Bromley Council is set to procure a new Payment Management System to handle over £46 million in annual financial transactions. While the current system has been reliable since 2002, the council is looking to upgrade to mitigate risks associated with its aging infrastructure and ensure continued efficiency. The estimated cost of this change is £1.57m.
The Executive, Resources and Contracts Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee considered a report on 24 November 2025, seeking delegated authority to procure the system through a direct award via a compliant procurement framework. The council will assess the KCS Framework and PFH Framework to determine which offers the most beneficial terms for the direct award. The contract is slated to commence in April 2026 and will run for five years.
The Payment Management System serves as the core platform for the council's payment and income management functions. It enables the council and its agents to manage financial transactions, which totalled over £46 million annually.
The Assistant Director for Governance and Procurement clarified the difference between the procurement of this contract and the recent banking contract, noting the key difference was the market environment and the market conditions for the software.
Councillor Simon Fawthrop, Chairman of the Executive, Resources & Contracts PDS Committee, noted that the contract delivered an overall saving for the council. The committee supported the recommendations outlined in the report.
The council has been using its existing system, developed with additional modules, since 2002. The council's current system has proved to be reliable and effective across Finance and Customer Services, with effective links with the Council's third-party systems and the Council's website. The most recent authorisation was approval by Executive on 31st March 2021 to renew the annual agreement until 31 st March 2026.