Agenda item

Although this item is on the Forward Plan the procurement process has been delayed following additional clarifications through the procurement process which have extended the timeline for the evaluation and award. This has meant that the decision was not ready for publication in late February. This means that the decision has become urgent as the procurement process needs completion by 31^st March 2026 which includes - a statutory 10-day standstill period under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 following the award decision, prior to entering into the contract formally, and the allocation of a purchase order to ensure the continuity of the Councils MS service provision.

Failure to adhere to these dates would cause significant disruption/loss of service/service degradation across Council operations.

Although MS will not directly fine the Council for missing the 31st March 2026 deadline, any service disruptions will result in penalties for failing to meet statutory obligations and negatively affect the Council’s reputation.

Given the need to have the necessary plans in place before 31^st March 2026, it is not practicable to comply with the 28-day notice requirement in Part Four, Section D, Rule 13 or the 5-day notice requirement in Part Four, Section D, Rule 4, or the General Exception procedure at Part Four, Section D, or the Call-In Procedure Rules at Part Four, Section H.

Please be advised that the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny has further agreed that the call-in procedure shall not apply to this urgent decision. This is because the decision is urgent and any delay in implementation caused by the call-in procedure would seriously prejudice the Council's or the public's interests due to the fact that any delay in decision making will impact cause significant disruption/loss of service/service degradation across Council operations. The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed that the decision is both reasonable in all circumstances, and that it should be treated as a matter of urgency. This is also  in accordance with Part 4, Section H, and Paragraph 18 (a) and (b) of the Council Constitution.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services considered the report which sought approval, under Contract Standing Orders 0.08 and 2.01.c, for an award of contract for the Council’s Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agreement.

The Cabinet Member sought clarification that everything was in place internally to meet the implementation timeframe to replace the existing contract prior to its expiry. In response, officers advised that Spending Control Panel approval had been sought, along with the agreement of the Section 151 Officer. Furthermore, procurement were on standby and were aligned in relation to the standstill period and the timescales for purchase order approval.

The Cabinet Member advised that she was pleased that the Council had gone through a competitive bidding process, rather than rollover the existing contract. The Cabinet Member also noted that the procurement process was evaluated externally to provide assurances that this was the most advantageous way forward.

The Cabinet Member questioned whether licenses would be sought for everyone or whether they would be tailored to different needs across the organisation. In response, officers advised that there would still be a blend of licences, as per the previous contract. The default licence was for E5, which provided the core functionality required at a security level. In addition, the organisation had also deployed MS Teams telephony which moved the organisation away from the legacy environment and aligned with the contact solution going forwards in terms of channel shift and providing enhanced capabilities to the contact centres in future.

The Cabinet Member sought assurances around the social value criteria set out in the Invitation to Tender document. The Cabinet Member requested some assurances be given that there was something in the contract to ensure that the social value was aligned to the local priorities in Haringey, such as employment. In response, officers advised that they had been working with the Council’s digital inclusion manager to align the contract with the Council’s digital inclusion policy, including the refurbishment, recycling of, and training people with technology in mind. Officers advised that they would also look to build on this with the new contractor. The Cabinet Member emphasised that she would like to see the contract be leveraged to enhance the employability of local residents. Whether this was the contractor funding internal apprenticeships, or whether they offered apprenticeships to local people themselves.

The Cabinet Member noted that this decision was being taken under Special Urgency, as per Part Four, Section D, Paragraph 17.1 of the Council’s constitution. The agreement of the Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee had been obtained for taking this decision under Special Urgency, and agreement was also obtained that the call-in procedure shall not apply to this urgent decision. The decision was urgent due to the fact that the procurement process needed to be completed by 31^st March 2026 which included - a statutory 10-day standstill period under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 following the award decision, prior to entering into the contract formally, and the allocation of a purchase order to ensure the continuity of the Councils MS service provision. Failure to adhere to these dates would cause significant disruption/loss of service/service degradation across Council operations.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services approved, under Contract Standing Orders 0.08 and 2.01.c), an award of contract for the Council’s Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agreement with Bidder A, for 3-years, from 1st May 2026 to 30th April 2029, with a maximum value of £5,445,000.

Reasons for decision

The Council's current Microsoft (MS) Enterprise Subscription Agreement (ESA) contract will expire on 30 April 2026, with no option to extend. A new agreement is required to ensure the continued provision of MS licence subscriptions for the Council.

Strategic Procurement has undertaken a compliant procurement to select a MS Licensing Solution Partner, using a further competition under the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) framework RM6098, Technology Products and Associated Services 2, Lot 3: Software, which has 41 suppliers.

A mini competition was open for bids from 13th January 2026 to 5th February 2026; 16 suppliers viewed the tender and 4 submitted final bids. Bids were assessed according to the criteria outlined in the Invitation to Tender document: 70% price, 20% quality, and 10% social value. Members of the Council's Strategic Procurement team evaluated price, the Digital Services team evaluated quality, and social value was assessed independently through the Social Value Portal.

Bidder A were successful providing the most advantageous bid covering all requirements. Council will award a new MS ESA contract to Supplier, for 3-years, from 1st May 2026 to 30th April 2029, with a maximum value of £5,445,000.

Alternative options considered

Do Nothing – Not renewing the contract is not viable, as it would end access to Microsoft services and halt essential Council operations. This would severely affect Haringey’s digital infrastructure, disrupt key systems, prevent security updates, and leave the Council unsupported and vulnerable.

Direct Award – While possible, this approach is unlikely to provide optimal value. A further competition is expected to offer better results for the Council.

Non-MS software - The council relies heavily on MS technologies, which fit its Digital Roadmap. Switching to another platform like Google or Open Source would disrupt both IT systems and business processes, take years to plan and implement, and pose significant risks. Few councils have adopted non-MS options