Scope
Reference
T1051
Description
Co-Ownership is seeking to appoint a single Managed Service Provider (MSP) to deliver a fully managed Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution, including associated Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS), Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS), and ongoing managed services.
The successful Tenderer will be responsible for hosting, operating, securing, monitoring, and supporting Co-Ownership's core IT infrastructure on a 24x7x365 basis, acting as an extension of the internal ICT team.
Total value (estimated)
- £850,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2031
- 5 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
Contract locations
- UKN - Northern Ireland
Submission
Enquiry deadline
20 February 2026, 12:00pm
Submission type
Requests to participate
Tender submission deadline
6 March 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
15 April 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method Statements | Quality Submission including Social Value |
Quality | 80% |
| Commercial Submission | Commercial Submission |
Price | 20% |
Other information
Payment terms
Co-Ownership is committed to paying all undisputed invoices within 30 days with a valid Purchase Order number, a description and date of the work completed.
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
This procurement process is being conducted in according with the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) using the Competitive Flexible Procedure. The objective of the process is to ensure a fair, transparent and competitive procurement that delivers value for money and compliance with all applicable legislative and regulatory requirements.
Under this process all interested Tenderers are invited to submit a tender in response to this Invitation to Tender (ITT).
The various stages of the process being followed are detailed below:
Tender Submission
Tenderers shall submit their full response via https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps/home.do by the deadline stated in the Procurement Timetable
Conditions of Participation
Once the tender deadline has passed, the Co-Ownership will undertake a review of the core supplier information (as defined in the Procurement Regulations 2024) held on the Central Digital Platform (the Tenderer to provide a sharing code or download of the PDF details as part of the tender response).
A check on the compliance with the Conditions of Participation is conducted at this stage, conditions are available in Appendix 2. A Tenderer which does not satisfy the Conditions of Participation will not be invited to participate further this procurement exercise.
Evaluation of Qualitative and Commercial
Details of evaluation criteria, weightings and process are provided in Section 6 of the ITT.
Clarifications
Co-Ownership reserves the right to request clarifications to ensure a complete and accurate understanding of submissions received.
Clarifications will not be used to significantly change the requirement for the tender or introduce new award criteria.
Post-Tender Clarifications
Tenderers may be invited to attend a Clarification Presentation. The purpose of this presentation is to allow Co-Ownership to seek clarification on elements of the Tender that may require further explanation in order to ensure accurate understanding of the Tenderer's submission.
The Clarification Presentation is not an opportunity for Tenderers to introduce new information, modify their bid, or address any matters not already included in their submitted Tender. No new award criteria will be introduced, and no additional scores will be awarded as a direct result of the presentation. The presentation will be used solely to validate and clarify the understanding of information already provided in the written Tender.
Participation in the Clarification Presentation is mandatory for those Tenderers invited, and failure to attend will result in disqualification from the tender process.
Preferred Tenderer stage
The highest scoring Tenderer will be invited to engage in further discussions with the Co-Ownership as part of a preferred Tenderer stage. This stage will be used to finalise the draft Contract terms and conditions, in accordance with the limitations set out in the Act. It is expected that the following matters will be discussed as part of this stage, noting that Co-Ownership reserves the right to amend this list as required.
Clarification of contractual terms and schedules;
Confirmation and refinement of deliverables, service levels, and implementation plan as already described in the Tenderer's submission;
Final alignment of legal and commercial terms, including allocation of risk, provided this does not introduce any material change to the submitted bid;
Rectification of minor errors or ambiguities in the draft contract documentation.
No changes will be permitted to the award criteria, nor will the preferred Tenderer be allowed to improve, revise, or supplement its bid in a manner that could affect the evaluation outcome. Any changes agreed as part of the preferred Tenderer discussions must not distort competition or breach the principles of equal treatment and transparency under the Procurement Act 2023.
Co-Ownership reserves the right to discontinue discussions with the preferred Tenderer and approach the next-ranked Tenderer if finalised Contract terms and conditions cannot be reached within a reasonable timeframe.
This will end with Co-Ownership entering into the Contract with the preferred Tenderer and publication of a Contract Details Notice on the Central Digital Platform (within 30 days of the date on which the Contract is entered into). If the tender needs to be abandoned due to way to move forward with the preferred Tenderer and other tenders unsuitable, Co-Ownership reserves the right to not award a contract and will publish a procurement termination notice on the Central Digital Platform.
Contracting authority
Northern Ireland Co-Ownership Housing Association Ltd
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJCQ-7542-WNZV
Moneda House, 25-27 Wellington Place
Belfast
BT1 6GD
United Kingdom
Contact name: Trina Watson
Telephone: +442890 445387
Email: twatson@co-ownership.org
Website: http://www.co-ownership.org
Region: UKN06 - Belfast
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
Devolved regulations that apply: Northern Ireland
Other organisation
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
eXceeding Ltd
Summary of their role in this procurement: Assistance with the drafting of documents and tender submission evaluation.
- Companies House: 07706566
20-22 Wenlock Road
London
N1 7GU
United Kingdom
Contact name: Mick ODonnell
Telephone: +442081245444
Email: mick.odonnell@exceeding.co.uk
Website: http://www.exceeding.co.uk
Region: UKI41 - Hackney and Newham
Contact organisation
Contact Northern Ireland Co-Ownership Housing Association Ltd for any enquiries.