This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

19 Jun 2026 at 15:22

AwardUpdate

19 Jun 2026 at 14:04

Award

19 Jun 2026 at 11:41

Summary of the contracting process

Shropshire Council has recently completed a procurement process concerning its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, selecting Softcat Plc as the supplier. This procurement involved a direct award to continue the provision of the Unit 4 ERP system, a comprehensive cloud-based solution encompassing financial management, procurement, and people management modules. The process was justified by the technical necessity of maintaining existing systems and integrations, and a voluntary standstill period concludes on 30th June 2026. The contract period extends from 1st July 2026 to 30th June 2029, with services delivered in the region of Shropshire, UK (UKG22). The procurement pertains to the services industry category with the value of the award grossing £3,229,260 GBP. The legal frameworks guiding this procurement include the Procurement Act 2023.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for established large-scale enterprises particularly in the technology sector, looking to engage with public sector clients such as local government councils. While the direct award limits competitive entry, understanding the factors that necessitate such awards can better position businesses for future opportunities. Companies with the capability to manage comprehensive ERP solutions that support complex integration, data management, and customised software development are well-suited to engaging in similar tenders. Strategic partnerships that align with the council’s digital transformation goals can also foster long-term collaborative opportunities.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

ERP System

Notice Description

The procurement covers the provision of the Unit 4 ERP system, a fully integrated cloud-based software solution. The primary modules include: Financial Management: General ledger, budgeting, accounting, sales-to-cash. Procurement & Purchase-to-Pay: Standardised workflows for supplier requisitions, purchase order fulfilment, invoice reconciliation. People Management: HR, payroll, expenses, and timesheets.

Procurement Information

The Council is enacting a voluntary standstill period of 8 days under this Transparency Notice. This will conclude on the 30th June 2026. The Direct Award is in accordance with Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 and the applicable justification within Schedule 5, on the basis that the services can only be supplied by the incumbent provider for technical reasons. The requirement is for the continued provision and support of the Council's existing ERP platform rather than the implementation of a new system. The Council's current enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution is supporting core finance, HR, payroll and procurement functions and is embedded across the organisation, with established integrations, data structures, reporting configurations and bespoke customisations developed to meet the Council's specific operational requirements. The Council is undertaking a digital transformation exercise that will determine the extent of its long-term ERP use. The duration of this direct award has been identified as the minimum period to avoid the disproportionate cost, technical complexity and risk to the continuity of critical corporate services that earlier competition would present. Accordingly, only the incumbent supplier can provide the required services without disproportionate disruption, cost and risk, and a direct award is therefore justified in order to ensure continuity of service and avoid unnecessary duplication of technical effort and implementation risk.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b905
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058242-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

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


CPV Codes

48451000 - Enterprise resource planning software package

72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services

72268000 - Software supply services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£3,229,260 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Jun 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Jun 20266 days ago
Contract Period
30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
SHROPSHIRE 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
SHREWSBURY
Postcode
SY3 8HQ
Post Town
Shrewsbury
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG22 Shropshire
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Shropshire
Electoral Ward
Porthill
Westminster Constituency
Shrewsbury

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SOFTCAT

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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