--- title: "Market Update" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2022-01-20" --- # Market Update Buyer: ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39.json) ## Summary The procurement process is currently in the planning stage, led by Essex County Council, which is based in Chelmsford, England. The tender, titled "Market Update", focuses on the Networking and Communications industry, with an emphasis on the upcoming pilot projects related to SD-WAN technologies. The engagement end date for this market update is set for 31 January 2022. Essex County Council has conducted prior market engagement to explore innovative solutions and aims to identify a preferred product for network transformation, potentially through a competitive tender process in the future. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, especially those specialising in networking technologies and telecommunications equipment. Companies that are well-suited to compete include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that offer innovative solutions in SD-WAN technologies and related services. The potential partnership with Essex County Council's current provider could also favour those with existing capabilities in managed services. Engaging in this process may help businesses grow by establishing a footprint in public sector contracts and expanding their service offerings within the East of England. ## Notice This notice seeks to provide an update to the market regarding Essex County Council's (ECC's) direction of travel for its future Networking and Voice solutions. In July 2020, following publication of Prior Information Notice ref: 2020/S 121-298041, ECC undertook early market engagement with a broad range of Networking and Communications suppliers to explore innovation, horizon scanning and service delivery models across the market. In March 2021, following publication of Prior Information Notice reference: 2021/S 000-001471, ECC undertook further market engagement with five Networking suppliers through workshop sessions to explore in more depth: Network technologies; Technology products; Circuit provision and; Deployment. The learning from these sessions has highlighted to ECC the importance of trialling network technologies at an early stage and, therefore, ECC has identified three vendors' SD-WAN technologies it wishes to pilot: Cisco, Palo Alto and Silver Peak. Identification of these solutions for pilot is based on best-fit considerations and existing technology investments, as identified through market engagement. Pilots will be delivered in partnership with ECC's current managed service provider, DUCL (Daisy Updata Communications Limited) early in 2022. ECC anticipates that the SD-WAN pilots will lead to identification of a preferred product, which ECC would then implement as part of a network transformation project either through its managed service contract with the existing provider or following a competitive tender exercise. Regarding Voice, ECC recently commissioned discovery work to inform its Contact Centre requirements. Final outputs are due end of January 2022, following which ECC anticipates that it will engage with the market. ECC continues to undertake in-house discovery work in respect its future Mobile requirements. Also, ECC has recently transitioned its Unified Comms solution from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams, through its incumbent supplier. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/72dc2272-6bfe-42a7-8745-b785c2f1688a | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 20 Jan 2022 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 31 Jan 2022 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | CHELMSFORD | | Post town | Chelmsford | | Postcode | CM1 1QH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex | | ITL 3 | TLH36 Heart of Essex | | Local authority | Chelmsford | | Electoral ward | Moulsham and Central | | Westminster constituency | Chelmsford | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment ### Codes - 32400000 - Networks - 32500000 - Telecommunications equipment and supplies ## Release History - 20 Jan 2022 at 14:19 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/72dc2272-6bfe-42a7-8745-b785c2f1688a ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/72dc2272-6bfe-42a7-8745-b785c2f1688a 20th January 2022 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - http://www.essex.gov.uk ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-45d18bdc-ec0f-48f4-afce-40326d69dc39.json.