Regional Data Platform

1.1. This market engagement exercise is being run in accordance with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s (the Authority) Contract Procedure Rules and (if relevant) the Procurement Act 2023.

1.2. The purpose of this exercise is to help the Authority, and the market prepare for a potential procurement in the future. It will be managed in a way that ensures no supplier is given an unfair advantage or distort competition.

1.3. Participation in this market engagement exercise does not infer any rights or advantage in relation to any future procurement process. Potential responders will not be prejudiced in any future procurement processes by either responding or not responding to this soft market test exercise.

1.4. All information provided to and received from suppliers in relation to this market engagement is confidential. However, please be aware that the Authority is subject to the disclosure requirements of the FOI Act and that any information we hold is liable to disclosure under that Act. For this reason, we strongly advise that any information you consider to be confidential is labelled as such. In the event that a request is made for disclosure under FOI, the request will be dealt with in accordance with the legislation.

1.5. This market engagement is being used to:

• develop and refine the Authority’s requirements and approach to the potential procurement;
• understand the range of suppliers, products, services and delivery models available in the market;
• test the feasibility of delivering the proposed scope and an operational minimum viable product by May 2027;
• understand potential technical, service and implementation approaches, including options for migration, integration, administration and ongoing support;
• test potential procurement, contracting, pricing and commercial structures;
• understand likely implementation and whole-life costs, principal cost drivers and opportunities to achieve value for money;
• identify significant technical, commercial, delivery, information-governance and operational risks and dependencies;
• understand how different approaches would support interoperability, data portability, future development and effective exit arrangements; and
• identify innovative or alternative approaches that could deliver the intended outcomes more effectively or economically.
• Developing the Authority’s requirements and approach to the procurement.
• Identifying suppliers that may be able to supply the Authority’s requirement.

1.6. In undertaking this market engagement, the Authority is not obliged to proceed with the procurement to which it relates.

1.7. In compliance with the Procurement Act 2023, this market engagement has been advertised on the government’s Find a Tender service via a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice.

1.8. The Authority reserve the right to utilise agreements from the Public Contract Regulations 2015 where these are deemed as delivering the best outcome for their needs.

Date and Time: 17 November 2026 16:00-16:50