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Provision of Microsoft Unified Support Services

University of Leicester

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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28 Jul 2026 at 15:59

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Leicester procured Microsoft Unified Support Services for its Microsoft technology estate. The requirement covers reactive and proactive support for desktop systems, on-premise campus-hosted services, Microsoft 365 products including Office 365, SharePoint and Teams, Dynamics, and the wider Microsoft ecosystem. The work supports the university’s core digital infrastructure and business-critical services. It is a software support services requirement, classified under CPV 72261000, delivered for the university in the United Kingdom. The buying organisation is the University of Leicester, based in Leicester. The scope is centred on end-to-end support across Microsoft products and services rather than support for a single application or isolated system.

The procurement has been completed following a direct award procedure. Microsoft Limited was selected for the single lot, with an awarded gross value of £1,109,585. The award is recorded as pending, and the planned contract period runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029. The requirement was evaluated and justified on the basis of single-supplier technical reasons: the university considers Microsoft the only provider able to support its full Microsoft product portfolio directly. The procurement is above the relevant threshold. The direct award rationale cites the university’s growing dependence on Microsoft technologies, the need for comprehensive coverage and accountability, and the operational risks of relying on multiple third-party providers and escalation routes.

This outcome indicates demand for suppliers able to provide broad, technically deep support across a complex Microsoft estate, including desktop, campus-hosted infrastructure, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, Dynamics and associated services. A credible competitor for comparable university requirements would need strong capability across the full Microsoft product portfolio, with sufficient scale to provide both reactive incident response and proactive support. Direct access to the software manufacturer, or demonstrable ability to resolve complex issues through effective manufacturer escalation, is particularly important. The buyer’s reasoning also highlights the value of comprehensive service coverage, clear accountability, fast resolution of critical incidents and reduced operational risk, rather than fragmented support from several specialist providers.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Microsoft Unified Support Services

Notice Description

Reactive and proactive support services for Microsoft products and services - desktop, on-premise (campus) hosted services, Microsoft 365 (Office 365, Sharepoint, Teams, etc) and Dynamics and wider ecosystem.

Procurement Information

The University of Leicester has a significant and growing dependency on Microsoft technologies for the delivery of its core digital infrastructure and business-critical services. Since the commencement of the previous Microsoft Unified Support agreement, the University's reliance on the Microsoft ecosystem has expanded substantially. A Microsoft Unified Support agreement is considered the only viable route to provide comprehensive support across the University's Microsoft estate. As the software vendor and manufacturer, Microsoft is uniquely positioned to deliver end-to-end reactive and proactive support for its full product portfolio. Procuring support through alternative providers would require multiple contracts with different Microsoft partners, increasing complexity, reducing accountability, and creating gaps in service coverage. Prior to renewal, independent market advice was sought to assess the availability and suitability of third-party support providers. This assessment concluded that while third-party support options exist, no single provider could adequately support the full range of Microsoft products utilised by the University. Furthermore, such providers remain dependent on Microsoft for product escalation and resolution of complex issues. Analysis of support cases and escalations over the previous three years demonstrated that many critical incidents would not have been resolved without direct Microsoft involvement. Engaging a third-party support provider would therefore introduce additional layers of escalation, resulting in slower response times, reduced service quality, and increased operational risk.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d59e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071361-2026
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

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

CPV Codes

72261000 - Software support services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,109,585 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Aug 2026 - 31 Jul 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
University of Leicester
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEICESTER
Postcode
LE1 7RH
Postcode Area
Leicester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF21 Leicester
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Leicester
Electoral Ward
Castle
Westminster Constituency
Leicester South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Microsoft Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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