Home / Opportunities / Opportunity
PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

DBS Security Operations Centre (SOC) Service

DBS · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 07:21.

Opportunity overview

DBS is progressing a major transformation of its legacy IT estate, moving to modern, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)–based applications. As part of this transformation, DBS intends to procure a modern, CREST accredited Security Operations Centre (SOC) Service to protect and monitor its next-generation estate. The SOC will be implemented on the next generation estate only, there is no requirement for SOC services on the legacy estate which is mainly greenfield and as such there is no history of security logs, events or incidents for the applications in scope. It will include multiple SaaS-based services, a data integration platform, connection to third-party services (which may provide log feeds), and potentially other IaaS/PaaS cloud based services, for which the service shall be capable of onboarding and monitoring. Multiple third parties work with the Buyer to deliver technology and business services and have access to the Buyer's information and systems. End point, network and other supporting services (email and productivity tools for example) are provided to the Buyer and monitored by the Home Office and as such are out of scope of the SOC Service; DBS holds information that is highly sensitive and must not be subject to compromise. It depends on real-time, accurate transactions, any compromise to the integrity of such data could lead to significant losses; DBS collects, stores and manages Personal Data (including sensitive Personal Data); and DBS services provide evidence to legal bodies that require full audit and visibility of data creation, manipulation and access as part of legislative and regulatory requirements. DBS require a supplier to design, build and maintain the SOC that is compliant with / aligned to the NCSC guide on building a SOC encompassing: the operating model; onboarding; detection; threat intelligence; and Security Incident response and management. The SOC must be available and operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (at all times). More information about DBS and its operations can be found at: Disclosure and Barring Service - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Classification

  • CPV48200000 — Networking, Internet and intranet software package
  • CPV72000000 — IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
  • CPV72212730 — Security software development services
  • CPV72222300 — Information technology services
  • CPV72260000 — Software-related services
  • CPV72500000 — Computer-related services
  • CPV79710000 — Security services

Lots

  • Lot 1£9.4m

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
C26340
Status
active
Above Threshold
Yes
Procurement Method
open
Main Procurement Category
services
How to submit
The procurement will be conducted electronically via the eSourcing Portal (Jaggaer). All communication and document exchange for this procurement will take place through this portal. Registration: To participate, suppliers must first be registered on the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal. Registration can be completed online at https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com by selecting ‘To register click here’. Suppliers must have a valid DUNS number (issued by Dun & Bradstreet) for the organisation that would enter into contract with DBS. Access to procurement documents: To obtain access to the procurement documentation, suppliers must first request access to the Conflict of Interest (CoI), Ethical Wall Agreement (EWA) and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) documents by emailing DBSTenders@dbs.gov.uk. Your email must clearly state the exact organisation name used when registering on the Jaggaer portal. Once your organisation has been validated, the DBS Procurement Team will enable access to the procurement event within Jaggaer. Pre-qualification requirement: Completion and submission of the CoI, EWA and NDA documentation is a mandatory precondition for access to the PSQ and ITT. DBS will review submitted documents and confirm eligibility. Please see the “Competitive Flexible Procedure Description” section for further details. Support: For any technical issues with the eSourcing Portal, please contact the Jaggaer Supplier Helpdesk: customersupport@jaggaer.com, 0800 069 8630 (08:00 – 18:00, Monday to Friday) Government Central Digital Platform: All bidders must be registered on the Government’s Central Digital Platform for Supplier Registration before their tender can be accepted by DBS, available at https://supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/. Registration is mandatory under the Procurement Act 2023.
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure

