Councils' shared services venture LGSS on the lookout for ERP solution

LGSS on the hunt for product based on existing Oracle and Agresso software or an alternative new solution

LGSS, the shared services venture owned by Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire county councils, has issued a tender for the provision of an ERP solution.

The notice, found on the Official Journal of the European Union, states that the solution can be used by current and future LGSS partners, and that it would need to be accessible across Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and the surrounding region from a central data centre based in Northampton or Cambridge.

"We are looking for a flexible licensing approach that matches the needs of LGSS as a growing shared service who are planning to offer ERP solutions across a range of public sector customers," LGSS said.

The contract, which is not covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), is to last for a minimum of five years.

LGSS said that the value was difficult to predict for the contract, as its customer base is likely to vary with new partners joining over the contract term. However, it estimates that the total number of employees that would use the product would be no less than 1,400 and no more than 20,000. It said it was seeking a flexible licensing framework that will yield an increasing discount by volume of users.

The solution is targeted at small to medium sized public sector organisations such as district and borough councils, in addition to other public sector bodies who may become customers of LGSS. It could also be used by larger organisations if the functionality provided is suitable, LGSS said.

LGSS currently operates two ERP solutions for partners and customers: Oracle and Agresso. The shared services venture is open to considering a framework that is based on one of these solutions or an alternative new solution.

All potential providers are to provide at least two reference sites for LGSS to visit, as part of their applications.

LGSS claims to be one of the UK's largest shared services ventures, and was established in October 2010.