What to expect from Technology Services 3

This week, CCS held another market engagement session for Technology Services 3 - with both Buyers and Suppliers in the room.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) used the session to ask for feedback on the current Tech Services 2 framework – most importantly, what works and what doesn’t work – and looking for ways to improve the process for all parties in their design of the upcoming Technology Services 3 framework (TS3). As well as the associated Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) that will be released with it.

If you want to brush up on the difference between a framework and a DPS, check out this useful blog.

What can we expect from Technology Services 3?

The TS3 OJEU is expected on 20th October 2020, when Suppliers will be asked to submit their tender within 35 days of it opening. Suppliers will be hoping to gain access to this lucrative market for the next 4 years, when TS3 closes.

There are 146 Suppliers currently on TS2, the current iteration of the framework. 63% of which are SMEs!

Has Technology Services 2 been a success?

Definitely! £250m has been spent through the TS2 framework since 2017, and we heard during the session that there have been 10 contracts awarded using Direct Award alone (via Lot 3 Operational Services). This totals a value of just under £5m!

Direct Award has proven a success. So much so that CCS are rolling it out to Lot 1 (Technology Strategy and Service Design) and Lot 2 (Transition and Transformation), in February. And it looks like this will be staying for TS3 when it goes live.

What will TS3 look like?

It’s currently unconfirmed what the Lot structure will look like for TS3, and if Direct Award will be available on all or some of the Lots as mentioned above, once it goes live in 2021.

At the engagement day, Suppliers and Buyers were provided with CCS’ current thinking and plans – which involve merging Lot 1 and 2, whilst keeping Lot 3 the same. They also intend on changing the name of Lot 4 from “Programmes and Large Projects” to “Major Service Transformation Programmes.”

Those that attended the session also saw a list of potential in-scope services for Technology Services 3, which ranged significantly from Culture Change, Risk Management and Cyber Security; to AI, RPA and IT Lifecycle Services; and even Desktop as a Service, DevOps and Mobile Device Management (and not forgetting the ominously named “Everything as a Service”). And, that’s just naming a few!

In short, CCS are keen to build and improve on the current iteration and, as it won’t open for applications until this summer, Suppliers still have the chance to shape what this framework looks like and includes.

The scope looks like it’ll remain broad, to provide public sector Buyers with a wide range of Technology Services, but Lots will most likely remain capped. So if you’re a Supplier and want to be in a position to sell your tech services 2021-2025; Technology Services 3 is a great potential route to market that you should start looking into now!