Decision

Procurement of an internet line, to provide connectivity for the new Guildford Borough Council depot site. This will be used to join the site to the Council's main IT network, as well as providing direct internet services.

Reasons for the decision

The Council is moving its depot site to a new physical location. Internet connectivity is required at the new depot site to support access to IT systems and internet resources.

Alternative options considered

The Council completed a procurement exercise in June 2024 (see Decision "Procurement of Guildford office internet connectivity" on 14/06/2024) which awarded the site connectivity for the Council's main sites at that time to BT Plc. This included the outgoing depot site in Woking Road. Aligning the new line with the technology and support arrangements at the Council's other main sites would make support and maintenance easier, and was therefore the favoured option.
A medium-length term of three-years was favoured to balance the immediate annual cost (lower for longer terms), with the ability for it to be tendered with the other main office lines for future consistency and potential bulk-ordering cost-savings. The existing main site lines have a contracted three or five year minimum required term, with the majority on five-year minimum terms that will expire in June 2029. This makes a three-year term ideal to align the new line with other similar main site lines.
The existing product was considered via the Crown Commercial Services RM6116 framework. On this occasion, BT Plc was able to offer a price directly (outside the framework) that was lower than the framework offer. As this offered a consistent solution to the Council's other main sites, and pricing that was lower than framework pricing, a direct purchase from BT Plc was chosen on this occasion.