Kent County Council, trading as Procurement Services, is developing a new local and national framework for ICT Managed & Professional Services. The planned framework has an estimated value of £500 million excluding VAT and £600 million including VAT and is intended to cover a wide range of technology support, consultancy, implementation and specialist services.
The procurement is currently at preliminary market engagement stage, and the final lot structure has not yet been decided. Suppliers therefore have an opportunity to help shape the commercial model and specification before the competition is launched.
If your business provides managed IT, cloud, cyber or technology consultancy services, speak to Thornton & Lowe about preparing for the framework.
What could the ICT framework cover?
The current scope includes:
- digital transformation
- cloud services
- cybersecurity
- infrastructure services
- networking
- data and analytics
- software and application services
- project and programme delivery
- technical resource augmentation
This is deliberately broad. The final framework could therefore attract managed service providers, specialist consultancies, systems integrators, software and cloud specialists, cyber security providers and organisations supplying technical resources. The official preliminary market engagement notice confirms that the scope and lot structure are still to be determined.
Local and national ambitions
Procurement Services says it intends the framework to operate both locally and nationally and to support ICT spending across the public sector. The planned contract term is four years, from May 2027 to April 2031.
A broad national framework can create significant opportunity, but suppliers should wait for the final lotting before deciding how widely to bid. A national headline value does not automatically mean every service area will suit every provider.
Our IT, digital and technology tenders guide explains the wider issues technology suppliers should consider when selling into the public sector.
What is the buyer asking the market?
The engagement is intended to help Procurement Services:
- understand market capability and capacity
- develop the specification
- create an objective pricing mechanism
- explore innovative solutions
- identify delivery models and risks
Suppliers can respond through an online questionnaire and can also request one-to-one Teams meetings.
This is useful for businesses with a clear view on how managed services should be packaged or priced. For example, suppliers may want to comment on whether cloud, cyber and resource augmentation work best as separate lots, how regional coverage should be handled or which commercial measures make like-for-like comparison realistic.
What evidence should suppliers prepare?
Even before the final ITT, technology suppliers can strengthen the evidence likely to be relevant across several lots:
- transition and mobilisation of managed services
- service desk performance and service levels
- cloud migration and optimisation
- cybersecurity and incident management
- network and infrastructure resilience
- data governance and analytics outcomes
- software implementation and integration
- programme and project management
- technical resource management
- customer reporting and continuous improvement
- information security and data protection
- social value and digital inclusion
Where possible, quantify outcomes. Availability, incident reduction, ticket resolution, migration times, cost savings and user satisfaction can make evidence more credible than broad statements about technical excellence.
Quick facts
- Buyer: Kent County Council trading as Procurement Services
- Estimated value: £500m excluding VAT / £600m including VAT
- Stage: Preliminary market engagement
- Planned reach: Local and national
- Lot structure: To be determined
- Engagement deadline: 18 September 2026
- Planned framework start: 1 May 2027
- Planned framework end: 30 April 2031
Help shape the framework, then reassess your fit
The broad scope makes this an important opportunity for the technology market, but suppliers should avoid making a final bid decision until the lotting and award model are published. Use the engagement stage to raise practical issues and prepare the evidence that will support a strong response later.
Thornton & Lowe supports IT, software and digital suppliers with public sector framework bids and competitive tenders. Contact our technology bid team if you want help preparing for the ICT Managed & Professional Services Framework.
