Cloud Storage
Enterprise Storage
RFP storage UK
How to Structure a Winning RFP for Storage in the UK
Your next request for proposal for storage in the UK demands more than just capacity and speed. It requires a modern approach to data sovereignty, ransomware resilience, and absolute cost predictability. This guide outlines the essential criteria to include, ensuring you select a partner ready for the challenges of 2025.
Key Takeaways
A successful RFP for storage in the UK must mandate EU data sovereignty to ensure GDPR compliance and avoid CLOUD Act exposure.
Demand a transparent pricing model with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage durations to guarantee budget predictability.
Specify S3 Object Lock (Immutable Storage) and an 'Always-Hot' architecture as non-negotiable requirements for ransomware resilience and instant data access.
UK IT leaders crafting an RFP for storage face a complex challenge in 2025. The goal is to secure a solution that delivers performance while navigating stringent data sovereignty requirements and avoiding the budget shocks of unpredictable fees. Many cloud storage proposals hide significant costs behind complex tiering and egress charges, locking you into a model that penalizes data access. A successful RFP must now mandate EU-centric data handling, full S3 API compatibility, and a transparent economic model. This article provides a blueprint for building an RFP that guarantees digital sovereignty, operational resilience, and financial control for your organization.
Align Your RFP with UK Data Sovereignty Mandates
A modern RFP for storage in the UK must begin with data sovereignty. For UK firms handling EU citizen data, ensuring GDPR compliance is a primary requirement. Your RFP should specify that all data is stored and processed exclusively within certified European data centers, eliminating exposure to non-EU laws like the CLOUD Act. A strong majority of EU decision-makers now prioritize European solutions for their critical infrastructure. This makes EU data residency a top evaluation criterion in over 70% of new projects. You can find more details in our guide to data sovereignty in the UK. By mandating country-level geofencing, you build a foundation of regulatory certainty from the start, a process that must be verified with at least two compliance checks per year. This focus on sovereignty prepares your infrastructure for the next level of technical evaluation.
Demand Full S3 Compatibility to De-Risk Migration
True S3 compatibility is more than a checkbox; it protects decades of investment in applications and skills. Your RFP must demand 100% API parity to ensure your existing tools, scripts, and backup software work without modification. This requirement alone can reduce migration project timelines by up to 40%. Many providers claim compatibility but fail on advanced features, causing significant operational friction. Explore more about enterprise object storage solutions to understand the nuances. Your RFP checklist should include these non-negotiable S3 capabilities:
Support for advanced object operations, including versioning and lifecycle management.
Consistent performance across API, CLI, and SDK interfaces for automation.
Flawless integration with at least 10 of your primary backup and data management tools.
Object Lock and immutability features accessible via the S3 API for ransomware protection.
Granular IAM policies and support for presigned URLs for secure, temporary access.
Ensuring full compatibility avoids code rewrites and protects your past 5 years of technology investments. With technical alignment confirmed, the next step is to scrutinize the provider's underlying architecture for resilience.
Specify an 'Always-Hot' Architecture for 100% Data Accessibility
Complex storage tiers introduce risk, delay, and cost surprises during urgent data restores. Your RFP should mandate an “Always-Hot” object storage model, where 100% of data is immediately accessible without any restore delays. This simplifies operations and keeps third-party applications stable, a factor that can improve recovery time objectives (RTOs) by over 50%. Fragile tiering policies often lead to API timeouts and hidden retrieval fees, which can increase monthly costs by 20-30% unexpectedly. A thorough storage vendor evaluation must prioritize architectural simplicity. An always-hot model eliminates lifecycle policy drift and guarantees predictable latencies for every read/write operation. This architectural clarity provides the resilience needed to support robust security measures.
Embed Ransomware Protection with Immutable Storage
In 2025, ransomware defence is not an add-on; it is a core architectural requirement. Your RFP must specify the availability of Immutable Storage through S3 Object Lock as a primary feature. This capability prevents data from being altered or deleted for a defined period, rendering it secure against malicious encryption and providing an audit-ready retention trail. This single feature can reduce data recovery costs after an attack by over 90%. When considering GDPR-compliant object storage, immutability is a key technical safeguard. Your security evaluation should confirm the following:
Multi-layer encryption is applied to all data, both in transit and at rest.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) includes mandatory MFA and role-based access controls (RBAC).