Procedure

Features
The procurement will follow a Competitive Flexible Procedure. This will be a single stage procurement where Bidders are asked to submit a response to the PSQ and ITT on the same date. Only bidders that pass the PSQ will have their tender response evaluated. No additional steps will be used. Following publication of this Tender Notice, bidders will be required to complete a Conflict of Interest (CoI) declaration, an Ethical Wall Agreement (EWA) and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before receiving access to the Invitation to Tender (ITT). Completion of these will be a gateway requirement for access to the ITT, and bidders must submit their completed documents within the timescales set out in this Tender Notice. Following confirmation of compliance, the ITT will be released simultaneously to all eligible bidders in early December 2025. Indicative procurement timeline (which is subject to change at DBS's discretion): • Tender Notice publication: 11/11/2025 • Access provided to CoI / EWA / NDA documents: 11/11/2025 • Deadline for submission of CoI / EWA / NDA documents: 21/11/2025 at 1700 • PSQ and ITT issued to all eligible bidders (see below): early December 2025 • Clarification question period deadline: late January 2026 • Final clarification question log issued: late January 2026 • PSQ and ITT submission deadline: early February 2026 Eligible bidders are bidders who have received confirmation from DBS that their submitted CoI / EWA / NDA documents have been counter-signed. Please allow approximately four (4) working days for DBS to process your submission and confirm eligibility. DBS may consider allowing late submission of CoI / EWA / NDA documents, however in no circumstances can bidders submit this documentation after 05/01/2026 at 1700. Bidders who are late to submit their CoI / EWA / NDA documents will be required to submit their PSQ and ITT responses on the same date as bidders who submit their CoI / EWA / NDA documents on time. The PSQ will be assessed on a pass/fail basis covering legal, financial and technical requirements. Case studies demonstrating relevant SOC delivery experience will also be assessed on a pass/fail basis within the PSQ. Tenders from bidders that pass all PSQ criteria will then be evaluated. Bidders who fail the PSQ will be excluded and will not have their tenders evaluated. A clarification process will operate during the PSQ and ITT period to enable bidders to seek clarification from DBS. There will be no dialogue, validation, or negotiation stages included in the process. Due diligence will be undertaken by DBS prior to Contract Award to provide assurance that there are no material risks that could prevent contract signature i.e. if a Supplier bidding for the contract no longer meets the minimum standards required, and their Tender is rejected as a result, DBS reserves the right to award the Contract to the next highest scoring Supplier. Please note DBS reserves the right at any stage of the procurement to abandon the competition and not award a contract. DBS also reserves the right to make minor amendments to the procurement documentation (for example, to clarify or refine requirements), provided such changes are not substantial and do not distort competition. If amendments are made, DBS will consider whether any corresponding tender deadlines require revision and will issue updated documentation or notices where appropriate.

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Expected award period

Ends
27 May 2026, 23:59

Tender Period

Ends
4 Feb 2026, 17:00

Communication

Future Notice Date
15 Sept 2025, 23:59

Submission terms

Electronic Submission Policy
allowed

Languages

en

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
active
Has Renewal
Yes

Value

Amount
9,400,000
Currency
GBP
Including VAT
11,200,000

Renewal

Description
The contract will have an initial term of three (3) years, with the option to extend for two (2) additional periods of twelve (12) months each . Any decision to apply an extension will be made in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract and applicable procurement legislation.

Suitability

Sme
Yes

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Name
Technical
Type
quality

Numbers

Entry 1
Number
60
Weight
percentageExact
Criterion 2
Name
Price
Type
price

Numbers

Entry 1
Number
30
Weight
percentageExact
Criterion 3
Name
Social Value
Type
quality

Numbers

Entry 1
Number
10
Weight
percentageExact

Contract period

Ends
5 Jul 2029, 23:59
Starts
6 Jul 2026, 00:00
Max Extent Date
5 Jul 2031, 23:59

Selection criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Type
economic
Description
Details can be found in the PSQ
Criterion 2
Type
technical
Description
Details can be found in the PSQ

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 2
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
72000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
Entry 2
Id
72222300
Scheme
CPV
Description
Information technology services
Entry 3
Id
72212730
Scheme
CPV
Description
Security software development services
Entry 4
Id
72500000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Computer-related services
Entry 5
Id
48200000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Networking, Internet and intranet software package
Entry 6
Id
72260000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Software-related services
Entry 7
Id
79710000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Security services

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
conflictOfInterest
Description
Not published
Document Type
conflictOfInterest
Entry 2
Id
future
Document Type
biddingDocuments
Access Details
- Conflicts of Interest, Ethical Wall Agreement, and Non-Disclosure Agreement - Conditions of Participation - Invitation to Tender Documents
Entry 3
Id
072909-2025
Format
text/html
Notice Type
UK4
Description
Tender notice on Find a Tender
Document Type
tenderNotice
Published
11 Nov 2025, 15:41

Planning and budget

Documents

Entry 1
Id
047712-2025
Format
text/html
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Published
11 Aug 2025, 15:28

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Status
scheduled
Due
26 Aug 2025, 23:59
Description
Suppliers wishing to participate in this online market engagement should register by emailing DBSTenders@dbs.gov.uk with confirmation they are registered on Home Office Jaggaer. Suppliers who are not yet registered can do so here: https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html The market engagement event will be open for participation from 11th August 2025 until 26th August 2025 and will be conducted via Jaggaer. Please ensure you register in good time to enable your participation.

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-PPON-PJXX-6763-PBZL
Name
DBS

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKD72
Country
GB
Locality
Merseyside
Postal Code
L3 1QY
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
10 Princes Parade, Liverpool

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Description
Public authority - sub-central government

Identifier

Id
PJXX-6763-PBZL
Scheme
GB-PPON

Contact

Name
Lesley Draper

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Merseyside · UKD72 · L3 1QY · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UK · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-058556-2025-11-11T15:41:31ZPreliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·