Official UK procurement notice
TfGM Virgin Media for eVPN connectivity 2025-26
Authority: Transport for Greater Manchester (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionIn 2023 TfGM entered into an agreement with the supplier using the RM3808 Network Services framework from CCS. To procure WAN connectivity "eVPN" to support its business critical services. This was for a 2 year period only and this ended in March 2025.
Following the rollout and deployment of GM One across the Greater Manchester region, it was intended for these services to be migrated over to the GM One network, however the delivery of the replacement circuits has been delayed.
In order to maintain the required WAN connectivity, a further 12 month extension for this service is required.
The intention was for TfGM to look to extend the current agreement for this short period but the supplier was not able to do this due to the value. Therefore a new 12 month contract (following no competition) is looking to be used instead. At the end of this 12 month period, the service will be taken up by GM One as was always intended.
This notice provides transparency around the reasons for this single source procurement of Virgin Media Business to continue to provide this service to TfGM for a further 12 month period.
The aggregated value of this new contract and the past spend on the original contract take this over the threshold.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 6 May 2025, 06:47 BST
- Last source update
- 6 May 2025, 06:47 BST
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-018950- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-050cc5Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Additional Repeat Extension Partial Replacement
- Published justification
This notice provides transparency around the reasons for this single source procurement.
The decision to enter into a new contract with Virgin Media Business Limited with respect to providing this service is as follows:
Most sites of this type have migrated over to GM ONE, some residual sites (sites not connected by GM ONE LLFN) require an alternative method of connectivity. This connectivity will be provided by a newly contracted proposal from GMCA known as NON LLFN.
Contracts have been signed to provide the NON LFFN service, but TfGM will not be able to migrate over to it in time for the end of the current contract for eVPN services.
This eventuality, that not all sites would be able to be migrated over to GM ONE at its start, was not and could not be foreseen by TfGM and as a result a new short-term contract with the current provider is required to ensure continuity of this service until the new GM ONE proposal is ready to take on management of these sites.
Migration to a new supplier for the eVPN services in the circumstances would result in disproportionate technical difficulties and disproportionate onboarding and offboarding costs.
Notice history
2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 6 May 2025- Transparency notice published6 May 2025, 06:47 BSTUK5
- Contract signature expected23 May 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Media Business Ltd23 May 2025 – 31 Mar 2026 | £74,995 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- VIRGIN MEDIA BUSINESS LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender