Bedford Borough Council has signed IT supplier Agresso in a £400,000 deal to supply its core financial system.

As part of a move to unitary status, the local authority is taking over responsibility for services previously provided by the county council. Bedford Borough was already an Agresso user, but the county services were supported by SAP.

After an evaluation process to determine a single supplier going forward, Agresso was chosen over SAP.

The unitary council described the new arrangement as "better value for money " and said that it will accommodate its financial management needs.

The system can be tailored according to requirements, and will smooth the restructuring of the local authority, according to Bedford mayor Frank Branston.

"Selecting Agresso means we have a fit-for-purpose system that the unitary authority will be able to rely on for accurate and up-to-date financial information," he said.

"The system will be housed and operated by Bedford Borough Council, so we have the ability to tailor it to meet the needs of the authority."

Branston said the system will provide the data for the council's statement of accounts as well as allow capital and revenue budget monitoring.

"Selecting which financial management systems will be taken forward represents a critical step on the way to creating the new authority," he said.