---
title: "Managed Service Desk & Infrastructure Management"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06de70"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06de70"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06de70.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06de70.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Watford Borough Council"
published: "2026-08-06"
---

# Managed Service Desk & Infrastructure Management

Buyer: Watford Borough Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06de70

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06de70)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06de70.json)

## Summary

Watford Borough Council is procuring continuation services for its managed service desk, infrastructure management and Service Management Office. The requirement covers IT helpdesk and user support, systems and infrastructure support, and associated service management activity. It is intended to maintain the council’s existing technical architecture across a complex, multi-site environment and support critical sites and users. The procurement is for services rather than goods or construction. The buyer is Watford Borough Council, a sub-central public authority, and the awarded services relate to the council’s operations in Watford, United Kingdom. The scope aligns with IT services, system and support services, helpdesk services, and IT support, including CPV 72000000, 72250000, 72253000 and 72253100.

This procurement has been completed and awarded through a direct award. The selected supplier is LITTLE FISH (UK) LIMITED. The award date is 6 August 2026 and the awarded value is £919,665 excluding VAT, or £1,103,598 including VAT. The contract period is 5 October 2026 to 4 October 2029, with signature scheduled by 1 October 2026. There is one completed lot covering the full requirement. The direct award was justified by Littlefish’s embedded knowledge of the council’s complex, multi-site environment and the need to avoid disruption, redundant transition costs and duplicated ICT resources while a consolidated technology support service is designed under the Local Government Reorganisation programme. The stated procurement rationale uses technical reasons associated with a single supplier.

This outcome demonstrates established demand for an integrated public-sector IT operations partner able to provide a managed service desk, infrastructure management and a Service Management Office as one service. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need strong capabilities in helpdesk operations, systems and infrastructure support, service management, and maintaining complex multi-site technical environments. Experience of protecting continuity for critical sites and users would be important, as would the ability to understand and operate an existing technical architecture without causing service disruption. Suppliers should also be able to manage transition planning and coordinate with wider technology transformation or organisational change programmes. The awarded supplier’s position shows the value placed on embedded operational knowledge, continuity and avoiding duplicated transition effort.

## Notice

Continuation of Managed Service Desk, Infrastructure Management, and Service Management Office services.

### Procurement Information

Littlefish has a deeply embedded understanding of the council's complex, multi site environment. This "embedded knowledge" is essential for maintaining the current technical architecture without disruption. Within the LGR programme (Sub-workstream 7), work is already underway to design a new consolidated technology support service. Since WBC services will be dissolved and replaced post-vesting day, moving to a new provider now would result in redundant transition costs and a duplication of internal ICT resources. Attempting a full-scale transition in parallel with the LGR technology workstream would risk a total failure of managed service desk and infrastructure support for critical sites and users.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074997-2026 |
| 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 |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 6 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 5 Oct 2026 - 4 Oct 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £919,665 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Pending |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Watford Borough Council |
| Locality | WATFORD |
| Postcode area | Watford |
| Postcode | WD17 3EX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLH27 South West Hertfordshire |
| Local authority | Watford |
| Electoral ward | Park |
| Westminster constituency | Watford |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | LITTLE FISH (UK) LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 72250000 - System and support services
- 72253000 - Helpdesk and support services
- 72253100 - Helpdesk services

## Release History

- 6 Aug 2026 at 18:26 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074997-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074997-2026
  6th August 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-06de70. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06de70.json.