Official UK procurement notice
Provision of HR and Payroll Software
Authority: The Harbour Schools Partnership (Education)·On behalf of: PHP LAW LLP
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis tender opportunity was issued by The Harbour Schools Partnership and Suppliers were invited to tender for the provision of a HR and Payroll Sofware. Full details of all contract requirements were given in Document 2.
Specification of Requirement. The Trust was seeking an integrated HR and Payroll software solution that will manage all aspects of payroll, provide a centralised, efficient and compliant HR system, pension (TPS/LGPS) returns, reporting and meet all end of year
(EOY) requirements. The Supplier will provide a flexible service, with a full breadth of support, staffed with suitably experienced personnel and have adequate resource in place to fulfil service requirements.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Sept 2033, 23:59 BST.
- No preliminary market engagement: The Trust initially considered procuring the new HR & Payroll Contract through the G‑Cloud Framework due to the requirement for a new system to be operational by 1 July 2026. During preparation for a potential Framework‑based tender, the Trust engaged with several suppliers to understand available solutions and implementation timescales. However, it was subsequently determined that the Framework route would not fully meet the Trust’s requirements. As a result, the Trust elected to restart the process and conduct this Procurement using the Open Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. In line with the Act and as stated within the Tender Notice, formal Pre‑Market Engagement was not undertaken for this tender. Nevertheless, the Trust has ensured that insights and information gathered during earlier supplier engagement activities have been incorporated into the Specification of Requirements to support the development of a comprehensive and accurate tender pack.
CPV: Educational software package · Personnel and payroll services · Time accounting or human resources software package
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£750,000
- Economic & financial standing
A financial appraisal will be based upon a credit check Insurance a. Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = £5m b. Public Liability Insurance = £10m c.Professional Indemnity = £1m d. Cyber Insurance = £1m
- Technical & professional ability
Provide upto 3 relevant previous contract examples. To constitute a pass, the contract examples provided shall be relevant to the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. The contracts must be within the education sector and similar complexity. Tenderers confirm they have or be committed to have in place at point of contract signature: 1) Be supported by ISO27001 or Cyber Essentials (or equivalent) accreditation. 2) Accredited with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP),Payroll Assurance Scheme or equivalent.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (20)
- Payroll calculations, variances and controls: 3%
- LGPS & TPS requirements: 3%
- Integrated HR – Payroll function: 2%
- Integrated with Trust Systems: 2%
- Trust Wide workflows and approvals: 1.5%
- Workflow automation and notifications: 1.5%
- Standard and custom reporting: 1.5%
- Trust reporting and dashboards: 1.5%
- Implementation Methodology: 3%
- Data migration and parallel runs: 1.5%
- User support and training: 1.5%
- Account Management: 3%
- Helpdesk and technical support: 1%
- Additional Services / Future Developments: 1%
- Client Satisfaction: 1%
- Quality Assurance - KPIs: 1%
- Evidence of Value-add Proposition: 1%
- Technical: 30%
- Table B Fully Annual Inclusive Service Cost: 30%
- Table A Implementation Cost: 10%
Published award criteria (20)
- Payroll calculations, variances and controls
- LGPS & TPS requirements
- Integrated HR – Payroll function
- Integrated with Trust Systems
- Trust Wide workflows and approvals
- Workflow automation and notifications
- Standard and custom reporting
- Trust reporting and dashboards
- Implementation Methodology
- Data migration and parallel runs
- User support and training
- Account Management
- Helpdesk and technical support
- Additional Services / Future Developments
- Client Satisfaction
- Quality Assurance - KPIs
- Evidence of Value-add Proposition
- Technical
- Table B Fully Annual Inclusive Service Cost
- Table A Implementation Cost
- Economic & financial standing
A financial appraisal will be based upon a credit check Insurance a. Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = £5m b. Public Liability Insurance = £10m c.Professional Indemnity = £1m d. Cyber Insurance = £1m
- Technical & professional ability
Provide upto 3 relevant previous contract examples. To constitute a pass, the contract examples provided shall be relevant to the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. The contracts must be within the education sector and similar complexity. Tenderers confirm they have or be committed to have in place at point of contract signature: 1) Be supported by ISO27001 or Cyber Essentials (or equivalent) accreditation. 2) Accredited with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP),Payroll Assurance Scheme or equivalent.
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 Sept 2033
- First published
- 28 Jan 2026, 12:22 GMT
- Last source update
- 1 May 2026, 10:06 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 9 Apr 2026
- Authority reference
VMAT01.41- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-007560- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0610d2Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
The Supplier shall submit invoices and associated documentation by email and in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the contract. Invoicing will be annual. Costs of providing new schools to the Trust will be based upon Table C of the pricing document. The Trust requires the following payment profile: a. Table A Implementation Costs i. 25% invoiced upon Contract Signature ii. 25% invoiced upon completion of the build iii. 25% following completion of testing iv. 25% following go live plus 1 month b. Table B All Inclusive Cost i. Annual invoice received the end of the month after Go Live. ii. The invoice will be in line with quote provided within Table B. c. Additional Costs i. Charged as costs are incurred throughout the life of the contract. d. Optional Add-Ons i. Additional Functionality Annual Cost – Charged annually in advance. e. All pricing is fixed for the contract duration including extensions, subject to CPI inflation which can be applied each year on the anniversary of Contract Commencement.
- Risks
Data Security & Confidentiality Outsourcing introduces vulnerabilities in handling sensitive employee data (payroll, medical records). Breaches or mismanagement of data by the provider could expose the Trust to GDPR liabilities. Operational Risks Poor integration between HR and payroll systems can cause duplication, errors, and delays in pay runs. Lack of robust validation controls may lead to inaccurate data entry and compliance failures. Vendor Performance Risks Service gaps or delays in resolving critical payroll issues can disrupt staff payments and erode trust. Limited oversight and dependency on the provider for system updates and maintenance. Integration Failures Poor HR–Payroll integration leads to manual work, errors, and compliance penalties. Education-Specific Compliance Challenges PAYE and HMRC real-time reporting. Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) compliance. Auto-enrolment and minimum wage adherence for term-time staff.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 6 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 6 Mar 2026
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
28 Jan 2026 → 1 May 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published272 days ago28 Jan 2026, 12:22 GMT
- Clarification questions by236 days ago6 Mar 2026
- Submission deadline235 days ago6 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent216 days ago26 Mar 2026
- Standstill ends202 days ago8 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
- Award decision expected by201 days ago9 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts201 days ago10 Apr 2026
- Latest notice published179 days ago1 May 2026, 10:06 BST
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 28 Jan 2026- Tender notice published28 Jan 2026, 12:22 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published26 Mar 2026, 17:56 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete26 Mar 2026, 17:56 GMT
- Buyer details updated26 Mar 2026, 17:56 GMT
- Contract signature expected10 Apr 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published1 May 2026, 10:06 BSTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zellis UK LtdProvision of HR & Payroll Software10 Apr 2026 – 9 Apr 2030 · up to 9 Apr 2034Extensions: Option of 1 two year extension and a further 2 one years extensions (4+2+1+1) · Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. To include: -additional optional HR and/or Payroll Modules and Additional Services. -ability to include additional schools to the payroll and HR system should additional schools join the Trust | £750,000 | 25 Mar 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Provision of HR and Payroll Software · Zellis UK Ltd
- Signed
- 23 Apr 2026
- Value
- £750,000
- Period
- 23 Apr 2026 – 22 Apr 2030 · up to 21 Apr 2034 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- Option of 1 two year extension and a further 2 one years extensions (4+2+1+1)
- Options
- The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. To include: -additional optional HR and/or Payroll Modules and Additional Services. -ability to include additional schools to the payroll and HR system should additional schools join the Trust
4 agreed KPIs: Service Availability Uptime · Audit trail completeness · Timeliness First Response Time support queries …
- Service Availability Uptime, Between the hours of 8am and 11pm 99%
- Audit trail completeness, 100%
- Timeliness First Response Time support queries, P1 15minutes P2 1 hour, P3 4 hours, P4 1 business days (90% within target)
- Timeliness Time to resolution support queries, P1 4 hours, P2 1 business day, P3 3 business days, P4 5 business days (85% within target)
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders · 4 at stage one | 2 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- PHP LAW LLPProcess contact pointProcuring entityProcurement Consultant
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- ZELLIS UK LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender