Decision
Analysis
outcome: The Portfolio Holder for Corporate & Commercial Services has decided to exercise the two-year extension option for the NEC contract.
summary: The decision involves extending a contract with NEC for third-party software to bill and collect Council Tax, Business Rates, and administer Housing Benefit.
topline: The Portfolio Holder for Corporate & Commercial Services has decided to extend the contract with NEC for third-party software to manage Council Tax, Business Rates, and Housing Benefit administration.
reason_contentious: This issue is not particularly contentious as it is a straightforward contract extension with no specific legal comments expected.
affected_stakeholders: ["Council", "NEC", "Taxpayers", "Businesses", "Benefit recipients"]
contentiousness_score: 2
political_party_relevance: There are no mentions or implications of political parties or political influence on the decision.
URL: https://democracy.dacorum.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2674
Decision Maker: Portfolio Holder for Corporate & Commercial Services
Outcome:
Is Key Decision?: Yes
Is Callable In?: Yes
Purpose: The Council has a statutory duty to bill and collect Council Tax and Business Rates, and to administer Housing Benefit. To carry out this duty we use third-party software supplied by NEC. The current NEC contract was awarded in April 2022 through a CCS framework for an initial five-year term, with the option to extend for a further two years. This report seeks approval to exercise the two-year extension option when the initial five-year term ends on 31 March 2027.
Content: The Council has a statutory duty to bill and collect Council Tax and Business Rates, and to administer Housing Benefit. To carry out this duty we use third-party software supplied by NEC. The current NEC contract was awarded in April 2022 through a CCS framework for an initial five-year term, with the option to extend for a further two years. This report seeks approval to exercise the two-year extension option when the initial five-year term ends on 31 March 2027. A report has been reviewed by Commercial Board on the 18 June 2026 and was supported to put forward for a Portfolio Holder Decision. The 2-year extension at £154,204 will bring the total contract value to approx. £552,157, therefore a Portfolio Holder Decision is required to authorise the extension as the total contract value will be above £500,000. As this is a straightforward contract extension, no specific legal comments are expected.
Date of Decision: July 29, 2026