MHR and Softcat join forces to take the pain out of procurement for public sector organisations

29 March 2022, Nottingham – MHR International, the HR, payroll and finance expert, has announced the formation of a partnership with leading technology solutions supplier, Softcat, to address and streamline the complexities of procurement for MHR’s public sector customers.  

The Softcat MHR Framework incorporates essential MHR standard terms and conditions into the framework call-off in a compliant manner, designed for ease of use by public sector customers when procuring products and services through MHR and Softcat. The announcement comes as public sector organisations grapple with long and intricate procurement processes in a landscape characterised by the uncertainties of Covid-19, climate change, Brexit, and the worsening geopolitical situation in Europe.   

Quickly identifying a need for more flexible, secure, and streamlined ways of working, MHR accelerated its partnership with Softcat to devise an agile range of pan-government, customer-centric solutions, underpinned by a carefully curated selection of five of Softcat’s 35 established procurement frameworks.  

The chosen frameworks have flexible contracting terms, allowing public sector organisations to contract for 3, 5 or 7+ years at a time. Furthermore, each framework has a collaborative, pre-approved template, meaning that Softcat has already handled the behind-the-scenes legal work, while essential MHR standard terms and conditions are incorporated throughout with the highest level of compliance.  

In a welcome departure from traditionally lengthy tendering processes, all five of the selected frameworks have a direct award facility, giving the customer an optional compliant route to market without the need to issue repeat tenders.  

Anton Roe, CEO, MHR, commented: “We’re excited to partner with Softcat with the launch of the Softcat MHR Framework. This new alliance marks a significant change in the ways of working with our customers, particularly organisations in the public sector. With Softcat, we share the same vision and values to put the customer at the centre of everything we do. Our aim at MHR is to support organisations that see the value in business agility and flexibility, so I’m certain we will reap the benefits of this collaborative platform.” 

Louise Fellows, Public Sector Director, Softcat, added: “Softcat has a long and successful history of working alongside MHR, so we are really excited to take this next step in our partnership. The Softcat MHR customer-led framework approach takes away the pain points of procurement and paves the way for smoother, easier, and ultimately more successful ways of working. We are delighted to accelerate this partnership and continue to provide critical solutions and services to our public sector customers.”