Purpose

This report seeks approval to enter into a five-year direct arrangement with MHR for the continued provision of Warwickshire County Council’s HR and Payroll system from November 2026 to October 2031. The current contract, held through Softcat, expires in October 2027 and cannot be extended further. The proposed arrangement is intended to secure continuity of a business-critical system supporting payroll, HR records, statutory reporting, pensioner payroll, Fire payroll and hosted payroll customers, while providing a commercially advantageous position compared with the available Softcat route. The report sets out the financial, procurement, legal and operational considerations and seeks approval of the associated contract award and costs.