Purpose

The Council's general software partner
contract is coming to the end of its main term, and whilst a 1-year
extension of this agreement is possible, Microsoft Enterprise
Agreements (used for Microsoft licensing in the Council) usually
come in 3-year terms, and therefore would not be possible under
this arrangement.

Microsoft licensed technologies remain at the heart of the
Council's architecture and a replacement licensing agreement is
therefore assumed to be required.

The Council's Procurement team has identified a Crown Commercial
Services aggregation process (procurement tendering process run
on-behalf of multiple public sector organisations by Crown
Commercial Services) dedicated to Microsoft licensing. This process
is now completed, with the Council receiving pricing, and is
seeking Executive approval to award to the winning bidder
identified by Crown Commercial Services.

Content

Decision:

1.           
Note and
endorse the procurement exercise which was undertaken prior to
seeking approval from the Executive, as set out in paragraph 6.3 of
this report.[A1] 

2.           
[A2] [A3] Approve the award for Microsoft
Enterprise Agreement to Phoenix Software Limited for a period of
three years, with the option to extend the agreement by a further,
single year at a combined cost of up to £1,091,000 (one
million and ninety-one thousand pounds)
Reason(s):

1.           
Phoenix
Software Limited provided the most economically advantageous
tender, under the Public Contracting Regulations 2025, via the CCS
Framework: RM6098 Technology Products and Services 2 – Lot 3,
as per NFC190 Provision of Microsoft Licenses and related services
– Lot 1.

2.           
Phoenix
Software Limited demonstrated the strongest commercial score out of
all tenderers, and gave full confidence in their technical
response, which included social value aspects.

3.           
Further
detail of the procurement process conducted, and recommendations
are set out in Appendix 1 – Recommendation to Award
report.
Other options considered and rejected by the
Executive:
None.
Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or
lead councillors and any dispensation granted:
None.

 [A1]What does this
recommendation mean?

 [A2]This procurement was not
brought to Executive initially (for approval to proceed with
activity). With guidance from [Mention was removed], we will need
to have both the requirement and the award approved in one
motion.

 [A3]If you are meaning we
didnt go to the Executive and we should have done under the CPRs,
then the report needs to say that and why we didnt
comply.  And the recommendation can be
that the Executive NOTE that approval was not sought to the
procurement exercise.