The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is embarking on a significant initiative to overhaul its hosting and storage infrastructure.
In a move aimed at ensuring the high availability, scalability, and security of its data and applications, the department has signaled its intent to procure a contract valued at over £150 million.
This upcoming procurement, dubbed the Future Hosting and Storage Services (FHAS) deal, reflects Defra's commitment to modernizing its ICT infrastructure to meet the evolving demands of its operations.
Strategic shift in ICT infrastructure
Defra’s plans to upgrade its hosting and storage capabilities come at a critical time for the department, whose operations are increasingly data-driven, and the need for reliable, scalable, and secure infrastructure has never been more pressing. The proposed FHAS deal amounts to £128.1m and this figure stretches to £153.7m when VAT is included.
The primary objectives of the FHAS procurement is to ensure that Defra’s data and applications are always available, can scale efficiently with growing demands, and are protected against a wide range of security threats.
The FHAS deal is expected to cover a wide array of services essential to the department’s ICT operations. These include infrastructure services, platform services, datacentre facilities management, and server management for distributed communications rooms. Additionally, the agreement will encompass general services like service cataloging and foundation services, as well as cloud engineering services.
By incorporating such a broad scope of services into a single procurement, Defra is likely seeking to streamline its operations and enhance the efficiency of its ICT infrastructure. This approach will allow the department to manage its hosting and storage needs more cohesively, ensuring that all aspects of its infrastructure are aligned with its strategic objectives.
In a recently published market engagement notice, Defra outlined its intention to collaborate closely with potential suppliers throughout the procurement process. This engagement is not merely a call for competition but an opportunity for suppliers to contribute to the design and scope of the services that will be procured.
During Defra's Industry Day on September 6, Defra outlined its future plans and provided insights into the requirements and expectations for the FHAS deal. Following the Industry Day, Defra issued a Request for Information (RFI) and a market engagement questionnaire to gather further feedback from the market.
The RFI and market engagement questionnaire are crucial components of Defra’s strategy to refine its procurement approach. By soliciting feedback from suppliers on the scope, requirements, and commercial model of the FHAS deal, Defra aims to ensure that the final tender is well-aligned with the needs of both the department and its potential partners.
It is important to note the FHAS procurement will focus solely on hosting and storage-related services. While application transformation and migration services are essential to Defra’s broader digital strategy, these services are being handled through separate ongoing programs. The FHAS supplier will support the hosting-related elements of these activities and may contribute to the application review process, but the primary focus will remain on the core hosting and storage services.
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