Equals Trust - Provision of ICT Managed Services Stage 1

What the buyer is asking for

This Procurement is being conducted in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 using the competitive flexible procedure. 1.2.1. The Trust aims to achieve a consistent approach to ICT both for pupils and staff by moving to a Trust-model approach in the provision of ICT Managed Services (“the Service(s)”). This will enable the Trust to maximise the effectiveness of ICT equipment and services, as well as helping to share resources and best practice across all schools. 1.2.2. The Trust has no internal ICT resources and is therefore seeking an ICT Managed Services Provider (“the Supplier”) who will: a) act as the single point of contact for the Trust’s ICT requirements and management of the Trust’s other third-party ICT providers. b) centralise the management of ICT services at Trust level, rather than on an individual school by school basis. c) operate within a centralised Trust operating model, which has a consistent approach across schools. d) deliver cost effective and high-quality technical support, system management and consultancy services. e) provide transparent all-inclusive pricing which allows accurate budgeting over the term of the Contract. 1.2.3. The Supplier shall be: a) experienced in the education sector, mindful of sector constraints and/or Department for Education (DFE) requirements whilst prioritising the needs and interests of pupils in all activities. b) equipped with suitably qualified and technically capable staff, able to perform their roles to the required standard while communicating clearly and effectively with school and Trust staff. c) flexible with respect to future requirements and service options and able to adapt to the changing ICT landscape throughout the life of the contract. d) innovative and demonstrate a shared vision with the Trust regarding future service development. e) able to take a hands-on approach to all the ICT needs of the Trust, including equipment set up, software installations, MFD connections, troubleshooting and repairs to keep the Trust running effectively. f) take a collaborative approach and establish strong working relationships with other providers (e.g. MFDs, software platforms) to ensure seamless, coordinated service delivery across the Trust. g) able to gives staff and students confidence when using the Trust’s ICT resources.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 60%qualityStage 2 - Quality Assessment
• 40%priceStage 2 - Pricing Assessment

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• economic

  Financial Appraisal Provide details on annual turnover, recent financial statements, and tax compliance. Submit audited accounts for the last two years or a letter of solvency if you are a new business To constitute a pass, Tenderers must demonstrate their economic and financial standing in accordance with the following: Due diligence checks will be undertaken on the preferred Tenderer’s accounts to determine a Tenderer’s financial standing. This will incorporate credit checks and a financial appraisal. Please refer to Appendix B at the end of Document 1 Instructions & Information for the financial assessment process. Any answers which lead the Contracting Authority, acting reasonably to conclude, considering the risk that the relevant answer suggests about the Tenderer’s ability to properly perform the specification, then the Tenderer may be rejected. Insurances Please confirm whether you already have, or can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated below: a. Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance* = £5m b. Public Liability Insurance = £5m c. Professional Indemnity Insurance = £1m d. Product Liability Insurance = £1m e. Cyber Liability Insurance = £1m

• technical

  Provide details of up to three contracts to meet conditions of participation relating to technical ability set out in the relevant notice or procurement documents, in any combination from the education sector. To constitute a pass, at least one contract examples provided shall be relevant to the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. If you cannot provide at least one example of previous contracts, please provide an explanation for this and how you meet the conditions of participation relating to technical ability. Requirements updated: • Cyber Essentials Plus or Equivalent. (or ISO27001 was removed. The ISO27001 standard is widely used but companies that attain this standard will not automatically conform to Cyber Essentials Plus. This is because it is not usual for all of the five technical controls in Cyber Essentials to be included in the scope for ISO27001 implementation. It is also unlikely that any of these controls will be tested for ISO27001. Therefore most businesses with ISO27001 will have to adopt Cyber Essentials Plus in addition to ISO27001 or demonstrate equivalent controls and third-party verification is provided by a technically competent and independent third party are in place. ) Accreditations or competencies can be equivalents and can be confirmed will be in place in time for the start of the Contract.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 59 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published4 days ago

   2 Nov 2026, 17:35 GMT
2. Clarification questions byin 24 days

   30 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
3. Submission deadlinein 112 days

   26 Feb 2027, 12:00 GMT
4. Award decision expected byin 175 days

   30 Apr 2027, 23:59 BST

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

5 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender

1. Pipeline or early engagement notice12 Jun 2026, 08:09 BST055482-2026
2. Notice published18 Jun 2026, 15:59 BST057715-2026
3. Notice published24 Jun 2026, 11:48 BST059340-2026
4. Tender notice22 Oct 2026, 12:05 BST099920-2026
5. Tender updated2 Nov 2026, 17:35 GMT103935-2026

Payment terms

The Contractor shall submit invoices and associated documentation by email to Trust. Invoicing will be monthly, in arrears from the end of the previous month. Where, during a monthly period, it has been identified, and agreed, that adjustments are required (in respect of service credits, additional works, errors or omissions), these will be taken account of within the invoice for the following month.

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender