Corporate IT Support Service to NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board

Gloucestershire ICB and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) ICB are merging to form a single integrated body in April 2027. Both organisations currently rely on external providers for the delivery of their IT services. A new, unified service model is required; one that supports the merged organisation from day one, is commercially sustainable, and is capable of evolving as the ICS matures.
Six principles shape the design of the future service:
1. Cloud-first and 'secure by design'. All new and renewed services will be cloud-based wherever possible. On-premises infrastructure will be exited as part of transition. This is both a strategic choice and a compliance requirement under the Government Cloud First Policy and Technology Code of Practice.
2. Outcome-focused. The service is defined by what it must deliver, not how it must be delivered. The supplier is expected to bring expertise, innovation and accountability for outcomes, not simply execute a prescriptive technical specification.
3. Single point of accountability. The preferred model is a single managed service provider with end-to-end accountability for operational delivery. This avoids the fragmentation and unclear ownership that characterises the current multi-supplier landscape and reduces the management overhead on the ICB digital team.
4. Lean governance. The ICB digital team will provide strategic oversight, roadmap ownership and supplier governance. It will not carry operational delivery responsibilities. This reflects the lean, strategically focused character of the merged organisation and the direction set by the Model ICB Blueprint.
5. Interoperable by design. The service must integrate cleanly with nationally contracted NHS platforms, in particular NHS.net Connect, the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) and NHS Secure Boundary Service, as well as local platforms, such as the Gloucestershire ICS WAN and into UHBW and Crown Datacentres in Corsham. Service interfaces with...