Cambridgeshire library e-lending contract awarded to Bolinda

Tender information last checkedLast checked 8 Oct 2026, 12:21.

Opportunity overview

Cambridgeshire County Council is an upper tier Council in the East of England. The Authority's vision is to create a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire. It is responsible for the provision of a range of services including highways, adult and children's social care, transport and libraries. The Authority is inviting tenders for the provision of eLending services to support and enhance its public library offer. The Authority is looking to procure the widest possible offer/access to Estock resources for the residents of the County in the most effective and efficient manner. Bidders will be required to provide and deliver a high-quality digital lending solution that is accessible via both website and mobile application, compatible with iOS and Android devices, allowing for the lending, searching and management of eLending format specific to the Lot they are bidding for. This opportunity is open to bidders with experience in digital content provision, delivering innovative, user-friendly and inclusive digital library services and public section service delivery to the residents of Cambridgeshire. The contract opportunity is divided into four distinct Lots: eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers. The Authority reserves the right to add the following additional requirements to the Service under this Contract during the Contract Period to provide Large print and spoken word services in addition to the services described in these procurement documents, based on needs and future market routes available to the Council.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

OverDrive Global Ltd.

Matched by number

Published award value: £660k
Awarded: 19 Mar 2026
Award ID: 1
Status: pending
Identifier: GB-COH 12501978
Location: London, UKI31, EC4V 4BE, United Kingdom

BOLINDA UK LTD

Matched by number

Published award value: £660k
Awarded: 19 Mar 2026
Award ID: 2
Status: active
Identifier: GB-COH 05086231
Location: London, UKI31, WC1N 2EB, United Kingdom

Ulverscroft Limited (uLibrary)

Matched by number

Published award value: £660k
Awarded: 19 Mar 2026
Award ID: 3
Status: pending
Identifier: GB-COH 01068776
Location: Leicester, UKF22, LE7 7FU, United Kingdom

Classification

No classification was supplied.

Lots

Lot 1Value not stated
Lot 2Value not stated

Documents and notices

Contract details notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id: DN788742
Status: complete
Procurement Method: open
Procurement Method Details: Open procedure

Legal basis

Id: 2023/54
Scheme: UKPGA
Uri: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ↗

Lots and requirements

Entry 1

Id: 1
Status: complete

Entry 2

Id: 2
Status: complete

Published documents

Entry 1

Id: conflictOfInterest
Document Type: conflictOfInterest
Description: Not published

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1

Name: Cambridgeshire County Council
Id: GB-PPON-PJVB-3262-VGVJ

Identifier

Scheme: GB-PPON
Id: PJVB-3262-VGVJ

Address

Street Address: New Shire Hall Emery Crescent Enterprise Campus,
Locality: Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon
Postal Code: PE28 4YE
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKH12

Contact

Email: procurementandcommercial@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Roles

buyer

Details

Url: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ ↗

Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: UK_CA_TYPE
Id: publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Description: Public authority - sub-central government

Organisation 2

Name: BOLINDA UK LTD
Id: GB-COH-05086231

Identifier

Scheme: GB-COH
Id: 05086231

Additional Identifiers

Entry 1

Scheme: GB-PPON
Id: PHMW-7747-VJXR

Address

Street Address: 10 John Street
Locality: London
Postal Code: WC1N 2EB
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKI31

Contact

Email: helen.bower@bolinda.com

Roles

supplier

Details

Url: http://www.bolindalibrary.com ↗
Scale: sme
Vcse: No
Public Service Mission Organization: No
Sheltered Workshop: No

Award information

Award 1

Id: 2
Status: active
Main Procurement Category: services

Items

Item 1

Id: 1
Related Lot: 1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: CPV
Id: 22113000
Description: Library books

Entry 2

Scheme: CPV
Id: 32321300
Description: Audio-visual materials

Entry 3

Scheme: CPV
Id: 92511000
Description: Library services

Delivery locations

Entry 1

Region: UKH12
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom

Item 2

Id: 2
Related Lot: 2

Additional Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: CPV
Id: 22113000
Description: Library books

Entry 2

Scheme: CPV
Id: 32321300
Description: Audio-visual materials

Entry 3

Scheme: CPV
Id: 92511000
Description: Library services

Delivery locations

Entry 1

Region: UKH12
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom

Suppliers

Supplier 1

Id: GB-COH-05086231
Name: BOLINDA UK LTD

Related lots

Contracts and changes

Entry 1

Id: 2
Award ID: 2
Status: active
Has Renewal: Yes
Above Threshold: Yes
Date Signed: 1 Apr 2026, 00:00

Period

Starts: 1 Apr 2026, 00:00
Ends: 31 Mar 2029, 23:59
Max Extent Date: 31 Mar 2030, 23:59

Renewal

Description: 12 months extention available

Value

Including VAT: 770,000
Amount: 660,000
Currency: GBP

Agreed Metrics

Entry 1

Id: 1
Title: Uptime

Observations

Entry 1

Id: frequency

Period

Duration In Months: 12

Entry 2

Id: 2
Title: Spend provided

Entry 3

Id: 3
Title: Price

Documents

Entry 1

Id: 095078-2026
Document Type: contractNotice
Notice Type: UK7
Description: Contract details notice on Find a Tender
Url: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095078-2026 ↗
Published: 8 Oct 2026, 10:59
Format: text/html

Recorded locations

Buyer location · Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon · UKH12 · PE28 4YE · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

2 VERSIONS

025436-2026Contract award notice on Find a Tender · 19 Mar 2026, 16:41
095078-2026Contract details notice on Find a Tender · 8 Oct 2026, 10:59

PROCURAAXIS AWARD ANALYSIS

Award outcome intelligence

Evidence-bound analysis of the published award appears below the official tender and award information.

ANALYSIS PREVIEW

Award intelligence at a glance

Cambridgeshire County Council has concluded a contract with BOLINDA UK LTD for e-lending services supporting its library service. The active contract covers lots 1 and 2, starts on 1 April 2026, and has a stated gross value of £770,000 (£660,000 excluding VAT).

Published outcome signals

Opportunity statusCompleteEvidence: Tender status is "complete".
Concluded contractActive contract record for award 2Evidence: Contract 2 has status "active", is linked to award 2, and includes dateSigned of 2026-04-01.
Pending award recordsAwards 1 and 3 remain pendingEvidence: Award 1 is marked "pending" for lots 1, 2, 3 and 4; award 3 is marked "pending" for lot 2.

91% approved-analysis confidence3 supplier records analysed5 source limitations

SOURCE AND FRESHNESS

Traceable procurement data

Source: Find a Tender
Notice reference: 095078-2026
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-058f7d
First published: 19 Mar 2026
Last checked: 8 Oct 2026, 12:21
Notice versions reviewed: 2

View Find a Tender notice ↗

HOW THIS WAS PREPARED

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.

Analysis status: Approved for publication
Analysed: 8 Oct 2026

Read the analysis methodology →

AWARD OUTCOME

What happened

Published outcome

The published contract record identifies BOLINDA UK LTD as supplier for the active contract linked to lots 1 and 2. Separate award records for OVERDRIVE GLOBAL LIMITED and ULVERSCROFT LIMITED remain pending and are not evidenced as concluded contracts.

Market significance

This is a multi-lot public-library digital-content procurement covering eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers in the opportunity description. The concluded record confirms only the allocation of lots 1 and 2 to BOLINDA UK LTD; published data does not title the lots or confirm outcomes for the other proposed suppliers.

AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS

3 supplier records analysed

BOLINDA UK LTD

99% confidence

Award 2 · Lots 1, 2 · £660,000 excluding VAT; £770,000 including VAT (shared contract value for lots 1 and 2) GBP · Active contract

View supporting evidence

Award 2 names BOLINDA UK LTD and relates to lots 1 and 2. Linked contract 2 is active and states £660,000 net and £770,000 gross.

OVERDRIVE GLOBAL LIMITED

94% confidence

Award 1 · Lots 1, 2, 3, 4 · £660,000 stated on pending award record; allocation is not a concluded contract value GBP · Pending award

View supporting evidence

Award 1 is pending, lists lots 1–4 and £660,000. Supplier verification identifies the supplier as OVERDRIVE GLOBAL LIMITED.

ULVERSCROFT LIMITED

94% confidence

Award 3 · Lots 2 · £660,000 stated on pending award record; allocation is not a concluded contract value GBP · Pending award

View supporting evidence

Award 3 is pending, lists lot 2 and £660,000. Supplier verification identifies the supplier as ULVERSCROFT LIMITED.

