The Cabinet Member Signing meeting on Monday 27 July 2026 approved the commencement of a procurement process for a housing management solution and the direct award of a new four-year contract to NEC Software Solutions UK Limited. This decision ensures the continued operation of essential housing services, including rent collection, repairs, and support for homeless households.

NEC Housing Re-procurement

Councillor Johann Beckford, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, approved the commencement of a new procurement process for a housing management solution. The decision also sanctioned the use of the Vertical Application Solutions (VAS) framework¹ under Crown Commercial Services² to directly award a contract to NEC Software Solutions UK Limited. This new contract will run for four years, from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2030, at a cost of £561,400.

The primary reason for this decision was to ensure the continued operational capacity of the Council's housing services. The current contract for the housing management solution was set to expire on 31 July 2026, and failure to secure a new contract would have left the Council without a support and maintenance agreement for its core system. This would have exposed the Council to significant operational, financial, and compliance risks, including the loss of vendor support and software updates. Crucially, it would have prevented the raising and issuing of works orders for repairs and maintenance, leaving residents without essential services. The Council would have been unable to operate key landlord functions, meet legal obligations, or maintain service continuity.

The VAS framework was identified as the most efficient route for re-procurement because its terms and conditions are pre-established, and suppliers have already undergone vetting. This framework is specifically designed for specialised line-of-business systems, including housing management, aligning with the Council's statutory duties.

Alternative options considered included doing nothing, which was deemed not viable due to the impending contract expiry. A mini-tender competition using the G-Cloud framework was considered but deemed more expensive and resource-intensive than using the VAS framework. A full procurement process was not pursued as it was considered to require an unjustified level of Council resources and time, especially when compliant framework agreements were available. The VAS framework also offers benefits such as government-favourable terms and conditions through the new Public Sector Contract (PSC). The report noted that the housing application market has significantly shrunk, with only two or three potential alternative suppliers for a council of this size.

The NEC Housing system has been in use for five years and the new contract will support budget predictability. The procurement process was led by Strategic Procurement in line with Contract Standing Orders (CSOs)³. The report detailed a comprehensive list of NEC Housing modules included in the contract, covering areas such as rent collection, repairs, allocations, and homelessness support. The decision is expected to contribute to the Corporate Delivery Plan 2024-2026, specifically supporting the Homes for the future outcome by ensuring reliable, customer-focused resident housing services. The report also noted that while the decision does not directly impact carbon emissions, maintaining digital housing operations can help reduce reliance on more carbon-intensive in-person processes over time.

The decision was supported by statutory officers, with the Finance department confirming the £561,400 cost over four years, funded from the Digital & Change revenue contracts budget. The Procurement department confirmed the use of the framework as an accepted and efficient route to market, compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015⁴. The Legal department confirmed the recommendations align with the Council's CSOs. The Equality assessment highlighted that the continued effective management of housing services through the NEC system is expected to have a positive impact on residents with protected characteristics, including women, BAME communities, individuals with disabilities, and those at risk of homelessness, who are often over-represented among council housing tenants and those in temporary accommodation.