The Executive Decision meeting of Waltham Forest Council on 1 April 2025 was scheduled to consider a report regarding the provision of laptops and associated services to council staff. The meeting was held without public access, in accordance with The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012. Councillor Vicky Ashworth, Portfolio Lead Member for Stronger Communities, was the decision maker for the meeting.

ICT – Provision of Laptops and Associated Services

A report was prepared for Councillor Vicky Ashworth, Portfolio Lead Member for Stronger Communities, recommending the re-procurement of a supplier for the provision of laptops and associated services from 1 August 2025 for a period of two years, with an option to extend for one further year.

The council's current contract with CDW Ltd, which expires in July 2025, provides laptops and adapters for staff council wide, secure storage and delivery of laptops, support and warranty for three years, asset tagging, and recycling.

The report stated that the council anticipates needing to procure up to 1,000 laptops during the two-year contract period, primarily to replace devices that are end of life (usually six years old) and no longer viable. The report argues that bulk-buying laptops allows the council to capture volume pricing and provide staff with appropriate modern, effective IT equipment, which also supports the council’s security systems.

The report considered the following options:

• Further competition via CCS Framework RM6098 LOT2: This was the proposed route to market. The report stated that this route would allow the council to leverage its volume and deliver value for money and achieve a social value commitment from the winning supplier. It would also save time and resources as suppliers have already been vetted, and competition documents are available to be used and include pre-negotiated terms and contracts.
• Do nothing: This option was not recommended, as it would leave the council at risk of reduced staff productivity and would severely impact resource capability.
• Direct award via framework such as CCS G-Cloud: This option was not considered viable due to the nature of the procurement, as the market is heavily populated with laptop providers and resellers. The report stated that using this framework would lead to a very limited competition and opportunity to achieve savings reduced given the fixed pricing.

The report noted that laptops equipped with Windows 11 serve as the primary work and productivity tool for council staff, facilitating secure connectivity to Microsoft Office 365, email management, and communication through Microsoft Teams. It also stated that these laptops provide access to the council's core case management systems and various other service applications.

The report stated that all laptop costs are recovered via recharge to the service area making the request, and that while no cashable or banked savings are anticipated from this agreement, the council may benefit from efficiency savings as staff will be working from the most up-to-date equipment.

The report also noted that the Climate Change team has been engaged in the process to provide appropriate guidance, and that the council will continue to explore ways that the delivery of the contract can be improved in terms of performance tackling the Climate Emergency through the life of the call-off contract.

An initial screening exercise of the equality impact of this decision was undertaken and was attached as Appendix 1. It determined there is no impact on the council’s equality duty¹.