More info emerges on possible CITHS replacement
£500m Software and Solutions tender completes trio of tender notices expected to form mega framework to replace CITHS
The government has issued the third and final Prior Information Notice (PIN) widely expected to form a replacement for the CITHS framework next year.
The Commoditised IT Hardware and Software (CITHS) framework was initially tendered for in 2009 and is set to expire in February next year after having been extended to its maximum four-year period. Resellers are pretty certain the current crop of PINs will form a replacement framework, prompting some concerns regarding the tight timescale left for the new version to get up and running.
Last week, the Cabinet Office unveiled a PIN for its £6bn IT Products, Associated Services and Solutions (ITPASS) tender, and another instalment – Software and Solutions (SS) – was published this week.
The SS framework will be worth between £100m and £500m and is split into two lots. The first relates to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems including payroll, data migration and CRM tech, while the other lot tenders for human resources technology only including resource, performance and absence management technology.
The final strand of the mega framework, the Transactional IT Procurement Solution (TIPS) tender, was published earlier this month.
If the new framework does replace CITHS – something which the Cabinet Office is unavailable to comment on – the timescales will be tight. Sources told CRN they usually allow a six-month period for a deal of this size to be ready to go. However, with the incumbent set to expire in February, it is understood only a European Union-approved special circumstances extension would see it prolonged enough to ease some VARs' concerns.
Trustmarque's head of bids Robin Philips said that although the timing could have been better, he is pleased with the progress that has been made so far.
"Although various unavoidable hurdles along the way mean it's later than anyone would have wished, the Government Procurement Service's approach is a breath of fresh air," he said.
"Government clearly understands how important it is to create vehicles that will help customers make the most of today's IT innovations, while coping with the inevitable market transformation to come. We would back GPS to overcome the short-term timing challenges to deliver the best result for the public sector. "
Philips said that at this point, it would be ideal to be midway through the tender process, but added that its late coming at least avoids a hectic rush during the Christmas period to complete a bid.
UPDATE: The Cabinet Office responded to CRN's questions and said:
"Three PINs have now been published, covering the scope of the Commodity IT Hardware and Software (CITHS), Sprint ii, IT Hardware and Solutions, and Software Application Solutions frameworks.
"We are looking to maintain continuity of service through current frameworks while the new procurements are being developed. We will update suppliers and customers in due course.
"We will engage with potential suppliers to establish the commercial models and contracting terms that deliver best value for the taxpayer. We want procurement vehicles that deliver long-term, sustainable savings and price transparency, and are easily accessible to customers in government and across the wider public sector."