Planning

Equals Trust Provision of ICT Managed Service

EQUALS TRUST

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

12 Jun 2026 at 07:09

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process is currently in the planning stage and is being managed by the Equals Trust, a public authority central government entity based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. The tender, titled "Equals Trust Provision of ICT Managed Service," is focused on the services industry, specifically IT services like consulting, software development, and IT support. The objective is to obtain a fully managed ICT service for the Trust's nineteen primary academies in Nottinghamshire. Initial supplier engagement sessions are scheduled at Netherfield Primary School, Nottingham, on the 24th and 25th of June 2026, with a deadline for written submissions by 3rd July 2026. The anticipated value of the contract is £3,600,000, with the main procurement category noted as services. The final service delivery is expected to provide a consistent IT management model across all academies within the Trust, enhancing the efficiency of available resources.

This tender presents significant business opportunities, especially for SMEs specialising in IT consultancy, software development, and support services. Companies that can deliver a comprehensive ICT managed service, capable of catering to a multi-site educational trust with a focus on standardisation and resource sharing, will find this tender attractive. The Trust's initiative to gather industry insights before the formal procurement suggests a collaborative approach, providing businesses a chance to influence the procurement alongside gaining potential for long-term contracts given the initial term spans from January 2028 to January 2031, with an option for renewal. Businesses that understand the nuances of the educational sector and can navigate logistics across multiple locations in Nottinghamshire are particularly well-suited to benefit from this opportunity.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Equals Trust Provision of ICT Managed Service

Notice Description

Equals Trust intends to procure a fully managed ICT managed service for the pupils and employees of all schools and the Trust. The Trust spans the county of Nottinghamshire and is made up of 19 primary academies, with the potential to grow further, and a central team. The aim of the future procurement to award a contract that delivers a consistent approach to IT both for the pupils and the staff, moving over to a Trust model approach rolled out to all schools. This will enable the Trust to maximise the effectiveness of the equipment and service, as well as helping to share resources and best practice across all sites. The purpose of this market engagement is to inform a future procurement process to award a contract for this service. Feedback received will inform the procurement procedure selected, development of the final service specification and procurement documentation. Through this engagement, the Trust aims to: Seek industry insight on the best methods of gathering the technical information required to support a robust, transparent procurement process which delivers best value to the Trust and achieves a standardised management model across the entire Trust; Gain feedback on the draft specification and information currently available to the Trust on ICT arrangements across the schools; Understand current market solutions; Explore implementation and transition approaches; Understand commercial and pricing models; Identify risks or other considerations prior to formal tender. To support these objectives, suppliers will be asked to respond to a structured set of thematic questions, as set out in Appendix 1 - Pre-Market Engagement Questionnaire.

Planning Information

https://uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=106319&TID=100111425&B= The Supplier engagement sessions will be on site with the Trust at: Netherfield Primary School, Chandos Street, Netherfield, Nottingham NG4 2LR 6 supplier engagement sessions (plus an incumbent session) will be offered on the 24th and 25th June 2026. Proposed slots 24th June 11:00 - 12:00 12:30 - 13:30 14:00 - 15:00 15:30 - 16:30 Proposed slots 25th June 9:00 - 10:00 10:30 - 11:30 12:00 - 13:00 If you wish to book in a slot, please message the request through the tendering portal EU Supply with your email address with your preferred date and time Slots will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Once all slots are booked out we will have to respectfully decline any further requests. However, written submissions can be provided for the questions provided within the pre-market engagement document shared as a document within the tender portal which must be submitted by 12 noon on the 3rd July 2026. All information from these meetings will be shared within the tender pack, where it has been deemed as not commercially sensitive.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b394
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/055482-2026
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
£3,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Jun 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
3 Jul 20263 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
3 Jan 2028 - 2 Jan 2031 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
EQUALS TRUST
Additional Buyers

PHP LAW LLP

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
TOTNES
Postcode
TQ9 5RW
Post Town
Torquay
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF16 South Nottinghamshire
Delivery Location
TLF14 Nottingham
Local Authority
Rushcliffe
Electoral Ward
Keyworth & Wolds
Westminster Constituency
Rushcliffe

Further Information

Notice Documents

Notice URLs

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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