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Preliminary Market Engagement: Network Analytics and Wired Infrastructure Licencing for Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI)

Regional Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

29 Oct 2026 at 12:48

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Regional Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service is preparing a regional purchasing and licensing arrangement for Health and Social Care Northern Ireland. The requirement is for secure network analytics (SNA) licences, including associated Virtual Flow Collector and Virtual Management Console licences, and an Enterprise Licence Agreement (ELA) covering Cisco switches and routers. It is intended to replace fragmented approaches to SNA and wired-infrastructure licensing with regional purchasing and management. The anticipated scale is approximately 220,000 SNA licences and licences for around 2,300 switches and routers. This is a procurement of network security and infrastructure software licences, rather than physical network equipment. The services and licences are for HSCNI; the buyer is based in Belfast.

The process is at planning: the buyer is undertaking preliminary market engagement to inform a future procurement, and has not issued an invitation to tender. Suppliers are being asked to provide market views through a questionnaire, with clarification questions expected by 5 November 2026 at 15:00. The buyer anticipates a contract period of either one or three years, with the planning period shown as 29 October to 12 November 2026. The published value is £1, which does not indicate the likely commercial scale of the requirement. The procurement is categorised as goods. No tender procedure, lot structure or evaluation basis has been set out at this planning stage. Participation in engagement does not commit a supplier to take part in any later tender.

This requirement is most relevant to suppliers able to provide and manage network analytics licensing at regional health-service scale, together with enterprise licensing for Cisco switches and routers. The anticipated licence volumes point to a need for capacity to support a large, multi-site infrastructure and to coordinate purchasing and licensing across HSCNI, rather than a small standalone software deployment. Suppliers with experience in secure network analytics and Cisco wired-network environments are well placed to contribute useful market insight and prepare for the later procurement. The buyer is using engagement to understand potential providers and inform its requirement; the work may suit licensing resellers, network security software suppliers, or integrators able to supply the associated analytics and management licences. No specific accreditation or technical qualification is stated.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Preliminary Market Engagement: Network Analytics and Wired Infrastructure Licencing for Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI)

Notice Description

This Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) is being published by Business Services Organisation (BSO) Procurement and Logistics Service (PaLS) for the purposes of informing and engaging with potential service providers regarding the upcoming requirement for Secure Network Analytics (SNA) and Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) for switches and Routers within Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI). There is currently there is a fragmented approach to SNA and licensing for wired infrastructure. HSCNI is looking to regionalise the purchasing and management of these licences. The anticipated requirement is for the supply of approximately 220,000 SNA licences, including associated Virtual Flow Collector (VFC) and Virtual Management Console (VMC) licences, together with a Cisco ELA for approximately 2,300 switches and routers, for a contract period of either one (1) or three (3) years. To this end, this market view will be obtained through the completion of a questionnaire. Instructions for the completion of the questionnaire are available via the eTendersNI CfT [Ref: 6785386] and relevant preliminary market engagement documents. Suppliers should note that any interest shown does not constitute a commitment to participate in any future tendering exercise.

Planning Information

Clarifications should be issued via the eTendersNI messaging portal by no later than 15:00 on the above date.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-079377
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/102599-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

48200000 - Networking, Internet and intranet software package

48730000 - Security software package

48900000 - Miscellaneous software package and computer systems

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Oct 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
29 Oct 2026 - 12 Nov 2026 30 days
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
Regional Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT12 6HU
Postcode Area
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Blackstaff
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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