Decision

For the reasons set out in this report, the
Corporate Director has decided to:
1)   
Approve the commencement of a procurement process to identify a
supplier to provide the Council with a Microsoft Enterprise
Subscription Agreement (ESA) commencing on 1 July 2026, for a
period of three years at an estimated cost of £3.3m
(exc VAT) per annum.

Alternative options considered

There is no proven credible alternative option
to using Microsoft products given the investment already made. A
review of alternatives including all the dependencies and
integrations would take considerable resource time to conduct and
would not be concluded before a new agreement is required.
 
Microsoft software is used universally, and
many third-party corporate applications rely on the availability of
Microsoft software to function. To not use this product may create
barriers to third – parties engaging with the Council.