Provision of MHR People First HR and Payroll Software and Associated Services

CPV: Computer support and consultancy services · Computer-related services · Software package and information systems · Time accounting or human resources software package

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Goods

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

12 Nov 2026, 16:10 GMT

Last source update

12 Nov 2026, 16:10 GMT

Authority reference

PO002864

FTS notice number

2026/S 000-107716

Classification (CPV)

Computer support and consultancy servicesComputer-related servicesSoftware package and information systemsTime accounting or human resources software package

Delivery area

North East (UKC)North West (UKD)Yorkshire & Humber (UKE)East Midlands (UKF)West Midlands (UKG)East of England (UKH)London (UKI)South East (UKJ)

+1 more

South West (UKK)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-07baf3 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Published justification

Type of procedure: Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition. Justification (Annex D1 - other justification): call-off under framework agreement Y23065, which was itself advertised and competitively procured under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

The College intends to award a call-off contract to Softcat plc for MHR People First and associated services without reopening competition under the Software Products and Associated Services framework, Y23065, established by Kent County Council, trading as Procurement Services, under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Original framework notice: 2023/S 000-024156

Framework award notice: 2024/S 000-007870

The proposed award is made pursuant to regulation 33(8)(a), in accordance with the framework's terms and its published objective conditions for direct award. The College relies on the following conditions: (i) following its own due diligence, the College has identified the supplier offering best value for its requirement (primary condition); (ii) the supplier can deliver within the College's required timescales; and (iii) the services are exclusive to one supplier, as Softcat plc is the only supplier appointed to the framework able to provide MHR People First as a software solution for the College to operate in-house. People First is also available under the framework from Juniper Education, but only as a fully managed payroll service, which does not meet the College's requirement to run HR and payroll in-house.

The College's requirements analysis and market review identified MHR People First as meeting its requirement for an integrated HR and native payroll platform with established Further Education delivery experience. Maintaining an integrated architecture supports the College's contractual and pension complexity, payroll continuity and data integrity, while limiting additional interfaces, reconciliation and administration.

Softcat plc is an appointed supplier under framework Y23065 and is the only framework supplier able to supply MHR People First as software for the College to operate in-house. Juniper Education offers People First under the framework only as a fully managed payroll service, which does not meet the College's requirement. The College has assessed its offer against the defined requirements, including solution scope, implementation and support arrangements, whole-contract cost, payment terms and delivery timetable. Softcat has confirmed in writing that its framework prices match those issued by MHR, including Softcat's 4% fee, with no further charge added, and the five-year cost through the framework is lower than the alternative routes priced for the same package (direct from MHR and through G-Cloud 15). Pricing through the BOS2 framework, also via Softcat, is identical. Framework prices are fixed for the full term, with no indexation. The College has therefore identified Softcat's offer as providing best value for the required platform and services under the framework's direct-award conditions.

Before selecting the framework route, the College carried out a market review of HR and payroll solutions. Eight providers were approached and four solutions were demonstrated. MHR People First was the only solution that met the College's combined requirement for integrated HR and native payroll, multiple concurrent contracts, Teachers' Pension and LGPS reporting, and the full employee lifecycle. This review informed the College's requirement and choice of product. The supplier was then selected under the framework's direct-award conditions, applying the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) basis set out in the framework user guide.

Publisher note: The College is publishing this voluntary ex ante transparency notice to communicate its intention to enter into the proposed call-off contract with Softcat plc. The College will observe a voluntary standstill period of at least ten calendar days beginning on the day after publication. The contract will not be entered into before that period has expired and any applicable extension under the time-calculation rules has been observed. Following award, the College will publish a contract award notice on Find a Tender and publish the award on Contracts Finder.

• Softcat plcAwarded supplierGB-COH: 02174990 Solar House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, South East, SL7 1LW

No document links were published on the notice.