NHS SBS launches £2.5bn Digital Workplace Solutions framework

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched its Digital Workplace Solutions 2 framework agreement worth £2.5bn.

The framework agreement provides a route to NHS and wider public sector organisations to source and procure IT infrastructure solutions from pre-approved suppliers.

It provides buyers with access to solutions such as on-premise network infrastructure, servers/storage, commercial off-the-shelf software licences, bespoke software licensing and end-user devices.

David Holbrook, senior category manager, digital workforce and IT transformation at NHS SBS, said: “Fixing digital foundations starts with refreshing and securing core infrastructure, from data centres to networking equipment.

“That’s central to what this framework agreement enables.”

The framework is intended to support the government’s ambition to overhaul aging legacy infrastructure across the NHS and wider public sector.

It runs from 1 October 2025 until 30 September 2028, with an option to extend for up to 12 months.

The demand for secure, scalable infrastructure is set to rise further with initiatives like NHS Online, the UK’s first virtual hospital, which is expected to launch by 2027.

“As we move into an era dominated by AI and Internet of Things (IoT), legacy systems simply don’t have the processing power or data handling capabilities to support them.

“Unsupported, infrastructure doesn’t just hinder transformation, it introduces significant security risks.

“Our Digital Workplace Solutions framework agreement in itself doesn’t deliver innovative technology.

“However, it gives NHS and wider public sector organisations access to the core products and tools that make innovation happen,” Holbrook added.

NHS SBS published the contract notice for the framework on 19 September 2024 and said that up to 30 of the highest-scoring suppliers would be awarded deals.

The firms confirmed to have a place on the framework, include Softcat Plc, Atos IT Services UK Limited, Dell Corporation Limited, Hewlett Packard Limited, Network Planning Solutions Ltd, Xerox Ltd, and MTI Technology Ltd.

The framework has been expanded by £1bn since August 2023, when NHS SBS began market engagement with suppliers and published a prior information notice which stated that the maximum value would be £1.5bn over four years.

It follows the previous Digital Workplace Solutions framework agreement which began in August 2020 before expiring in August 2025.

In April 2025, NHS SBS launched a framework agreement, in partnership with North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative, worth £1.5bn to upgrade outdated IT systems in the NHS.

The ‘Tech Devices – Link 4’ framework, aimed at streamlining procurement, to enable teams to buy the latest essential end-user hardware and devices from suppliers, runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028, with the option to extend to 31 March 2029.