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002621 - Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for 24/7 Managed Security Operations and a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service

Durham County Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

12 Aug 2026 at 10:07

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

29 Jul 2026 at 15:08

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

08 Oct 2025 at 14:09

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Durham County Council is exploring a managed security service providing 24/7 security operations and managed detection and response (MDR). The requirement is for continuous monitoring, detection and response to cyber security threats across the council’s digital estate, supported by data-security software and related security software services. The refined requirement replaces the earlier proposal for an extended detection and response (XDR) solution covering endpoint and email protection; XDR is excluded from this procurement. This is a public-sector cyber security services requirement for the council’s operations in County Durham, with delivery associated with the council’s United Kingdom estate.

The procurement is at preliminary market engagement and planning stage, before formal competitive tender documents are issued. Providers are being asked to complete written response questions, with engagement responses expected by 4pm on 18 August 2026. Durham County Council expects to hold one-hour Teams discussions with interested providers in September 2026 to refine the specification and tender documents. The anticipated contract is for an initial three-year term from 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2030, with two optional 24-month extensions, potentially extending to 30 April 2034. The council’s annual budget is approximately £600,000. The estimated total value is £4.2 million excluding VAT, or £5.04 million including VAT.

This engagement will suit established cyber security providers able to deliver a continuously staffed security operations capability and managed detection and response at public-sector scale. Relevant strengths include threat monitoring, security event detection, incident investigation, response coordination and the supporting data-security software and services needed to operate an MDR service. Providers should be ready to explain how their service fits the council’s digital estate priorities and how they would deliver the requirement within, or realistically against, the stated annual budget. The council is seeking practical supplier feedback to shape its specification, so businesses with a clear service model, implementation approach and experience of refining complex managed security requirements will be well placed to contribute before the later tender.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

002621 - Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for 24/7 Managed Security Operations and a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service

Notice Description

In October 2025, Durham County Council issued a UK2 Preliminary Market Engagement Notice (2025/S 000-063329) and written PME questionnaire on the Open Portal (OPEN20251753) for Extended Detection and Response (XDR) Solution for Endpoint and Email Protection with 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) Services. This engagement attracted 24 responses from the market, however the scope of our requirements has now changed, and we are re-engaging with the market regarding our refined requirements. Please note, Extended Detection and Response is no longer within the scope of this procurement process. Our annual budget is approximately PS600,000 per annum and will be looking to procure a contract with an initial term of 3 years, with 2 x 24 month optional extensions. As part of this market engagement process, we are particularly interested in providers proposing what they feel is realistic without our stated budget and in line with our requirements and digital estate priorities. Following satisfactory completion of the below questionnaire, we will be inviting interested suppliers to participate in 1 hour Teams discussions in September 2026, to discuss your specific offering in line with our requirements. These technical discussions will still be part of Preliminary Market Engagement to help us refine our specification and tender documents further, prior to issuing competitive tender process documents.

Planning Information

This notice forms part of our preliminary market engagement, offering you the opportunity to share feedback and comments before the opportunity is released for formal tender submissions. Interested providers can access the written response questions, free of charge, by registering on the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org The deadline for completed responses is Tuesday 18th August 2026 at 4pm.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05aaa6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076543-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

48732000 - Data security software package

72212730 - Security software development services

72212732 - Data security software development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£4,200,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
18 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 May 2027 - 30 Apr 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Durham County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DURHAM
Postcode
DH1 5WB
Postcode Area
Durham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC41 Durham
Delivery Location
TLC14 Durham
Local Authority
County Durham
Electoral Ward
Framwellgate & Newton Hall
Westminster Constituency
City of Durham

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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