--- title: "Pre-Market Engagement Questionnaire: Microsoft Enterprise Licensing, CSP Services and Expertise" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f6bd" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f6bd" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f6bd.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f6bd.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Mid Ulster District Council" published: "2026-09-10" --- # Pre-Market Engagement Questionnaire: Microsoft Enterprise Licensing, CSP Services and Expertise Buyer: Mid Ulster District Council Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f6bd [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f6bd) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f6bd.json) ## Summary Mid Ulster District Council is preparing to renew, supply, manage and optimise its Microsoft enterprise licensing and related cloud provider services. The requirement is for an experienced Microsoft CSP partner to support the Council’s Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Teams, Power Platform, Azure and server licensing estate, including Software Assurance. Services are expected to cover licence supply and renewal, licence optimisation, inventory and proof-of-licence records, renewal tracking, compliance reporting, billing, subscription changes, incident handling and escalation to Microsoft. The Council also seeks specialist advice on security, compliance, identity, endpoints, adoption, tenant support, account governance and technology roadmaps. It is considering CSP, Enterprise Agreement or another suitable Microsoft agreement route, with delivery across its organisational estate. This is a pre-market engagement at the planning stage, not an invitation to tender. The Council expects to use the responses to shape the agreement route, service model, pricing, governance, support arrangements and proportionate requirements; responses will not be evaluated as bids. Engagement responses are requested through eTendersNI by 3:00 pm on 24 September 2026. The indicative procurement launch is October 2026, with contract award expected in December 2026 and licensing renewal or contract commencement expected on 31 January 2027. The planned contract period runs from 31 January 2027 to 31 January 2030. The estimated value is £600,000 excluding VAT, or £720,000 including VAT. The future evaluation is expected to balance price, quality and added value. The planned requirement should suit established Microsoft CSP partners and other suppliers able to combine licensing expertise with managed support and specialist consultancy. Relevant capability includes managing Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, Teams, Power Platform, security, compliance, identity, endpoint and server licensing, alongside licence optimisation and compliance reporting. The Council is seeking market views on support models, Microsoft escalation, account governance, adoption, roadmap advice and transparent pricing for user and device subscriptions, Azure consumption, server licensing and professional services. Suppliers should prepare to explain their partner status, accreditations, insurance, service capability and support arrangements, as well as billing, discount and margin models. SMEs are identified as suitable for the planned requirement. This engagement is for preparation and market input, rather than bidding at this stage. ## Notice INTRODUCTION Mid Ulster District Council is preparing a procurement for the renewal, supply, management and optimisation of its Microsoft enterprise licensing, associated CSP services and specialist Microsoft expertise. This pre-market engagement exercise will help the Council understand available market models, risks, pricing approaches, support arrangements and proportionate requirements before any formal procurement is issued. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS PRE-MARKET ENGAGEMENT EXERCISE The objectives are to confirm market interest, test the most suitable agreement route and service model, identify risks or dependencies, understand pricing and governance options, and inform the Council's procurement strategy. This is not a procurement process and responses will not be evaluated as part of any future tender. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Council's Microsoft estate includes Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Teams, Power Platform, Azure, server licensing and associated Software Assurance requirements. Market input is sought on CSP, Enterprise Agreement or other Microsoft agreement routes, billing options, licence optimisation, tenant support, adoption, security and compliance support, escalation and access to qualified Microsoft expertise. STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENTS MUDC wishes to establish a contract with a suitably experienced Microsoft CSP partner to provide: * licensing renewal, supply and management through CSP, Enterprise Agreement or another suitable route; * licence optimisation, proof of licence, inventory records, renewal tracking and compliance reporting; * Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, Teams, Power Platform, security, compliance, identity, endpoint and server licensing expertise; * support for billing, subscription changes, incidents, Microsoft escalation, account governance and roadmap advice; The Council also wishes to understand transparent pricing structures, including margins, discounts, billing models, separate professional services rates and how best to separate user subscriptions, device subscriptions, Azure consumption, server licensing, trial/free SKUs and advisory services. Responses should assist the Council in considering proportionate partner status, accreditations, insurance, service capability, support model and future evaluation balance between price, quality and added value. 5.0 PRE-MARKET ENGAGEMENT APPROACH INDICATIVE PROCUREMENT TIMEFRAME 7.0 Indicative milestones: PME published 10th September 2026 ; responses due via eTendersNI by 3.00 pm on 24th September 2026; procurement launch October , contract award December ; licensing renewal / contract commencement 31st January 2027. ### Planning Information All PME questionnaire responses should be returned to Mid Ulster District Council via eTendersNI portal no later than 3:00 pm on 24th September 2026. Whilst Mid Ulster District Council is unable to guarantee it will incorporate all feedback into the subsequent procurement exercise, there is greater potential for your suggestions to be considered in more depth, if you are able to submit your response in accordance with the deadline above. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085841-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 10 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 31 Oct 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Jan 2027 - 31 Jan 2030 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £600,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Mid Ulster District Council | | Locality | COOKSTOWN | | Postcode area | Northern Ireland | | Postcode | BT80 8DT | | Country | Northern Ireland | | ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland | | ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland | | ITL 3 | TLN0B Mid Ulster | | Local authority | Mid Ulster | | Electoral ward | Cookstown West | | Westminster constituency | Mid Ulster | | Delivery location | TLN Northern Ireland | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support ### Codes - 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support ## Release History - 10 Sep 2026 at 12:20 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085841-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085841-2026 10th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.midulstercouncil.org - 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-06f6bd. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f6bd.json.