Planning

VPN Provision

OFSTED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

05 Feb 2026 at 09:54

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

29 Jan 2026 at 14:09

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process is being led by Ofsted, a central government public authority based in Manchester, for the provision of a fully managed VPN service. The procurement is in the planning stage, with key activities including an Expression of Interest issued on 20th January 2026 and a deadline of 27th January 2026. Ofsted intends to engage with suppliers via the CCS Framework Technology Services 4 (RM6190), Lot 4a Infrastructure Management. The procurement aims to appoint a supplier to deliver the service by June 2026, with the contract estimated to continue until May 2029, potentially extending to May 2030. This service falls under the IT services category, and the overall value of the contract is expected to be £408,333, well within the lot's threshold.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in IT services, particularly those experienced with secure network connectivity and infrastructure management. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can particularly benefit from this procurement within the specified framework. The successful supplier will provide end-to-end management of a secure VPN, including design, implementation, and ongoing operation. This procurement could strengthen a provider's portfolio by showcasing their capability in delivering complex and secure IT solutions within central government frameworks, thus supporting business growth and market credibility in a competitive field.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

VPN Provision

Notice Description

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is issuing this notice to notify the market to that we are engaging with suppliers on the Technology Services 4 (RM6190) to help shape a pending tender process for the provision of a fully managed VPN service. The current contract that Ofsted has for providing this service is due to end in October 2026 and Ofsted are looking to start the process of procuring a new contract now. Ofsted intends to appoint a supplier to deliver a fully managed VPN service that provides secure, encrypted network connectivity across the organisation. The appointed supplier will be responsible for the end-to-end design, implementation, operation, monitoring, and support of the VPN service. This approach will remove the requirement for in-house management and ensure that the service is proactively maintained and supported by a specialist provider. Ofsted is therefore looking at running a procurement exercise, starting as soon as is practicable in 2026, for a supplier to provide this service. Our chosen route to market will be via CCS Framework Technology Services 4 (RM6190) -Lot 4a Infrastructure Management (lower value and complexity) and engagement is currently limited to suppliers on this Framework.

Planning Information

Ofsted issued an Expression of Interest to RM6190 Framework suppliers on 20th January 2026, with a deadline of 27th January 2026. Ofsted will now undertake some pre-market engagement sessions with suppliers who responded to the EOI. Ofsted do not guarantee that this exercise will result in a procurement exercise.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-061223
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010279-2026
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
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£408,333 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Feb 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 May 2026 - 31 May 2029 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
OFSTED
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
info-contracts@ofsted.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
MANCHESTER
Postcode
M1 2WD
Post Town
Manchester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD33 Manchester
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Manchester
Electoral Ward
Piccadilly
Westminster Constituency
Manchester Central

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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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