Project overview
Sector: Government / Secure Technology
Client type: Central government organisation
Service: Greenfield Development & Commercial Transformation
Focus areas: Commercial strategy, procurement capability, supplier integration, contract management, governance, and operating model development
Engagement length: 2 years
Key outcome: Designed and delivered a £200m+ commercial strategy, established a procurement and commercial capability from scratch, and enabled the successful delivery of a new secure technology platform across government.
The challenge:
A major government technology programme was established to deliver a new secure technology capability across multiple government departments, introducing technology not previously deployed at scale within the UK. Operating within a highly complex and security-conscious environment, the programme required rapid mobilisation, cross-government coordination, and the establishment of a fully functioning commercial and procurement capability from a standing start.
Working to an ambitious two-year delivery timeline, the programme needed to support the procurement, integration, and management of multiple suppliers while maintaining alignment with agile delivery methodologies and an in-house systems integration model. At the same time, commercial decisions needed to balance pace, assurance, governance, and value for money across a significant technology investment programme.
Key commercial and operational challenges included:
- Developing and executing a £200m+ commercial strategy across multiple specialist technology categories
- Establishing procurement, commercial, and contract management functions from scratch
- Designing procurement strategies for complex, high-value outsourced contracts
- Integrating multiple suppliers into a single secure service delivery model
- Supporting critical government stakeholders and end users across multiple departments
- Maintaining governance, assurance, and value for money within a high-risk, high-security environment
Without a structured commercial framework, the programme risked delays, supplier integration challenges, inconsistent governance, and reduced ability to deliver critical outcomes within the required timeframe. A robust procurement and commercial capability was therefore essential to support successful programme delivery from mobilisation through to implementation.
What Mantis achieved:
Mantis designed and delivered the programme’s end-to-end commercial framework, ensuring procurement and commercial activity enabled delivery at pace whilst maintaining governance, assurance, and value for money. Working closely with programme, technical, and operational stakeholders, we established the commercial capability required to support a major government technology programme from mobilisation through to delivery.
Key activities included:
- Establishing procurement, commercial, and contract management functions from a greenfield starting point
- Designing and implementing a £200m+ commercial strategy across multiple technology categories
- Developing procurement strategies for complex, high-value outsourced contracts in line with public sector requirements
- Integrating suppliers and third parties into a secure service delivery model
- Building governance, supplier management, and commercial control frameworks to support programme delivery
- Providing commercial leadership and supporting the development of a multi-disciplinary commercial team
Key success: Mantis successfully established the commercial capability, governance structures, procurement processes, and supplier management framework required to support the delivery of a new secure technology capability across multiple government departments.
Results and impact:
The programme successfully established the commercial, procurement, and contract management capability required to support the delivery of a major government technology initiative, creating the foundations for long-term operational success and future scalability.
Key outcomes included the development and execution of a £200m+ commercial strategy, the successful procurement and mobilisation of multiple high-value technology suppliers, and the integration of those suppliers into a secure and coordinated service delivery model.
Beyond procurement delivery, the engagement helped the organisation:
- Establish a fully functioning commercial and procurement capability from a standing start
- Create the governance, policy, processes, and tooling required to support long-term commercial operations
- Improve supplier integration, oversight, and performance management
- Strengthen commercial assurance, risk management, and value-for-money controls
- Build and embed a multi-disciplinary commercial team to support future programme delivery
Mantis also created the commercial framework required to balance speed, flexibility, and governance, enabling the programme to operate effectively within a high-security environment while supporting the successful delivery of a new secure technology capability across government.
Related services:
Commercial Transformation
Supplier Relationship & Risk Management
Commercial Transformation
Greenfield Development
Supplier Relationship & Risk Management
Commercial Transformation