The Bank of England is considering its future approach to procuring technology products and associated services following the expiry of its current technology Value Added Reseller (VAR) framework. At this stage, the Bank has not made a final decision on the structure of any future procurement and is undertaking preliminary market engagement to help inform its thinking, procurement strategy and framework design. Whilst one option is a like-for-like replacement of the existing arrangement, the Bank's initial view is that the future model may comprise multiple frameworks rather than a single framework. In particular, the Bank is considering a dedicated framework focussed on Cyber & Emerging Technology, alongside one or more additional frameworks covering other areas of technology spend. The categories currently being considered are: Cyber & Emerging Technology Software & Platforms Hardware, End User Computing (EUC) & Connectivity Enterprise Applications, Cloud Hosting & Infrastructure The purpose of this engagement is to obtain market feedback on areas including: Framework structure and lotting strategy The advantages and disadvantages of single versus multiple framework arrangements Supplier capability and capacity across the proposed categories Commercial and pricing models Routes to market for emerging technologies Innovation and market developments Supplier onboarding, framework governance and competition models The Bank welcomes input from suppliers operating in one or more of the proposed categories and intends to use the feedback received to inform its future procurement strategy, framework design and any subsequent procurement activity. This Preliminary Market Engagement exercise does not constitute a call for competition and will not result in the award of any contract. The Bank reserves the right to amend the scope, structure, lotting approach and procurement strategy of any future procurement following completion of the engagement process.

Procurement Act 2023

The Bank of England is undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement to inform its future approach to procuring technology products and associated services. The Bank has not decided whether these requirements will be delivered through a single replacement framework or multiple separate frameworks. Its initial view is that a dedicated framework may be established for Cyber & Emerging Technology, alongside one or more frameworks covering: Software & Platforms Hardware, End User Computing (EUC) & Connectivity Enterprise Applications, Cloud Hosting & Infrastructure The Bank is seeking supplier feedback on the proposed scope and structure of these arrangements, including framework and lotting design, commercial and pricing models, market capability and capacity, emerging technologies, supplier participation and framework governance. Feedback received will be used to inform the Bank’s procurement strategy and framework plans. Suppliers wishing to participate should register their interest and complete the Preliminary Market Engagement questionnaire through the Bank’s Supplier Portal under project reference TEN1000019. For further information about registering on the Supplier Portal, please refer to the Bank of England's guidance: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/contact/supplying-goods-and-services/how-to-become-a-supplier. The guidance explains the registration process, supplier statuses, and how to participate in sourcing events. The Bank intends to hold an online supplier engagement webinar at 15:00 on 30 September 2026. Registration for the webinar closes at 17:00 on 29 September 2026. The details for the webinar will be provided through the e-tendering portal. Clarification questions and completed responses must be submitted through the portal by 13:00 on 7 October 2026. Completed responses must be submitted through the portal by 13:00 on 13 October 2026. This engagement does not constitute a call for competition or form part of a formal procurement process. It will not result in the award of a contract. Participation or non-participation will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any subsequent procurement process. Participation in this Preliminary Market Engagement is limited to organisations that are active in the relevant market. The Bank reserves the right to determine eligibility for participation and to refuse or withdraw participation at its discretion where it considers this necessary to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the engagement. Participation will not confer any advantage in any subsequent procurement process.