Ministry of Defence Corporate Services Modernisation Phase 3 ERP Implementation Partner/s

The Ministry of Defence (the Authority) is seeking to engage with the market as it develops its requirements and the commercial approach to the delivery of CSM Phase 3 - the Transformation and Implementation (T&I) phase of the Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) Portfolio scheduled to commence in early 2026. Ahead of this, CSM will continue to complete detailed design, capability building and pre-implementation preparedness activity covering Finance, Commercial, Defence HR Services (civilian and military), Enterprise, Architecture and Technology Delivery and its Shared Services Operating Model.

The T&I phase will include (as a minimum) build, test, implement and transition of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution into business as usual; implementation of a new shared service operating model; and associated business change and engagement activity to supplement a client-side resource model. CSM wish to update the market in relation to a number of different aspects of the portfolio, including progress made to date, why the T&I phase is now planned to commence delivery in early 2026 (subject to financial and governance approvals) and on the proposed engagement approach in the development / refinement of its requirements and commercial approach.

A Market Engagement event has been scheduled for Thursday 26th 2025 at 15:00, it is anticipated that the event will be approximately one hour in duration. Nothing in this prior information notice is intended to commit the Authority to any subsequent procurement (including without limitation the T&I phase procurement).

The Authority reserves the right to supplement and adjust the prior engagement process to ensure that it meets The Authority's needs. If the Authority makes changes to the engagement process, it will do so in a transparent manner to ensure that all suppliers who have expressed an interest are treated equally.

The Authority may use information gathered during the engagement process to inform any procurement that does take place. Please note that the Authority and its advisors give no warranty in respect of the accuracy, permanence or completeness of any information provided.

Reliance on, or use of, any such information is entirely at the risk of the person so doing and save in the case of fraud, under no circumstances will the Authority or any of its advisors be liable for or accept any responsibility for any cost, expense or liability incurred by any person relying upon or using such information. Any information disclosed during the engagement process should be treated as confidential and should not be disclosed to any other person without the Authority’s express written consent.

Any information disclosed should only be used by suppliers in consideration of the opportunity to provide services in respect of the T&I phase. Background Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) is a strategic priority for Defence and a key contributor to transforming the way MOD does business.

CSM is multi-year digitally enabled transformation programme. It is focused on delivering improved Defence HR, Finance, Commercial and Shared Services across Defence, in response to the Government Shared Services Strategy (GSSS).

CSM is a key enabler to deliver the Defence Command Paper 2023 and has input into the Strategic Defence Review and Spending Review. Current status of CSM - Phase 1 (Discovery and High-Level Design) Phase 1 CSM portfolio activity is due to complete during May 2025.

This phase of work has been supported by a Phase 1 Delivery Partner who will have completed discovery, finalised the high-level designs for future HR, Finance and commercial services, and concluded some activity to realise available benefits (i.e. quick wins). Current status of CSM - Phase 2 (Detailed Design and Readiness to move into T&I) Phase 2 CSM portfolio activity is due to commence imminently and is will complete within the latter part of the 2025 calendar year.

Activity to be delivered within Phase 2 includes completing the detailed design for all key programmes, implementing the future policies, processes, operating model and technology to provide best in class Defence HR, Finance, Commercial, Enterprise Architecture and Technology Delivery and Shared Services, which meet the needs of MOD’s users. Opportunities to realise benefits will again be exploited wherever practical.

Why has the Transformation and Implementation phase been deferred to early 2026? Formal sign off of the CSM Business Case for T&I phase is currently going through governance which is not due to complete until the latter part of the 2025 calendar year.

The CSM portfolio retains its status as a high priority within the Authority. How will The Authority use the remainder of 2025?

The primary activities will be developing a robust Statement of Requirements and collating the requisite information which will facilitate the bidding process for the T&I phase working closely with the market. Client-side capability will be strengthened to enable the Authority to be able to provide clarity to the market on its state of readiness to engage with and effectively support transformation and implementation.

The Authority recognises the need to have clear outputs to facilitate the T&I phase. This would further put the delivery timelines at risk.

The Authority is mindful of its obligations regarding equal treatment and non-discrimination. As such the Authority is and will continue to put in place measures designed to support a fair playing field for the T&I phase, such measures include the provision of information and artefacts in support of the T&I procurement.

In addition, all ethical walls will continue to be maintained and monitored to ensure that the Authority can continue to demonstrate that it is effectively managing and retaining a fair playing field as it committed to at the start of Phase 1. How will we engage with the market during the period from now until award?

A key activity during this period will be engaging with the market to test, inform and iterate the SoR that will be ultimately shared for the T&I procurement activity. This will be managed by the Authority’s CSM Strategic Commercial Team.

The Authority is seeking to engage with the market to gain its insight as it continues to develop its commercial strategy and requirements for T&I. Informed by the feedback from the previous pre-procurement market engagement in September 2024 and January 2025, the Authority continues to finalise the approach, solution and procurement strategy.

The deadline for registration is 16:00 on Tuesday 24th June 2025. “Please be advised that the contract values and contract duration dates stipulated in this Information Notice are indicative only. The Authority reserves the right to adjust them, as necessary.”