Revenues and Benefits Administration System

The Pipeline Notice previously stated that the Council estimated to publish a Tender Notice on 1 April 2026 for the procurement of a new Revenue & Benefits Management System. The Council is now updating the planned procurement route. The outcome of the Local Government Funding Review released in December 2025 has changed Bracknell Forest Council's financial position from April 2026, as with many other local authorities. As such, the Council, alongside other local authorities in the Berkshire area, needs to determine if a Local Government Restructure will be required to form a new combined authority to support this new financial position. This is still under consideration by the Council and our neighbouring local authorities, and it is unlikely a determination will be reached prior to 2028. Following further analysis, the Council has determined that if the Council does choose to restructure into a new combined authority, the Revenue and Benefits system will be one of a number of infrastructure systems the partnering local authorities may wish to commission as a joint system through the combined authority to give consistency of process to residents and organisational efficiencies. The requirement may also be more appropriately delivered via an existing framework or other route to market differing from what the Council indicated previously. The Council recognises that in order to minimise operational impact in the event of system changes, and to introduce commercial and organisational efficiencies, infrastructure systems of this nature should be of a long duration - hence why the Council intended to procure a term of up to 10 years in relation to this opportunity. However, should the Council proceed on the current plan and then be part of a Local Government Restructure, then the contract resulting from this opportunity will only have been in place for 12 months, and may still be mobilising only for it to be terminated in favour of a new contract awarded across a new combined authority. The Council doesn't consider this to be in the interest of itself or the market. Therefore the Council is placing this opportunity on hold until its own position has been determined, and it is able to clarity to the market both regarding the route to market and new contract duration. Should Bracknell Forest Council join a combined authority this opportunity will be wholly withdrawn. Otherwise, it is anticipated that a Tender notice will be published in April 2029.