Following a recent open procurement exercise, the Holywood-based software development company, Cranmore, has been awarded the contract to develop a complete solution for the Landlord Registration Scheme.
The functions of this Landlord Registration Scheme will be transferred to local councilsin March 2025, with Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council taking the lead and acting as the host council for all Northern Ireland.
The value of this contract is over £600,000 and has the potential to run until 2031. The
contract requires a new website, registration portal and backend system to be developed to meet the needs of a variety of users – landlords, agents, tenants and councils’team. Year One of this contract will be funded by the Department of Communities with the remaining contract being supported through the registration fee.
The Chief Executive at LCCC, David Burns, stated that the “procurement process for this contract was very competitive” and that: “The Council is delighted that from the diverse companies who tendered for this award, that Cranmore had been successful in
demonstrating they had the skill and expertise to deliver on this exciting new project.”
He added: “The contract for building this complex system started on 1 July 2024 and, whilst it has been acknowledged that timelines associated with this project are very tight, from meeting with Cranmore and their team, I am confident that they are the right
digital partner for the Council to successfully deliver this system by March 2025.”
Operations Director Heather McCook said Cranmore’s team was hugely excited to have been awarded the contract and was working closely with LCCC to understand how landlords engage with the existing system and overcome current blockers preventing
them from registering.
“The solution we are developing will leverage the benefits of user-focused design and allow for data-powered decision making to improve the experience of those involved in Northern Ireland’s private rented sector,” she said.
“Through research and careful implementation of best practice, the system will be user friendly, informative and reliable.”
Solutions Director Enda Reynolds added that Cranmore’s extensive public sector experience would be brought to bear on the project.
“The development team at Cranmore has an extensive track record of delivering major projects on time and within budget for councils, government departments and national
utilities providers.
“We have the required expertise and experience to deliver this exciting project, one that we know will deliver improvements for all those involved in the private rented sector,” he
said.
“That’s what truly engages our development teams – making a contribution to initiatives with real world impacts, and we’re delighted once again to see our software used for the benefit of society at large.”
