Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Tower Hamlets
New Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road London
London
E1 1BJ
UK
Contact person: Ms Morgan Hughes
Telephone: +44 2073644099
E-mail: Morgan.Hughes@towerhamlets.gov.uk
NUTS: UKI
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
R6112 Microsoft Enterprise Agreement
Reference number: DN812796
II.1.2) Main CPV code
72000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
This contract renews the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, providing access to Microsoft products and Azure Cloud services, including Windows OS, Office tools (Outlook, Word, Excel), collaborative tools (SharePoint, Teams, Phone), SQL database, and artificial intelligence tools (Co-pilot). Microsoft products must be purchased through a licensed reseller.
This was procured via Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Technology Products & Associated Services 2 RM6088 – Lot 3: Software and Associated Services
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
11 553 729.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKI
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets currently holds a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, which is a contractual arrangement providing access to a wide range of Microsoft software and services. This includes operating systems such as Windows 10 and 11, core applications like Outlook, Word and Excel, as well as collaboration tools including Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive. These tools are widely used across the Council to support communication, document sharing and hybrid working.
The agreement also includes access to Microsoft Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. Azure provides a secure and scalable environment for storing data, running systems, and delivering digital services. It reduces the Council’s reliance on physical servers by enabling secure online hosting of applications, data backup, and system management. Azure also supports the delivery of essential services across service areas and underpins the Council’s digital transformation efforts.
Under Microsoft’s business model, licences and services can only be purchased by public sector organisations through authorised resellers. Pricing is set at standard rates, meaning that direct cost savings through procurement and the usual competitive processes alone are limited. However, Microsoft offers various discounts on key products to public sector organisations under the Strategic Partnership Arrangement 2024 (SPA24) with central government. Additional discounts may be secured through competitive pricing from resellers. The CCS aggregated procurement model enables public sector bodies to combine their purchasing requirements, thereby increasing collective buying power and maximising potential discounts.
The process was fully managed by CCS’s dedicated aggregation team. Advantages include access to expert advice from CCS’s in-house software specialists, no obligation to enter a contract until award, and a fully compliant route to appoint a Licensed Software Reseller (LSP). Participating authorities also benefit from potential cost avoidance and efficiency gains by avoiding the need to conduct their own procurement exercises.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Social Value
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Capacity
/ Weighting: 10
Price
/ Weighting:
80
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition
Justification for selected award procedure:
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the Directive
Explanation
The procurement was undertaken via an Aggregated Route by Crown Commercial Services under the Framework Agreement Technology Products & Associated Services 2 (RM6098).
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 1
Contract No: R6112
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
01/04/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 7
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 2
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 7
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
SoftwareOne UK Limited
1 Chamberlain Square Cs
Birmingham
B3 3AX
UK
E-mail: Fiona.Elliot@softwareone.com
NUTS: UKI
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 11 553 729.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court of England and Wales
The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
27/04/2026