HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire managed IT services in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to managed IT providers. Here is what the contract, the data agreement and Cyber Essentials should cover.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring managed IT services in five steps

  1. List what you need coveredUsers, devices, office software, backups, security, on-site visits and hours of support.
  2. Compare tiers line by lineHelpdesk only, or fully managed with security and backup; response times for each.
  3. Read the exit termsNotice period, price rises, and how admin accounts and data are handed back.
  4. Sign a data processing agreementThe provider handles your staff and customer data; the contract must cover it.
  5. Ask about Cyber EssentialsWhether the provider is certified, and whether it will get your business certified.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses managed IT providers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. References from similar businesses, the service levels and the contract terms are what count.

Ask for two client references of a similar size and the full contract before signing.

Data processing agreement (UK GDPR)

A managed IT provider handling your staff and customer data acts as a processor. The ICO's guidance sets out the terms a written contract between you and a processor must include, such as acting only on your instructions, security and what happens at the end.

Ask for the provider's data processing agreement and check it covers return and deletion of data on exit. ico.org.uk →

Cyber Essentials certification

Cyber Essentials is the government-backed certification scheme, built around five technical controls and developed by the National Cyber Security Centre. Some customers and tenders require it.

Ask whether the provider is certified, and whether your plan includes help getting your own business certified. ncsc.gov.uk →

Admin rights in your name

Data protection rules make your business responsible for keeping personal data secure, and the ICO fee usually applies. You cannot meet that if only the provider holds the administrator accounts.

Make sure your business holds a top-level admin account on every system, stored securely. gov.uk →

VAT

Managed IT services are standard-rated, so a registered provider adds 20% to the price per user each month and to project work and extra site visits. Registration becomes compulsory once a managed IT services provider has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the provider for the VAT number with the contract and for the per-user fee and VAT shown apart on each monthly invoice. gov.uk →

“Exactly what does each managed IT tier include?”

A good answer: A list: helpdesk hours, monitoring, patching, security tools, backups, on-site visits and licences.

“What are the provider's response and fix times?”

A good answer: Times by priority, in the contract, with what happens if they are missed.

“How long is the managed service contract, and how can prices rise?”

A good answer: Term, notice period and any yearly increase in writing.

“How do I get my data and admin access back if I leave the provider?”

A good answer: A written exit process, with handover of passwords and data at no surprise cost.

“Will you sign a data processing agreement?”

A good answer: Yes; a managed IT provider handling personal data should offer one as standard.

“Are you Cyber Essentials certified?”

A good answer: Yes with a date, and an offer to help your business certify.

“Who holds the top-level admin accounts?”

A good answer: You do, with the provider working through its own named accounts.

Getting the quote right

  • Price per user per month and any minimum charge
  • Who actually attends your site and answers the helpdesk: the provider's employed engineers or subcontracted field engineers
  • Each tier's inclusions and response times
  • Licences, hardware and project work listed separately
  • On-site visits included, and the rate for extra visits
  • Contract term, notice, price-rise terms and exit process
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the monthly per-user fee and on project work

Walk away if

  • Only the provider holds admin passwords
  • No data processing agreement
  • Long contract with automatic renewal and no exit plan
  • Vague tiers with no response times
  • Charges to return your own data
  • No security standard at all
LOW
£40
TYPICAL
£55
HIGH
£95

What managed IT services costs: £40–£95 per user

Managed IT services are priced per user per month by tier, usually on a one- to three-year contract, with projects and hardware extra. Managed IT Services price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Managed IT providers near you, with the badges that matter shown

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Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. AuditUsers, devices, systems and risks reviewed.
  2. OnboardingMonitoring, security tools and backups set up; admin access documented.
  3. HelpdeskStaff support by phone, email or chat in agreed hours.
  4. MaintenancePatching, monitoring and security managed.
  5. ReviewsRegular reports and meetings, and changes as the business grows.

Per-user pricing
A monthly fee for each person supported.
SLA
Service level agreement: the promised response and fix times.
Patching
Applying software updates, often for security.
Endpoint protection
Security software on each laptop or desktop.
Data processing agreement
The contract that sets how a provider handles your personal data.
Offboarding
Handing back access and data when a contract ends.

AFTER

When the job is done

Review the service quarterlyTickets, response times and security reports against the contract.
Check your admin account worksLog in to each system now and then to confirm your access.
Diary the notice dateSo the contract does not roll over without a decision.
Review the jobReviews on Locufy can only follow a booking, so the managed IT provider is judged on real work. If something is wrong, the make-it-right step comes first and they are asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Set it out for the managed IT providerKeep it factual: what the managed IT provider agreed to do, what you got, and what you want now. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 builds reasonable care and skill into every trader's service; if it was missing, ask for a repeat of the work or a reduction.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepScore the managed IT provider below four stars and you choose whether they see the problem before the review goes up. We follow it through; then you review.
STEP 3Trading StandardsBecause managed IT providers have no regulator, a dispute with the managed IT provider goes to consumer advice: Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060), Consumerline (0300 123 6262) in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyYou can sue the managed IT provider for the money without a lawyer: small claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, small claims up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring managed IT services: questions people ask

No. No licence or registration is needed in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is set by law.

If it handles personal data for you, UK GDPR expects a written contract with set terms; the ICO explains what it must cover.

No, it is voluntary, but it is a government-backed standard and some customers and tenders ask for it.

£40 to £95 per user, around £55 for a typical job. The level of cover, bundled licences, security tools and on-site visits set the per-user price. The managed IT services price guide explains what moves it; enter your town above to see managed IT providers near you.

The contract should require the provider to hand back data and admin access and delete its copies.

Usually rolling monthly within a one- to three-year contract; read the notice terms.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: IT SupportHow to hire: Network EngineerHow to hire: Cybersecurity ConsultantHow to hire: Cloud ConsultantHow to hire: Computer Setup & InstallationHow to hire: Data RecoveryHow to hire: CRM ConsultantHow to hire: Project ManagerAll 701 hiring guides →

Managed IT providers near you

Managed IT providers in LondonManaged IT providers in ManchesterManaged IT providers in BirminghamManaged IT providers in GlasgowManaged IT providers in BelfastAll managed it providers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. ICO — contracts between controllers and processors
  2. NCSC — Cyber Essentials overview
  3. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register