The provider operates exclusively in certified EU data centers with EU-controlled key management.
Support for external identity providers via SAML/OIDC is available for at least 3 major platforms.
Immutable backups are your last and best line of defence in a successful recovery scenario. Once security is locked down, the focus must shift to the economic model that sustains it.
Structure Your RFP to Eliminate All Hidden Fees
The most common failure in cloud storage procurement is overlooking hidden costs. A forward-thinking RFP for storage in the UK must be structured to guarantee cost predictability. Mandate a pricing model with zero egress fees, zero API call costs, and no minimum storage durations. This transparent approach is the only way to ensure your budget remains stable and predictable, which is especially critical for MSPs needing to protect their margins of at least 25%. For UK partners, our distributor Northamber plc provides local access to this predictable model. Our analysis of cloud spend optimisation shows that egress fees can account for up to 60% of a total cloud bill. By forbidding these charges in your RFP, you retain control over your data and your budget. This financial clarity is essential for assessing long-term viability and regulatory readiness.
Ensure Vendor Readiness for EU Data Act and NIS-2
Your RFP must look beyond today's requirements and ensure your chosen partner is prepared for upcoming regulations. From September 2025, the EU Data Act will enforce data portability, requiring providers to offer a clear exit path without lock-in. Your RFP should ask for proof of this capability, including the export of all metadata and versions. Furthermore, the NIS-2 directive mandates continuous security processes and supply-chain assurance. A vendor's readiness can be measured by their existing certifications, which should include at least 3 relevant EU standards. Comparing a vendor SLA is a good starting point. Choosing a vendor already aligned with these regulations de-risks your compliance posture for the next 5 years. This future-proofs your selection and ensures your data strategy remains agile and independent.
More Links
Crown Commercial Service provides details on agreement RM6111, a procurement framework for technology products and services for public sector organizations.
Crown Commercial Service offers information on agreement RM1557.13, another procurement framework for specific services or goods for the public sector.
The UK Government provides guidance for suppliers interested in offering their cloud services through the G-Cloud framework, a UK initiative for public sector cloud adoption.
Microsoft details how its cloud offerings comply with the UK's G-Cloud framework and related regulatory requirements.
The UK Government publishes a comprehensive cloud guide for the public sector, covering adoption, security, and best practices.
The Digital Marketplace allows suppliers to apply and choose the appropriate category ('lot') for their services under the G-Cloud framework.
The UK Government offers a buyer's guide for public sector organizations on how to procure cloud services effectively through the G-Cloud framework.
Wikipedia provides a general overview of cloud storage, explaining its fundamental concepts, benefits, and various types of solutions.
FAQ
What is sovereign cloud storage?
Sovereign cloud storage ensures that your data is stored and managed exclusively within a specific legal jurisdiction, such as the European Union. This means it is subject only to the laws of that region (like GDPR) and is protected from foreign government access requests, providing digital sovereignty.
Is your storage solution fully compatible with the S3 API?
Yes, our platform is designed with full S3 API compatibility. This allows you to use your existing applications, backup tools, and scripts without any changes. It supports advanced features like versioning, lifecycle management, and Object Lock, ensuring a seamless migration and operational continuity.
How does your pricing model work?
We offer a transparent and predictable pricing model. There are no egress fees, no charges for API calls, and no minimum storage durations. You pay only for the storage you use, making it easy to forecast your budget without worrying about hidden costs associated with accessing your data.
How does Impossible Cloud protect my data from ransomware?
We provide ransomware protection through S3 Object Lock, which enables immutable storage. This feature allows you to make your backup data unchangeable for a specified period, so even if your primary systems are compromised, your backups remain secure and available for a clean restore.
Where are your data centers located?
Our storage infrastructure is operated exclusively in certified, secure data centers within the European Union. This ensures your data remains under EU law, supporting GDPR compliance and providing the highest level of data sovereignty for your UK business.
How can MSPs and resellers partner with you in the UK?
We work with a growing network of partners in the UK, supported by our distributor Northamber plc. Our partner program offers predictable margins due to our pricing model, a multi-tenant management console, and full automation capabilities via API/CLI to help you deliver value-added services.
