Planning

002465 - Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for Workforce Management System

DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

14 Nov 2025 at 16:47

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Durham County Council is conducting a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for a Workforce Management System (WFM), aimed at improving its Corporate Customer Services operation. This planning stage involves engaging with the market to explore available options for a modern, cloud-based WFM solution. The procurement falls under the industry category of Software Package and Information Systems and is located in the UKC14 region of Durham, United Kingdom. Interested parties should note a milestone due date of 28th November 2025, by which completed questionnaires must be submitted. Although currently in the planning stage, this initiative presents an opportunity to supply goods with a potential contract period starting 21st June 2026, with a possible extension up to 20th June 2029.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in software solutions, particularly those with products centred on workforce planning, scheduling, and performance management. Companies that can offer a versatile and robust WFM that integrates with existing systems and provides support for both office-based and remote operations will be well-positioned to compete. The annual budget for this initiative is approximately £18,000, suggesting that a cost-effective yet comprehensive solution will be highly valued. This engagement offers potential for growth and establishes a collaborative relationship with a key public sector entity, contributing to long-term business development, especially for those experienced in cloud-based software deployments.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

002465 - Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for Workforce Management System

Notice Description

Durham County Council is seeking to engage with the market to explore options for the provision of a Workforce Management System (WFM) capable of delivering the full range of requirements outlined below. The purpose of this engagement is to understand the market's capability to provide a modern, cloud-based solution that supports efficient workforce planning, scheduling, and performance management across the Councils Corporate Customer Services operation. The Council's Customer Services Department currently utilises a specialist hosted contact centre workforce management system which provides skill-based forecasting and scheduling across multiple communication channels for both office-based and remote agents. This system supports intraday forecasting using real-time data such as calls offered, average handling time (AHT), and agent/skill availability. It enables the monitoring of actual performance against forecast performance and provides real-time adherence tracking against schedules. An integral component of the current system is the agent interface, which includes schedule visibility and a vacation planner module. Please note, our estimated budget is approximately PS18,000 per annum

Planning Information

This is a Preliminary Market Engagement opportunity. The written response questionnaire can be accessed free of charge at open-uk.org Completed questionnaires must be submitted via the Open Portal by 12 noon on Friday 28th November.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e1ee
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074163-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
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

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£54,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Nov 20253 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
28 Nov 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
20 Jun 2026 - 20 Jun 2028 2-3 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
Not specified
Contact Email
zoe.embleton@durham.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
DURHAM
Postcode
DH1 5WB
Post Town
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 and 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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