Procurement framework predicted to save £50 million for government
The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has opened the new procurement framework Network Services with a forecast that it can save government £50 million by increasing competition in the market.
CCS said that about a third of suppliers are small and medium sized businesses, and more than a fifth have never worked with government before.
The framework, first announced in July, has been designed to a provide a simpler way in to procuring network and telecommunications services, replacing the PSN Services, PSN Connectivity and Telephony Services agreements.
It consists of 10 lots for services around data access, local connectivity, traditional telephony, inbound telephony, IP telephony, mobile voice and data, paging, video conferencing, audio conferencing and integrated communications.
It also includes the scope to appoint an agent through a further competition when requirements include a core component from one or more of the 10 lots.
Overall there are 48 suppliers on the framework, including familiar names in providing government network services such BT, KCOM, Thales UK and Vodafone. But there are also companies that are not as widely known, such as exponential-e, hSo and Kelway.
The CCS has loosened the requirements, so suppliers do not have to provide all the products needed, to give small and medium sized firms more chance of winning business.
Image: Rozszerzonej Gwiazdy, public domain
