AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Ministry of Justice awarded UNILINK SOFTWARE LIMITED a £40,000 contract for the Email a Prisoner (EMaP) Service 2026 – Probation. The service covers a secure digital messaging platform for Probation users communicating with offenders in custody, plus hosting, support, maintenance and account management.
Published outcomeOne active award was published to UNILINK SOFTWARE LIMITED following a selective framework call-off.
Market significanceThis is a small-value software-related services award supporting secure justice-sector communications, with a two-year stated contract period.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
UNILINK SOFTWARE LIMITED
99% confidenceAward ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178-1 · 40000 GBP · active
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The active award names Unilink Software Limited as supplier; supplier verification provides verified company name UNILINK SOFTWARE LIMITED.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice stage
99% confidenceAward
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Process stage is "award" and the notice type is "Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder".
Award status
99% confidenceActive
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Award ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178-1 has status "active".
Award decision date
99% confidence25 September 2026
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Award date: 2026-09-25T00:00:00+01:00.
Contract signature
99% confidenceNot stated
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The supplied award data does not provide a signature or conclusion field.
Stated service period
99% confidence27 September 2026 to 26 September 2028
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Award and tender contractPeriod state startDate 2026-09-27 and endDate 2028-09-26.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value
99% confidence£40,000
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The single award value is 40000 GBP.
Published tender value range
99% confidence£1 to £40,000
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Tender minValue is 1 GBP and tender value is 40000 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender submission deadline
99% confidence25 March 2026, 23:59 UTC
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Tender period endDate: 2026-03-25T23:59:00Z.
Award date
99% confidence25 September 2026
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Award date: 2026-09-25T00:00:00+01:00.
Stated contract start
99% confidence27 September 2026
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Contract period startDate: 2026-09-27T00:00:00+01:00.
Award notice publication
99% confidence21 October 2026
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Award notice datePublished: 2026-10-21T13:45:09+01:00.
Stated contract end
99% confidence26 September 2028
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Contract period endDate: 2028-09-26T23:59:59+01:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceSecure digital messaging platform enabling Probation users to communicate with offenders in custody.
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Process description states this requirement.
Included services
99% confidenceHosting, support, maintenance and account management.
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Process description lists these associated services.
Primary classification
99% confidenceCPV 72260000 — Software-related services
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Primary CPV classification is 72260000.
Published delivery coverage
98% confidenceUnited Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands, Europe, Isle of Man and Rest of the World.
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Tender item deliveryAddresses list these locations.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceSelective
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Tender procurementMethod is "selective".
Route to market
99% confidenceCall-off from a framework agreement
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states "Call-off from a framework agreement".
Competition information
99% confidenceNot stated
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No bidder count, participant list, evaluation scores or award rationale is supplied.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Stated duration
99% confidence2 years
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The published contract period runs from 27 September 2026 to 26 September 2028.
Extension or options
99% confidenceNot stated
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No extension, option or renewal terms are supplied.
SME suitability flag
99% confidenceSuitable for SMEs: yes
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Tender suitability.sme is true.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
99% confidenceSingle-supplier framework call-off with a published award value of £40,000.
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One active award names one supplier and carries a value of 40000 GBP; the route is stated as a framework call-off.
Service profile
98% confidenceThe award combines a secure communications platform with ongoing operational services.
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The scope includes the platform plus hosting, support, maintenance and account management.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Publication basis
99% confidenceAnalysis is based on one Contracts Finder award notice published on 21 October 2026.
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One release history entry and one award-notice document are supplied.
Supplier identity treatment
99% confidenceThe verified legal name is used; the source supplier record uses a different Companies House identifier.
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Source identifier is 06406028, while supplied verification identifies UNILINK SOFTWARE LIMITED with company number 02924046; nameMismatch is false.
Unpublished competition and evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No bid count, bidder identities beyond the awardee, scores, evaluation outcome or award rationale is present.
Unpublished contract detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No signed-contract confirmation, pricing breakdown, service levels, extension terms or lot allocation is supplied.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The notice does not explicitly confirm that a contract was signed or otherwise concluded.
- The source supplier record identifies GB-COH 06406028, whereas the supplied verification maps the legal supplier name to company number 02924046; this analysis retains both facts without treating the source identifier as the verified company number.
- No bid count, competing suppliers, evaluation scores, selection rationale or savings information was published.
- No extension, renewal, pricing breakdown, service-level or individual lot information was supplied.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Ministry of JusticeUNILINK SOFTWARE LIMITEDEmail a PrisonerEMaPProbationsecure digital messagingsoftware-related servicesframework call-offContracts Finder
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the EMaP Service 2026 – Probation award?
UNILINK SOFTWARE LIMITED was named as the verified legal supplier for the single active award.
What is the published award value?
The published award value is £40,000.
When is the stated contract period?
The published contract period is 27 September 2026 to 26 September 2028.
Was this an open competition?
No. The notice identifies a selective procedure and a call-off from a framework agreement; participant and evaluation details were not published.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.