corporate systems and external services, including HR/payroll, banking, procurement/e-procurement, identity management, reporting tools and other systems where required.
Associated services are expected to include system configuration, data migration and validation, integration, testing, user training, transition and go-live support, and ongoing maintenance and support, including updates to reflect applicable legislative changes. Detailed scope, functional and technical requirements, implementation arrangements and service levels will be set out in the tender documentation. At this stage, the Assembly Commission is seeking to provide advance notice to the market of the intended standalone finance solution procurement and to allow potential suppliers sufficient time to consider their capability, delivery model and interest in the opportunity.
Estimated Value
The Assembly Commission is currently finalising the business case for this project, but early estimates for the 8 year contract which will cover licensing, implementation, support and maintenance and training is £1.1M exclusive of VAT. This early estimate is anticipated to cover implementation, support, maintenance and licensing for the finance solution. This will be subject to change pending business case approval.
The Tender Notice will set out the final approved budget value.
Procurement Approach
The Assembly Commission intends to conduct this procurement using the Competitive Flexible Procedure.
The Assembly Commission anticipates conducting a three-stage competitive flexible procedure without a separate request-to-participate stage. Stage 1 will require an initial tender submission comprising evidence relating to conditions of participation and relevant previous experience, together with a high-level description of the proposed solution and its compliance with mandatory requirements.
Stages 1 and 2 will provide opportunities for suppliers to receive feedback before submitting their final tenders. Initial written responses and demonstrations will be reviewed but will not be formally scored, and these stages will not be used to shortlist suppliers, subject to applicable exclusion requirements and the published rules of the procedure. All suppliers submitting a Stage 1 response will be invited to take part in Stage 2.
Suppliers may choose to refine their written responses and demonstration material in light of the feedback received. Repeat live demonstrations are not anticipated. Suppliers will instead be required to provide their final demonstration material in a recorded format, such as a video or screencast, for assessment alongside their final written responses after the Stage 3 deadline. The tender documentation will explain the feedback arrangements, permitted revisions and submission requirements.
The Assembly Commission intends to rely on a qualifying planned procurement notice to permit a reduced tendering period under section 54(4) of the Procurement Act 2023.
Indicative Evaluation Approach
The Assembly Commission currently anticipates that tenders will be evaluated on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) using the following indicative weightings:
•Quality: 60%
•Cost: 30%
•Social Value: 10%
We have not yet finalised the criteria or associated weightings, but to help suppliers plan we are considering the following criteria:
Stage 1
•Conditions of participation
•Supplier’s previous experience of successfully delivering a similar service provision
•Supplier’s proposed delivery team
•Supplier’s proposed solution
Stage 2
•Supplier demonstration of two specific scenarios
Stage 3
•Implementation, migration and transition
•Business continuity and disaster recovery
•Contract management
•Social value
•Costs
The stages above indicate when information will initially be requested, rather than separate evaluation or elimination stages. A single formal assessment of the final submissions will take place after the Stage 3 deadline, including assessment against conditions of participation, mandatory requirements and the published award criteria.
The final evaluation methodology, award criteria and procurement process will be detailed within the procurement documentation.
The Assembly Commission reserves the right to refine aspects of the requirement, procurement documentation and evaluation methodology during the Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 29 Jan 2027, 15:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 11 Dec 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Indicative Timetable
Due to the expiry of current contractual arrangements, there is some urgency to have a contract awarded before end March 2027. So to help interested suppliers plan their resourcing, we wish to share some key dates from the procurement plan. These are subject to change depending on business needs.
•Invitations to tender issued - 14 December 2026
•Supplier response to stage 1 submitted – 8 January 2027
•Demonstrations (online preferred) – 13 to 15 January 2027
•Supplier final response to all criteria – 28 January 2027
•Decisions announced – week commencing 22 February 2027
•Contract award – week commencing 8 March 2027
•Contract mobilisation – week commencing 15 March 2027
Additional Information
The Assembly Commission will advertise this tender via our e-sourcing portal – Delta eSourcing.
We would recommend that any suppliers interested in this competition ensure they are register on the portal as well as on the Find a Tender Service where all associated notices will be published.
The Assembly Commission awards all our contracts based on our standard terms and conditions of contract. Suppliers can access the basic template on our website. Whilst the specific terms for this contract are yet to be finalised, suppliers can choose to review these in advance of the tender being published.
The information in this notice reflects the Assembly Commission’s current intentions and remains subject to business case approval and finalisation of the procurement documents.
Timeline
3 Nov 2026 → 12 Mar 2027 · 6 dates- Planning notice published18h ago3 Nov 2026, 17:56 GMT
- Today4 Nov 2026
- Clarification questions byin 37 days11 Dec 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Tender notice expectedin 40 days14 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 86 days29 Jan 2027, 15:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 127 days11 Mar 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 127 days12 Mar 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Planned procurement notice published3 Nov 2026, 17:56 GMTUK3
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender