Award

Interim Managed Service Provider

GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AGENCY

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

09 Apr 2026 at 12:12

Award

19 Mar 2026 at 17:36

Award

19 Mar 2026 at 17:27

Summary of the contracting process

The Government Property Agency has facilitated a direct award contract titled "Interim Managed Service Provider" in the industry category of IT services, specifically concerning consultancy and support within the United Kingdom. The contract addresses the need for expert Microsoft support services, including the management of Entra ID, Conditional Access policies, and Multi-Factor Authentication to enhance cyber security. Bridgeall Limited, located in Glasgow, is appointed as the supplier and commenced service on 1 April 2026, extending until 31 March 2027. This contract is a temporary solution as the GPA outlines its strategic approach to Microsoft service management. The direct award was deemed necessary under the Procurement Act 2023 due to the potential difficulties and costs associated with switching suppliers midstream without disrupting existing processes.

This tender presents an excellent growth opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the IT sector, particularly those with Microsoft Gold Partner status or specialised skills in managing Microsoft products and services. The direct award method highlights a preference for suppliers who can seamlessly integrate with existing systems and fill immediate technical support needs. Companies already familiar with GPA's systems or those capable of rapidly acquiring customer-specific knowledge could gain a competitive edge. By engaging in contracts like these, SMEs can not only expand their portfolio but also enhance their reputation within central government procurement processes.

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Notice Title

Interim Managed Service Provider

Notice Description

The requirement is for a direct award for the provision of expert Microsoft support services. This includes proactively managing Entra ID, Conditional Access policie, and MFA to strengthen endpoint security and mitigate cyber risks. The existing service gap necessitates expert, multi-tiered support to reduce the internal IT burden and ensure faster resolution of technical incidents and user access issues. Procuring a third-party Microsoft Gold Partner to manage backup services moves the GPA to a secure future state, further data retention as well as ransomware protection. Sustained support for Azure Virtual Desktop centralises IT administration, ensuring a secure, scalable digital workplace. Standard procurement processes can cause delays for emerging business needs; the Professional Services Retainer fills this gap by allowing immediate access to engineers for urgent projects and will only be used if required. This arrangement serves as an interim solution while the GPA develops its wider strategic Microsoft implementation and managed service partner strategy

Procurement Information

Direct award justified via Procurement Act 2023:Section 41 and Schedule 5, Paragraph 7 Under the Act, a contracting authority may award a contract directly if the justification for "Additional or Repeat Goods, Services or Works" is met. Specifically, the GPA relies on the following legal conditions: 7. The public contract concerns the supply of goods, services or works by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to, or partial replacement of, existing goods, services or works in circumstances where- (a)a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and (b)the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance. The Supplier is currently engaged in a provision of a managed service that utilises both the supplier's knowledge and experience and associated system development, governance and compliance services within their resource pool. To change suppliers at this point would be detrimental to the service provision , and will require significant re-work of processes and service approaches, causing an increase in technical debt, cost increases and time delays. This arrangement is acting as an interim solution while GPA develops it's wider Microsoft strategy, which will include an appointed strategic implementation and managed service partner. Offboarding the current supplier and onboarding a new supplier now to perform the same task for a limited period, before transitioning again under the future strategy will create serious disruption and further increase cost and risk. On that basis it's suggested that the conditions in paragraph 7 are met.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066fa1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032392-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

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
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£203,500 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£203,500 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Apr 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Mar 20262 months ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AGENCY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BIRMINGHAM
Postcode
B2 4BJ
Post Town
Birmingham
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Ladywood
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BRIDGEALL

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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