(NU/1866) Network Infrastructure Refresh Project

Newcastle University’s IT Network is the enabler for all the IT Services which underpin Newcastle’s critical business functions, teaching, and research. The existing network infrastructure has been in place for nine years and has reached the end of its supportable life. This, coupled with the incumbent supplier Huawei pulling out of the UK market and the University’s need to improve its cyber security posture, has led to the need to replace all wired and wireless networking infrastructure across campus, satellite sites, NUMed (Malaysia) and NewRIIS (Singapore). The University increasingly depends on its network infrastructure for business-critical activities driven by increasing numbers of digital services and data growth generated through teaching, learning and research activities. The University demands a modern, fit for purpose network with up-to-date security controls in line with industry best practice and leveraging cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) to meet the University’s existing needs while providing agility to meet the future demand, capacity, and innovation to underpin the needs of the “Campus of the Future.” The upgrading of the University’s IT network is an essential step to manage Newcastle University’s cyber security risk. As well as replacing the network infrastructure (‘hardware’) the University needs to replace the underpinning network services (‘software’) to provide deeper integration into the network management tools, enabling monitoring, visibility, automation, enhancements to service reliability and cyber security. The replacement network will support the University’s digital aspirations and strategies, be easier to upgrade in the future and therefore provide a lower incremental upgrade cost and, consequently, mitigate the peril of having to replace the network in a ‘big bang’ project like this again. The University is using the Competitive Procedure with Negotiation to appoint a single partner/integrator. The successful supplier will need to provide a solution to deliver the following high level business case requirements:

• Re-design and transformation of the Newcastle University network
• Hardware replacement, core network, campus and switch estate
• Wi Fi modernisation, replacement and transformation of existing solution
• Cyber security re design and resilient future proofed solution
• New network tools maximising and automating standard processes
• Support and maintenance

The University invites interested candidates to participate in an initial prequalification stage, from which a maximum of five will be selected to participate in a tender process. This can be accessed here:

https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=9ee90145-16e5-ed11-8121-005056b64545