AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust published an award notice for downstream-access postal services covering two lots: Lincolnshire NHS trusts and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. Both lots were individually evaluated and awarded to DHL ECOMMERCE UK LIMITED through further competition under GCA RM6280 Lot 2.
Published outcomeThe published award is active. The notice explicitly states call-off signature for Lot 1 on 20 September 2026 and contract signature for Lot 2 on 16 October 2026; services start on 1 October 2026 for Lot 1 and 1 November 2026 for Lot 2.
Market significanceThis is a multi-trust postal-services call-off with a published aggregate award value of £10m. The notice says third-party final-mile delivery and statutory costs could make actual four-year values exceed stated totals.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
DHL ECOMMERCE UK LIMITED
98% confidenceAward ocds-b5fd17-cf75cb34-62bc-40a8-8728-b49f3ef01952-1 · Lots Lot 1: Lincolnshire, Lot 2: University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust · £10,000,000 shared aggregate award value; not allocated by lot GBP · verified; awarded for both lots
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The notice says both lots were individually evaluated and awarded to DHL eCommerce Ltd. The award record names DHL ECOMMERCE UK LIMITED and gives £10,000,000. Supplier verification records an exact-name match to company number 00965783.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
99% confidenceAwarded contract notice; award record marked active
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Process stage is award; display status is awarded; source status is complete; award status is active.
Lot 1 call-off signature
96% confidence20 September 2026
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The description states: "Lot 1 commenced 1 October 2026. Call-off signature date 20 September 2026."
Lot 2 contract signature
96% confidence16 October 2026
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The description states: "Lot 2 will commence 1 November 2026. Contract signature date 16 October 2026."
Service commencement
96% confidenceLot 1: 1 October 2026; Lot 2: 1 November 2026
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Published description provides separate commencement dates for each lot.
VALUES
Published values explained
Published award value
99% confidence£10,000,000
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The award record gives a value of £10,000,000 GBP.
Lot 1 stated estimate
93% confidence£6,000,000 excluding VAT for ULTH and LCHS over four years; LPFT stated estimate £1,300,000 excluding VAT over four years or part thereof
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Published description states these Lot 1 estimates.
Lot 2 stated estimate
96% confidence£2,700,000 excluding VAT over four years
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Published description states the Lot 2 estimate.
Potential cost variation
94% confidenceActual individual and combined four-year values may exceed stated totals because of third-party final-mile delivery and other statutory-led costs.
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Published description expressly notes this potential variation.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender submission deadline
99% confidence28 April 2026, 12:00 BST
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Tender period end date is 2026-04-28T12:00:00+01:00.
Award notice published
99% confidence20 October 2026
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Award notice document was published on 20 October 2026.
Published contract period
93% confidence1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028
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Structured tender and award contract-period fields give these dates.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceDownstream Access postal services
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Notice title and description identify provision of downstream-access postal services.
Classification
99% confidenceCPV 64110000 — Postal services
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Primary published classification is CPV 64110000.
Lot 1 coverage
94% confidenceUnited Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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Published description identifies these organisations within the Lincolnshire lot.
Lot 2 coverage
97% confidenceUniversity Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
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Published description identifies UHDB as Lot 2 and its sole contracting authority.
Optional services
96% confidenceSmall-package and parcel collection and delivery may be used at each contracting authority's discretion.
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Published description states both lots include this option.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceSelective procedure; call-off from a framework agreement
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Published procurement method is selective and method detail is call-off from a framework agreement.
Framework route
97% confidenceGCA RM6280, Lot 2 — Collection and Delivery of Letters, Large Letters and Parcels within UK via Further Competition
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Published description names the framework and route.
Lot evaluation
96% confidenceBoth lots individually evaluated
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Published description states both lots were individually evaluated and awarded to DHL eCommerce Ltd.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Base end date
97% confidence30 September 2028
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The description says both lots end on 30 September 2028; structured contract-period data aligns.
Extension options
96% confidenceUp to two 12-month extensions for each contracting authority, at its discretion
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Published description states both lots may be extended as options for 2 x 12 months.
Lot 1 calling arrangements
94% confidenceULTH acts for itself and LCHS under the LCHG group model; LPFT may directly call off in future, subject to a separate call-off agreement.
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Published description sets out these Lot 1 arrangements.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Value allocation
96% confidenceThe £10m award value is published at aggregate award level and is not allocated between lots or individual trusts.
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One award record gives £10m, while the description provides separate indicative figures and no award-level lot allocation.
Demand flexibility
94% confidenceParcel and small-package services are optional, and LPFT participation requires a separate future call-off agreement.
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Published description makes parcel services discretionary and conditions LPFT direct use on a separate agreement.
Cost exposure
94% confidenceFinal-mile delivery and statutory-led costs may increase actual spend beyond stated totals.
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Published description expressly identifies these pass-through cost factors.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Lot-level value allocation unavailable
99% confidenceThe source provides no definitive allocation of the £10m award value between the two lots or individual trusts.
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Single award value is £10m; no lot IDs or individual award values are supplied.
Period-date inconsistency
98% confidenceThe structured contract period starts 1 October 2026, but the description says Lot 2 commences 1 November 2026.
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Structured fields give 1 October 2026; narrative gives a later Lot 2 commencement.
Four-year value wording is unclear
97% confidenceThe narrative describes estimates over four years, while the published base period runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028, with optional extensions up to two years.
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Published estimates are described as over four years; stated base end date is 30 September 2028 and extension options are 2 x 12 months.
Competition information not supplied
99% confidenceBidder count, tenderer identities, evaluation scores and award rationale were not supplied in the published notice.
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No such data appears in the provided notice fields.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The £10m award value is shared at aggregate award level; no definitive lot or trust allocation is published.
- The notice has inconsistent timing: structured contract data starts on 1 October 2026, whereas the narrative gives a 1 November 2026 start for Lot 2.
- The relationship between stated four-year estimates, the two-year base period and extension options is not fully explained.
- Information on bids, scores, pricing, savings and the reason for supplier selection was not supplied in the published notice.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
DHL ECOMMERCE UK LIMITEDNHS postal servicesdownstream access postal servicesRM6280United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustUniversity Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the NHS downstream-access postal services award?
DHL ECOMMERCE UK LIMITED was awarded both lots. Its identity was verified by exact-name match to company number 00965783.
What is the published value of the award?
The award record gives an aggregate value of £10,000,000. The source does not allocate this value between lots or individual trusts.
When do the services start?
The notice states that Lot 1 commenced on 1 October 2026 and Lot 2 commences on 1 November 2026.
Can the arrangement be extended?
Yes. Both lots have options for two extensions of 12 months each, at the relevant contracting authority's discretion.
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.