Law Enforcement Community Network (LECN)

Tender description

This notice advises of Home Office interest in procuring a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) service from G-Cloud 11 (RM1577.11). Additional information: This notice advises of Home Office interest in procuring a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD WAN) service that:• enables a secure overlay for communication passing over the Public Services Network (PSN)• provides capability to use the internet as a bearer• removes capacity limitations of the existing serviceBUSINESS NEEDThe need is secure access to United Kingdom (UK) law enforcement systems' Critical National Infrastructure.Secure access enables the law enforcement community to contribute to UK national security.This contribution is achieved through interoperation and collaboration with UK departments and other organisations.The law enforcement community is autonomous and diverse; this is not a branch office to data centre (or hub and spoke) business model.The procured services will enable phased transition from a legacy / expiring secure access solution to a simpler solution.The new solution will use application-centric configuration policies to provide centrally-orchestrated control of edge devices located at sites.The new solution will also support use of the Internet as a transport bearer, to reduce connectivity costs.SCALE / GEOGRAPHYOver 100 Law Enforcement organisations and over 125 government departments / Arms-Length Bodies are in scope.These organisations operate from about 160 sites within the UK and offshore.TIMINGTransition to the new services should complete in 2021.FINANCEThe Law Enforcement Community Network (LECN) programme is progressing its business case.The business case requests approval to spend a 7-figure (GBP) budget, to cover G-Cloud contracts over four years.EXISTING ARRANGEMENTSExisting services are delivered mainly by Vodafone.ROUTE TO MARKETThe LECN programme will modernise existing services by procuring SD WAN services from G-Cloud 11 (RM1577.11).Each procurement will be based on a fresh review of which G-Cloud service gives the best fit to the law enforcement community requirements.The plan is to execute a sequence of three procurements:1. Service and Supplier AssessmentThe contract will test the suitability of a service and the readiness of its supplier to deliver to the law enforcement community.The contract will involve exploring delivery scenarios face-to-face with the supplier, over a few days' engagement in January 2020.2. AlphaThe contract will develop and test a supplier's configuration of its SD-WAN services with a few law enforcement community members.The contract will provide for a few months' service, commencing April 2020.3. BetaThe contract will extend a supplier's configuration of its SD WAN service to all law enforcement community members and provide live service.The contract is to provide for up to four years' service - subject to approval of contract extensions - commencing July 2020.The initial Home Office commitment cannot exceed two years.GOVERNMENT SECURITY CLEARANCEMinimum Security Clearance (SC)EXCLUSIONSReplacement of the current bearer network.NEXT STEPSThis notice is for information only.There is no need to register or express an interest.There is no bidding; the procurements will rely on G-Cloud catalogue offerings published on the Digital Marketplace.