West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS FT Awards £374,444 F5 Network Contract to Softcat PLC
Summary
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust has awarded a contract for F5 Network equipment and services to Softcat PLC, valued at £374,444 excluding VAT. The procurement was justified without prior publication of a call for competition on the grounds that time was of the essence as a capital end-of-year purchase. The contract was awarded on 4 February 2026 following receipt of three tenders, all from SMEs and all submitted electronically. The contract is not covered by the Government Procurement Agreement.
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What changed
West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has formally recorded the award of its F5 Network contract to Softcat PLC at a value of £374,444 excluding VAT. The procurement was justified under the limited justification route due to urgency as a capital purchase at year-end. Softcat PLC, confirmed as an SME, was selected from three electronic tender submissions received by the trust.
NHS procurement teams and IT suppliers should note that the accelerated procurement pathway remains available for time-critical capital expenditure, though any deviation from standard competitive procedures requires clear justification under public procurement regulations.
Archived snapshot
Apr 28, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Contract
F5 Network
- West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS FT F03: Contract award notice
Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-038257
Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-068c1d
Published 27 April 2026, 7:41pm
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West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS FT
Trust HQ, Millennium Point, Waterfront Way,
Brierley Hill
DY51LX
Contact
Laura Johnson
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKG36 - Dudley
NHS Organisation Data Service
RYA
Internet address(es)
Main address
Regional or local authority
Health
F5 Network
Reference number
0795-25-W
Networks
Supplies
F5 networks
This contract is divided into lots: No
Value excluding VAT: £374,444
NUTS codes
- UKC - North East (England)
- UKD - North West (England)
- UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
- UKF - East Midlands (England)
- UKG - West Midlands (England)
- UKH - East of England
- UKI - London
- UKJ - South East (England)
- UKK - South West (England)
F5 Network provision
Price
Options: No
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations Explanation:
Time is of the essence capital end of year purchase
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
4 February 2026
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 3
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
Softcat PLC
Bucks
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Companies House
02174990
The contractor is an SME
Yes
Total value of the contract/lot: £374,444
Market test conducted
West Midlands Ambulance Service
West Midlands
Country
United Kingdom
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