In a digital transformation programme within public services, UK provider Exponential-e has secured a five-year contract with Lincolnshire County Council. The contract is intended to replace the existing network infrastructure across the county.
The agreement, awarded under the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Network Services 3 Framework, involves replacing the current Public Services Network (PSN) with a managed Cisco Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN). The new network is intended to provide a unified, secure, and higher-performance environment aligned with the Council’s digital strategy.
The infrastructure is intended to support improved agility, resilience, and security, and to enable integration with cloud-based services. Encryption is included as a core component to support secure connectivity across locations, including Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) services such as Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue. It also provides capacity for scalability and future network changes.
The solution integrates with the Council’s operational and security platforms and includes secure-by-design principles, centralised monitoring, and response systems. It also includes features such as automated failover, dynamic routing, and network segmentation to support the Council’s zero-trust security framework.
Crown Commercial Service is the contracting authority for the Network Services 3 Framework.
Lincolnshire County Council is the fourth-largest county council in England, with a workforce of over 6,000 and responsibilities spanning services such as social care and transport. The migration to a centrally managed SD-WAN infrastructure is part of a phased deployment programme, which has been underway since March 2026.
