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Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 8 Aug 2025, 09:09 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Electoral Management System (EMS)

Official notice

Authority: Durham County Council (Local council)

GoodsOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitable
Sectors: Software Packages & ERP (48) Delivery: North East (UKC14)
Published estimate£600,000≈ £200k / year · £720,000 inc. VAT · 1 value update6.3% above published estimate
Submissions closed 14 Apr 2026awarded 27 May 2026
Awarded to FCS SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITED
Contract term 3 yrsends 31 May 2029 · up to 31 May 2034 with extensions · starts 1 Jun 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Electoral Registration & Elections Management are statutory functions the Council must provide for. Both functions are managed in accordance with Government legislation/regulations. An electronic management system is absolutely key to delivering the service, particularly the elections aspect, in the statutory timescales that apply.

The current software system is hosted on premise. The Council's digital services team are keen for the EMS to move onto a cloud platform to become more cost effective.

CPV: Industry specific software package

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 3 yrsPublished value£600,000
Contract period: 1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 31 May 2034 with extensionsValue: £600,000 exc. VAT · £720,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: North East
Extensions: The Contract period is for an initial 3-year period, with the option to extend for 1 x 36 month period, then 1 final extension period of 1 x 24 months, subject to satisfactory performance, service continuity, and the Council's future requirements. The anticipated go-live date for the new system is 11th December 2026, following a 6-month period of mobilisation and implementation.
48100000 Industry specific software package

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 60%Price: 40%
Published sub-criteria (8)
  • System Architecture Diagram: 4%
  • Statement of Works: 10%
  • Product Roadmap and Development: 5%
  • Training and Knowledge Transfer: 8%
  • Hypercare and Post Hypercare Support: 8%
  • System Demonstration: 15%
  • Desirable System Functionality: 10%
  • Price: 40%
Published award criteria (8)
  • System Architecture Diagram
  • Statement of Works
  • Product Roadmap and Development
  • Training and Knowledge Transfer
  • Hypercare and Post Hypercare Support
  • System Demonstration
  • Desirable System Functionality
  • Price: The individual elements will be scored as follows: • Element 1 - Fixed Price Implementation services - Weighting 10% • Element 2 - Ongoing annual subscription (e.g., subscription, support, hosting, maintenance)- Weighting 15% • Element 3 - Automated Household/Canvass Response Service Charges - Total Weighting 7% • Element 4 - Rate Card for additional professional services - Weighting 3% • Element 5 - Desirable System Functionality - Price Weighting 5%
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Goods
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
8 Aug 2025, 09:09 BST
Last source update
19 Jun 2026, 08:19 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 12 May 2026
Authority reference
OPEN2026381
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-020012
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Industry specific software package
Delivery area
North East (UKC14)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0583dd Find a Tender
Review and risk notes
Risks

Changes in government legislation may impact future system developments for the supplier, and therefore change the system contract value.

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
14 Apr 2026, 10:00 BST
Clarification deadline
8 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Tender documents can be accessed free of charge by registering on the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org ↗ and must be submitted via the Open Portal by the deadline stated. Please read the instruction document contained within the tender documents for full instructions.

Timeline

8 Aug 2025 → 19 Jun 2026 · 10 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    8 Aug 2025, 09:09 BST
  2. Market engagement
    5 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST

    Written questionnaire available to access free of charge at open-uk.org

    Deadline for completed written responses is 12 noon on Friday 5th September 2025.

    Providers who complete a written response questionnaire, and provide satisfactory responses, will be invited to demonstrate their system via Microsoft Teams, based on the scenarios and questions outlined in section 5 of the PME questionnaire. We anticipate system demonstrations to take place in September 2025 and will last 2 hours per provider.

    *Please note the 1 week extension and new deadline for this PME opportunity.

  3. Tender notice published236 days ago
    5 Mar 2026, 15:10 GMT
  4. Clarification questions by202 days ago
    8 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
  5. Submission deadline196 days ago
    14 Apr 2026, 10:00 BST
  6. Award decision expected by168 days ago
    12 May 2026, 23:59 BST
  7. Assessment summaries sent154 days ago
    27 May 2026, 00:00 BST
  8. Contract starts149 days ago
    1 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
  9. Standstill ends144 days ago
    5 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
  10. Latest notice published130 days ago
    19 Jun 2026, 08:19 BST

Notice history

11 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 8 Aug 2025
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    8 Aug 2025, 09:09 BST
    UK2
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    12 Aug 2025, 09:58 BST
    UK2
  3. Tender notice published
    5 Mar 2026, 15:10 GMT
    UK4
  4. Published value updated to £600,000
    5 Mar 2026, 15:10 GMT
    was £300,000
  5. Status changed to active
    5 Mar 2026, 15:10 GMT
  6. Procurement method changed
    5 Mar 2026, 15:10 GMT
  7. Deadline published: 14 Apr 2026, 10:00 BST
    5 Mar 2026, 15:10 GMT
  8. Contract award notice published
    27 May 2026, 17:12 BST
    UK6
  9. Status changed to complete
    27 May 2026, 17:12 BST
  10. Contract signature expected
    15 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  11. Contract details notice published
    19 Jun 2026, 08:19 BST
    UK7
Published amendments (1)

1 week extension to deadline for written responses to PME opportunity. Deadline now Friday 5th September at 12 noon. Documents can be access free of charge at open-uk.org

Routine re-releases (5)
  • 2025-08: 2 releases · 8 Aug 2025, 12 Aug 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £638,0001 award exc. VAT
Bids received 11 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 15 Jun 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
FCS SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITED15 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2029 · up to 31 May 2034Extensions: 1 x 36 months then 1 x 24 months optional extensions.£638,00027 May 2026Awarded

Contracts

  • Electoral Management System (EMS) · FCS SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITED

    Signed
    15 Jun 2026
    Value
    £638,000
    Period
    15 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2029 · up to 31 May 2034 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    1 x 36 months then 1 x 24 months optional extensions subject to performance review and requirements review.
    3 agreed KPIs: Service outage - (System not operating) · Service degradation - (Major process/function not operating) · Standard incident - (Minor process/function not operating)
    • Service outage - (System not operating), Maximum Response/Acknowledgement Time and Maximum Resolution Time
    • Service degradation - (Major process/function not operating), Maximum Response/Acknowledgement Time and Maximum Resolution Time
    • Standard incident - (Minor process/function not operating), Maximum Response/Acknowledgement Time and Maximum Resolution Time

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1final-stage tenders10—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Durham County Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PMPB-8772-VYWM Corten House, Dunholme Close, Durham, North East, DH1 5WBContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • FCS SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 12107115GB-PPON: PHXV-5164-NPHJ C/O Fcs Lasermail Wood Lane, Birmingham, West Midlands, B24 9QLContact email

Official documents & specifications (6)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specificationstenderBidding documents and specificationsTender documents can be accessed free of charge by registering on the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org

Notices published for this procedure