---
title: "STA-26020b Provision of a Managed Network Service for the CoSTAR National Lab"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-060660"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-060660"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060660.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060660.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ROYAL HOLLOWAY AND BEDFORD NEW COLLEGE"
published: "2026-03-26"
---

# STA-26020b Provision of a Managed Network Service for the CoSTAR National Lab

Buyer: ROYAL HOLLOWAY AND BEDFORD NEW COLLEGE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-060660

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## Summary

The procurement process undertaken by Royal Holloway and Bedford New College involves the provision of a managed network service for the CoSTAR National Lab, located in Egham, United Kingdom. This direct procurement has been completed with an award made to Sohonet Limited, a large-scale enterprise based in London, under the contract ID "STA-26020b". The procurement covers services related to the design, installation, and management of network hardware and telecommunications services. The process has reached the award stage with a contract period from 6th February 2026 to 31st March 2029, valued at over £596,000. The rationale for direct procurement is rooted in technical requirements and urgency under existing tenancy agreements, with Royal Holloway University being the lead partner of the CoSTAR programme.

This contract represents a valuable opportunity for businesses specialising in computer network services and internet services, particularly those capable of offering robust solutions in network hardware installation and management. Firms with expertise in managing high-bandwidth media workflows and performing network integration will find substantial growth prospects, although the direct award method limits possibilities for alternative suppliers. The procurement enhances consistency and reliability in service provision, valuable for medium to large enterprises focused on expanding their operations in the managed network services sector. The contract facilitates business continuity and new investments in network infrastructure, aligning with the strategic objectives of entities involved in high-capacity digital services.

## Notice

Awarded to Sohonet Limited for a service including the design, build, configuration, and installation of all required network hardware, covering core, aggregation, access switching, firewall, internet edge, and Wi-Fi components. Implementation will need to include installation and patching, commissioning, integration with partner systems, and final testing, user acceptance testing, and handover. Ongoing network management will include monitoring and management of all routers, switches, internet bandwidth, and managed security services. To include Core Redundancy and design changes to reduce the risk of workflow disruption. This will involve adding additional network equipment and routing licenses across all devices to enable VXLAN to improve local traffic efficiency for high-bandwidth devices and support media workflow integration for multicast traffic.

### Procurement Information

Royal Holloway University of London serves as the lead partner of the CoSTAR National Lab, which forms a key component of the wider Convergent Screen Technologies And performance in Realtime (CoSTAR) programme. The University is the Contracting Authority and procuring entity for this contract. The contracted services will be carried out at the CoSTAR National Lab facility, located within studio premises leased by the University. Under the current tenancy agreement, the University is required by the Landlord to contract with the existing network provider for the management and supply of telecommunications and broadband services to the Demised Premises. The appointment of alternative service providers is strictly subject to the landlord's prior consent and is not guaranteed. Sohonet Ltd is the designated connectivity provider for the premises responsible for the management of all on-site physical infrastructure, cabling and technical support services. As a result, engaging an alternative supplier is not considered to be a feasible option. Doing so would require the undertaking of extensive structural and construction work to install new cabling and may require a provider to enter into wayleave agreement by the landlord. Even if such permission would be granted by the landlord, this would incur significant delays, increased costs, and considerable disruption to the programme.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028194-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 14 Jan 2026 |
| Contract period | 6 Feb 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £596,219 |
| Contracts value | £596,219 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ROYAL HOLLOWAY AND BEDFORD NEW COLLEGE |
| Locality | EGHAM |
| Post town | Twickenham |
| Postcode | TW20 0EX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex |
| ITL 3 | TLJ25 West Surrey |
| Local authority | Runnymede |
| Electoral ward | Englefield Green East |
| Westminster constituency | Windsor |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SOHONET |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 72400000 - Internet services
- 72700000 - Computer network services

## Release History

- 26 Mar 2026 at 17:22 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028194-2026
- 15 Jan 2026 at 11:35 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003413-2026
- 15 Jan 2026 at 10:31 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003374-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028194-2026
  26th March 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003413-2026
  15th January 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003374-2026
  15th January 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-h6vhtk-060660. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060660.json.