Decision Maker: Cabinet Procurement and Insourcing Committee

Outcome: For Determination

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: December 1, 2025

Purpose: As per the Council's standing orders, this report is being presented for your approval regarding a contract award for the 'Google Workspace Licences' procurement.

Content: RESOLVED: To approve the award of a contract to Supplier C for the supply of Google Workspace licenses. The contract will be for an initial two (2) year term, with a single one (1) year extension option exercisable at the Council's discretion, resulting in a potential maximum contract duration of three (3) years (2+1).   Reason(s) For Decision    This procurement is directly tied to the Business Case approved by the Hackney Cabinet Procurement and Insourcing Committee on October 6, 2025. The Committee authorised the procurement strategy, utilising the Crown Commercial Service's (CCS) G-Cloud 14 Framework Agreement (RM1557.14), accessible via the Digital Marketplace, for securing Google Workspace licensing. The contract term is established for up to three years (2+1).   The procurement of the required Google Workspace licenses was conducted compliantly via the Crown Commercial Service's (CCS) G-Cloud 14 Framework Agreement (RM1557.14), utilising the associated Digital Marketplace. Following a search based on the council's specific requirements, a shortlist of four qualified suppliers was generated. These four suppliers were subsequently evaluated under the direct award process using a formal criterion weighted as Listed Price (90%) and Social Value (10%). The necessary pricing and social value information was secured through direct communication with each supplier, ensuring a complete assessment before a single, successful applicant was formally nominated for the contract award.   Alternative Options Considered and Rejected   1. Do Nothing Failing to act is functionally equivalent to choosing a total, unscheduled business outage with a high risk of permanent data loss.   2. Direct Award to Current Supplier This approach mitigates the critical risk of service lapse and presents the most expeditious and cost-effective solution, based on an evaluation of marketplace pricing. However, it lacks transparency and does not guarantee optimal value for money when compared to a competitive process, thereby conflicting with the principles outlined in the Procurement Act 2023.   3.  Migrate to Microsoft Platform (Rejected for Immediate Reprocurement) Significant, Unclear, and Substantial Costs for licensing and complex migration. Costs include data transfer, re-platforming, identity/SSO integration, specialised staffing, change management, and training. Full cost cannot be quantified without detailed discovery. Rejected - Not Feasible for Immediate Reprocurement. Highly complex and time-consuming, making it incompatible with current deadlines. Requires a separate, dedicated strategic review and discovery phase.