Microsoft Certified Engineering Support Services

The Contracting Authority seeks Microsoft Certified Engineering Support services to maintain and support its critical Microsoft enterprise environment. The scope includes advanced technical support, product escalation, and engineering-level assurance for Microsoft 365, Azure, identity, and security services that are essential to operational delivery and integrated across business functions. This is a direct award under Section 42 of the Procurement Act 2023 (Schedule 5) because Microsoft is the sole supplier capable of providing direct access to product engineering teams and source-level diagnostics. Third-party providers cannot deliver equivalent capability as they depend on Microsoft for escalation pathways. The Contracting Authority has completed a proportionate assessment of alternatives and commercial benchmarking to confirm value for money.