Partnership to modernise the Council’s network infrastructure to support secure, resilient and future-ready digital services across all sites
Exponential-e, a UK provider of sovereign cloud, connectivity, communications, and cyber security solutions, has been awarded a five-year contract by Lincolnshire County Council to deliver and manage a modernised Software Defined Wide Area Network (WAN) throughout the county.
Procured under Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Network Services 3 Framework, Exponential-e will replace the Council’s existing outdated Public Services Network (PSN) infrastructure with a fully managed Cisco Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN). This will provide a unified, centrally orchestrated, secure and high-performing network environment, designed to support the Council’s long-term digital strategy, enabling greater agility, improved resilience and secure integration with cloud-based services.
The architecture will be centrally managed via a structured service desk model to provide encrypted connectivity across all locations. It will also support Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) services including Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue with encrypted integration and centralised HSCN access, while enabling scalability and flexibility for future organisational and technological change.
The solution will integrate with the Council’s operational and security platforms, incorporating secure-by-design principles, centralised monitoring, incident-response systems, automated failover capabilities, dynamic routing and flexible network segmentation to support a zero-trust security approach and rapid onboard of new sites.
Tom Baker, CIO at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Our vision is to build a technological ecosystem that not only supports our ongoing operational needs but meets the expectations of our citizens in digital delivery as a time of Local Government change. As an expert with technical ability and proven public sector expertise, Exponential-e will be critical in improving our ability to manage ongoing and accelerated change.”
Afshin Attari, Director of Public Sector and Unified Platforms at Exponential-e, said: “We are proud to partner with Lincolnshire County Council to deliver a modern, resilient and secure network infrastructure that supports the delivery of critical public services across the county.
By implementing a centrally managed SD-WAN architecture, the Council will benefit from greater agility, enhanced security and improved operational resilience, while creating a scalable, sovereign platform capable of supporting future innovation and evolving digital service requirements.”
As England’s fourth largest county council, Lincolnshire County Council employs more than 6,000 people and delivers a broad range of public services, including Adult and Children’s Social Care, Highways and Transport, Environmental Services, Education, and Fire and Rescue services, across 200 sites.
The contract was signed in March 2026 and will run until March 2031. Implementation has begun, with service go-live dates to be confirmed as part of the phased deployment programme.