Provision of Interim Enterprise Server Infrastructure (1-3 Year Horizon)

Objectives

• Ensure short- to medium-term continuity of business-critical applications (e.g., QL housing management, SQL databases, Active Directory, File Server, and local backup services).

• Provide a secure and resilient on-premises server environment that supports premises-managed software such as QL, while complementing St Basil's longer-term hybrid/cloud strategy.

• Avoid unnecessary over-investment in hardware that may be redundant once certain systems move fully to the cloud.

• Reduce the risk of service disruption.

• Ensure compliance with UK data protection, cyber security, and social housing regulatory requirements.

Scope of Supply

The supplier will be expected to:

• Propose the most appropriate interim server solution (hardware, configuration, and licensing) that meets St Basils' 1-3 year needs.

• Balance resilience and performance with cost-effectiveness, recognising this is not a permanent, large-scale data centre investment.

• Ensure the solution can reliably host premises-managed applications such as QL housing management and other dependent SQL-based systems.

• Include options for limited resilience (e.g., RAID storage, dual power, or simplified HA if cost-effective).

• Provide all required operating system and database licences.

• Deliver, install, and configure to industry best practice (performance, resilience, and security).

• Provide knowledge transfer and documentation to the St Basils ICT team.

• Offer 3- to 5-year support and maintenance, recognising hardware may be retired earlier.

Reference Systems

The interim server must support and/or integrate with St Basils current applications and core systems.

Key Requirements

Suppliers should explain how their solution will:

• Performance: Run current workloads reliably for 1-3 years.

• Resilience: Provide core redundancy (power, RAID storage) but without over-investment in complex clustering.

• Security: Include TPM 2.0, encryption, secure boot, and baseline hardening (Desirable).

• Networking: Work with current infrastructure (1/10 Gb copper switching).

• Backup/DR: Integrate with Datto/Veeam, support immutable offsite copies (cloud or equivalent).

• Compliance: Support GDPR, Cyber Essentials Plus, and ISO27001/27002 alignment.

• Support: Provide warranty/support cover even if hardware is retired early.

• Sustainability: Be energy efficient and align with St Basil's' Net Zero and sustainability strategy.

Deliverables

• Fully commissioned and documented interim server solution.

• Licensing, warranty, and support agreements.

• Handover to ICT staff with training/knowledge transfer.

• Backup/restore test to evidence capability.

Supplier Response

Suppliers should include:

• Proposed interim solution and rationale (with options, if available).

• How the design balances performance, resilience, and cost for a 1-3 year horizon.

• Implementation plan and timescales.

• Total cost of ownership (hardware, software, licensing, support).

• Warranty/support proposals that allow early retirement.

• Evidence of similar work with housing associations/charities.

• Social value commitments

Implementation & Costing Requirements

The supplier must ensure that their tendered price is fully inclusive of all costs required to deliver a fully operational server environment. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Supply, delivery, and installation of all hardware and components.

• Installation and configuration of all required software, licences, and security features.

• Loading of existing backups/data into the new environment.

• Testing to confirm full restoration of services, including user acceptance testing (UAT) with St Basils ICT team.

• Verification that all core applications and integrations (see Section 4) are operating correctly.

• Provision and configuration of any required network cabling, racks, rails, or accessories.

• All engineer and professional services costs (installation, testing, documentation, knowledge transfer).

• All travel, subsistence, and associated expenses.

No additional or hidden costs will be accepted. The final tendered price must cover a turnkey delivery resulting in a live, resilient, and fully operational environment.