Vendor Lot dropped for £6.5bn TP2 framework successor

Host of reseller heavyweights expected to vie for a place on Technology Products and Associated Services

The tender process for the £6.5bn successor to the Technology Products 2 (TP2) framework has launched.

Technology Products and Associated Services (TePAS) will be split into four Lots: Hardware, Software and Associated Services; Hardware and Associated Services; Software and Associated Services; and Information and Assured Goods.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS), which runs the framework, said TePAS could be worth up to £6.5bn.

Chris Farthing, managing director at Advice Cloud, said this government framework is the one most relevant to VARs.

"It is the biggest framework for resellers and you'll expect to see the biggest players on there," he said.

"It will mostly be boxed product; enterprise-scale PC rollouts, servers, networking, large databases - things like that, as well as enterprise licensing agreements.

"There will also be close-to-the-box services, but not outsourcing. That will still be covered by Technology Services."

Farthing said that he expects fewer firms to be awarded a place on the framework than were on its predecessor.

TP2 saw 59 suppliers, including CDW, Softcat and Computacenter, awarded places across six Lots.

"They'll reduce them from TP2," he said.

"The problem is that this drives quite a lot of non-compliant buying and it ends up costing the public sector more.

"They'll want to buy from a specific supplier and they'll have to place it through someone on the framework, and some top-tier partners will charge between three and seven per cent commission.

"I've seen it a lot and I don't think it's a good thing. In some ways it can help, such as with niche software vendors. CCS may have decided it is something they will just have to put up with."

Farthing also revealed that the OEM-direct Lot present on TP2 has been removed from the latest framework iteration.

This means that any vendors wanting to list directly will have to earn a spot in the same way channel partners do.

"The major change is that the direct Lot has been removed," he said.

"They will have to get themselves on and support their partners getting on as well.

"As far as I am aware the direct Lot was not that busy. Most people are happy to go through resellers."

Suppliers have until 3 June to submit their applications, with those successful set to receive intention to award notices on 12 September.

The framework will last for two years, with the option to extend it by two further one-year periods.