Decision

The Director of Corporate Services has decided to approve the direct award via the Government Commercial Agency Network Services 3 Framework (RM6116) Lot 1a of a one-year contract to The Networking People (TNP) Limited for the continued provision of the Council's Palo Alto Prisma Access Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Solution.

The contract will commence on 19 January 2027 and expire on 18 January 2028, with a contract value of £157,684.87.

Reasons for the decision

The Palo Alto Prisma Access platform forms a critical component of the Council's cyber security and digital infrastructure, providing secure remote access and cloud-delivered security services for employees, contractors and third parties accessing Council systems and data.

The solution delivers:

Secure remote access for hybrid and remote working.
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) capabilities.
Secure internet access and web filtering.
Cloud-delivered firewall and threat prevention services.
Consistent security controls regardless of user location.
Protection against cyber threats and unauthorised access to Council systems and information.

The current contract expires in January 2027. Continuing with the existing solution ensures service continuity, maintains the Council's cyber security posture and avoids disruption to users and business-critical services.

The Council relies upon the Palo Alto Prisma Access Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) platform to provide secure connectivity between users and Council services regardless of location.

The platform is integrated within the Council's wider cyber security architecture and supports the secure delivery of digital services by providing cloud-based security controls, identity-aware access management and threat protection capabilities.

Failure to maintain this service could expose the Council to increased cyber security risks and reduce the effectiveness of controls established to protect sensitive information and critical systems.

The direct award provides the most efficient and cost-effective means of securing continued service provision while maintaining compatibility with the Council's existing network and security architecture. This falls under the Government Commercial Agency Framework RM6116 Regulation: PCR2015

This item can be covered through the totality of the DDAT budget for the duration of the contract.

Alternative options considered

Option 1 - Do Nothing

This option was rejected as the expiry of the existing contract would result in the loss of secure remote access services and associated security controls. This would significantly increase cyber security risks, potentially impacting business continuity, regulatory compliance and the Council's ability to support remote and hybrid working.

Option 2 - Undertake a Competitive Procurement Exercise

This option was considered but discounted for this requirement. A competitive procurement exercise would require significant resource and time whilst introducing potential transition risks, implementation costs and service disruption. The direct award represents the most practical approach to maintain continuity of service and security coverage for the duration of the contract period.