Hands on Technology SR2911423500
H M REVENUE & CUSTOMSEstimated Value
£1,800,000 – £2,500,000
Deadline
24 April 2026
Published
12 June 2026
Type
services
Overview
HMRC is running a major procurement for an enterprise CRM Solution. To support informed decision making, business readiness and reduce delivery risk, HMRC will run a short, neutral Hands on Tech ( HoT) accelerator using externally hosted, vendor agnostic sandboxes. HMRC will execute HMRC-owned scenario packs (Standardised scripts, seed data approach and non functional probes) to observe behaviours such as data models, workflow/case handling, reporting /MI and integration options in a controlled way
AI Analysis
Powered by AI — always verify against official documents
HMRC is running a testing programme called 'Hands on Technology' to evaluate enterprise CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions before making a major purchase decision. They will use neutral, vendor-independent testing environments to observe how different CRM systems handle HMRC's specific workflows, data management, reporting, and integration needs.
Requirements
- Vendor-agnostic sandbox environments that are externally hosted
- Ability to execute standardised test scripts provided by HMRC
- Support for HMRC-owned scenario packs and seed data
- Capability to run non-functional performance probes
- Systems must demonstrate data modelling capabilities
- Systems must demonstrate workflow and case handling functionality
- Systems must demonstrate reporting and Management Information (MI) capabilities
- Systems must demonstrate integration options with existing systems
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Provide externally hosted sandbox environment for CRM testing
- Enable HMRC to run standardised test scripts in the sandbox
- Execute HMRC's scenario packs against the CRM solution
- Load and manage seed data in the test environment
- Run non-functional probes to test performance and behaviour
- Observe and demonstrate data model performance
- Demonstrate workflow and case handling in realistic scenarios
- Demonstrate reporting and MI (Management Information) functionality
- Showcase integration capabilities with other systems
How to Read This Tender
- 1This is a testing/evaluation contract, not the full CRM implementation — understand that HMRC is still deciding which vendor to use, so winning this phase doesn't guarantee the main contract
- 2'Hands on Technology' (HoT) is HMRC's accelerator programme — look for the full HoT framework documentation to understand their testing methodology and timescales
- 3Vendor-agnostic means HMRC wants neutral evaluation — don't assume they've pre-selected any particular CRM platform; your sandbox must work fairly for all vendors
- 4'Scenario packs' and 'seed data' are HMRC's test cases — you'll need to load and run their scripts, so clarify the format and complexity in the detailed procurement documents
- 5Non-functional probes means HMRC will test performance, security, and reliability, not just whether features work — ensure your sandbox can handle stress testing
Tips for Small Businesses
- This contract may suit infrastructure or hosting specialists (AWS, Azure, or on-premise sandbox providers) as much as CRM vendors — consider whether your sandbox hosting capability matches HMRC's technical security requirements
- Check if HMRC will accept consortium bids — you could partner with a CRM vendor who provides the software while you provide the sandbox hosting and testing infrastructure
- Look for the 'social value' weighting in the tender criteria — HMRC often scores social value (jobs, apprenticeships, SME support) alongside price, so highlight any local employment or small business supply chain benefits
Award Details
Tata Consultancy Services
£2,500,000
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H M REVENUE & CUSTOMSKey Dates
Published
12 June 2026
Submission deadline
24 April 2026
Renewal expected40% confident
March 2028
Predicted using median duration of UK contracts in the same CPV division (23 months from contract start date → renewal expected by Mar 2028).
Notice type
Contract
Source
contracts finder
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