Technology Products 2 line-up finalised bang on time

£2bn-£4bn framework set to go live before end of October after Lots 1 and 3 awarded following addition of multiple suppliers, one of which CRN understands is Total Computer Networks

The final line-up for the Technology Products 2 framework was concluded on Friday, with multiple suppliers handed a last-minute berth on Lot 1.

Four of the six Lots were awarded at the start of October, but Crown Commercial Service extended the cooling-off period for Lot 1 (hardware) and, by extension, Lot 3 (combined hardware and software requirements).

These remaining two Lots were awarded on Friday, Crown Commercial Service has confirmed to CRN, meaning TP2 is set to go live to public sector customers before the end of October, at least two weeks before its predecessor, Technology Products, expires (see bottom for full line up, as we understand it)

It also means that the procurement process for TP2 was successfully concluded on the exact date Crown Commercial Service set out in its original timetable, a noteworthy achievement given the delays that beset Technology Products.

CRN understands that the minor delay to Lots 1 and 3 was not caused by any legal challenges.

A representative for Crown Commercial Service declined to comment on the nature of the delays to Lots 1 and 3, but did confirm that two firms had been added to Lot 1 since the Intention to Award phase.

According to sources, Total Computer Networks is one of the suppliers added after Crown Commercial Service re-examined its paperwork following an appeal. Total Computers declined to comment.

A cursory examination of the provisional and final supplier line-ups, however, suggests three firms - Total Computers, ANS and Millgate - have been added since the Intention to Award announcement.

"We successfully awarded the remaining Lots, 1 and 3, on Friday," the representative said. "Now all the Lots have been awarded and we will be looking to go live with the framework by the end of this month, which would give us a two- or three-week overlap with the current agreement, which expires on 16 November."

TP2 has an estimated purse of between £2bn and £4bn over its two- to four-year lifespan.

As well as being more value-led than its predecessor, TP2 departed from TP1 in imposing no cap on the number of suppliers in each Lot.

Chris Swani, public sector director of Bytes, which made the cut on Lot 2 covering software, said this may lead to more intense competition, but said he was happy with the procurement process overall.

"There are a lot of interesting resellers [on Lot 2], some of which I've never heard of before, so it will up the competition in some areas," he said.

"They had a lot of supplier engagement, which was all very well attended, so we are happy with the process. They followed a process and they got it in on time before the expiry of the old framework, so I'm glad we can now move forward.

"We got on [TP1] two years ago and it was like 'oh, we've got to go through that process again', which we've done successfully. We can now continue that momentum we've built up, which is fantastic - we had a great win with the MoD awarded under TP1 so we are hoping to make use of that and are really fired up."

Terry Betts, managing director of CCS Media, also said the decision to remove the cap on supplier numbers made TP2 fairer than its predecessor.

"It's one of the best tenders we've seen from the government," he said.

Lot 1 (hardware)

ANS Group
Bechtle Direct
BT
Capita Business Services
CCS Media
CDW
Centerprise International
Comparex
Computacenter
Ergo Computing
Esteem Systems
European Electronique
Fujitsu Services
Galtec Soltuions
Insight Direct
Millgate Computer Systems
Misco
Phoenix Software
Proact IT
Probrand
Q Associates
Softcat
Software Box
SCC
Stone Computers
Supplies Team
Total Computers
Transputec
Trustmarque
XMA

Lot 2 (software)

BT
Bytes Software Services
Capita Business Services
CCS Media
CDW
Centerprise International
Comparex UK
Computacenter
Esteem Systems
European Electronique
Fujitsu Services
Insight Direct
Misco UK
Joskos Solutions
Phoenix Software
Probrand
Q Associates
Softcat
Software Box
SCC
Trustmarque
XMA

Lot 3 (joint hardware and software)

BT
Capita Business Services
CCS Media
CDW
Centerprise International
Comparex UK
Computacenter
Esteem Systems
European Electronique
Fujitsu Services
Insight Direct
Misco
Phoenix Software
Probrand
Q Associates
Softcat
Software Box
SCC
Trustmarque
XMA

Lot 4 (information assured products)

Akhter Computer
CDW
Centerprise International
Comparex
Insight Direct
Softcat
Software Box
SCC
XMA

Lot 5 (volume hardware - OEM)

Centerprise International
Dell
Fujitsu Services
Hewlett-Packard Ltd
HP Inc UK
Lenovo
Novatech
Stone Computers
XMA

Lot 6 (catalogue)

(line up not listed as there were 61 suppliers)