LIFECYCLE

Award or contract stage

Opportunity status

98% confidence

Complete

View supporting evidence

Tender status is "complete".

Concluded contract

99% confidence

Active contract record for award 2

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 has status "active", is linked to award 2, and includes dateSigned of 2026-04-01.

Pending award records

99% confidence

Awards 1 and 3 remain pending

View supporting evidence

Award 1 is marked "pending" for lots 1, 2, 3 and 4; award 3 is marked "pending" for lot 2.

VALUES

Published values explained

Active contract value excluding VAT

99% confidence

£660,000

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 value.amount is 660000 GBP.

Active contract value including VAT

99% confidence

£770,000

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 value.amountGross is 770000 GBP.

Value allocation

99% confidence

No individual lot or supplier split published

View supporting evidence

The active contract covers lots 1 and 2 but provides one aggregate contract value.

TIMELINE

Procurement timeline

Award date

96% confidence

19 March 2026

View supporting evidence

Awards 1, 2 and 3 each state award_date 2026-03-19.

Contract signed

99% confidence

1 April 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 explicitly states dateSigned 2026-04-01.

Contract start

99% confidence

1 April 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 period.startDate is 2026-04-01.

Contract end

99% confidence

31 March 2029

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 period.endDate is 2029-03-31.

Maximum possible end date

98% confidence

31 March 2030

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 period.maxExtentDate is 2030-03-31 and renewal description states "12 months extention available".

Contract-details notice published

99% confidence

8 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract document 095078-2026 states datePublished 2026-10-08.

SCOPE

What was awarded

Requirement

98% confidence

Digital e-lending solution for the county library service

View supporting evidence

The description requests eLending services accessible through website and mobile app, for iOS and Android, including lending, search and management.

Stated content categories

98% confidence

eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers

View supporting evidence

The opportunity description states that it was divided into four distinct lots with these categories.

Concluded allocation

96% confidence

Lots 1 and 2; lot titles not published in structured lot data

View supporting evidence

Award 2 and contract 2 relate to lots 1 and 2, while the tender lot records have no titles or descriptions.

Delivery area

96% confidence

Cambridgeshire (UKH12)

View supporting evidence

Award items specify delivery addresses in region UKH12; the buyer is Cambridgeshire County Council.

Potential additional services

92% confidence

Large-print and spoken-word services may be added during the contract period

View supporting evidence

The opportunity description reserves a right to add these requirements based on need and future market routes.

PROCEDURE

Procedure and competition

Procedure

99% confidence

Open procedure

View supporting evidence

Tender procurementMethod is "open" and procurementMethodDetails is "Open procedure".

Legal basis

99% confidence

Procurement Act 2023

View supporting evidence

Tender legalBasis is UKPGA 2023/54.

Competition data

99% confidence

Information not supplied in the published notice

View supporting evidence

No bid count, tenderer list, evaluation scores or award rationale is provided.

CONTRACT TERMS

Published contract terms

Initial term

99% confidence

3 years

View supporting evidence

The period runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.

Extension

98% confidence

Up to 12 months available

View supporting evidence

Contract renewal description states "12 months extention available"; maxExtentDate is 31 March 2030.

Performance measures

96% confidence

Uptime, spend provided and price

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 lists agreed metrics titled Uptime, Spend provided and Price; uptime has a 12-month observation period.

Above threshold

99% confidence

Yes

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 states aboveThreshold: true.

COMMERCIAL VIEW

Commercial observations

Commercial structure

98% confidence

Aggregate value covers two active lots

View supporting evidence

Contract 2 covers lots 1 and 2 and reports a single net and gross contract value.

Supplier opportunity

91% confidence

The procurement description allows potential addition of large-print and spoken-word services

View supporting evidence

The buyer reserved the right to add those requirements during the contract period.

Market outcome certainty

98% confidence

Only BOLINDA's lots 1 and 2 contract is evidenced as active

View supporting evidence

The other two award records are pending and have no linked active contract records in the supplied data.

ANALYSIS QUALITY

91%overall confidence

Confidence reflects the completeness and consistency of the published award data.

Reference: ocds-h6vhtk-058f7d
Analysed: 8 Oct 2026

APPROVED AWARD ANALYSIS

BUYER CONTEXT

Buyer context

Buyer

99% confidence

Cambridgeshire County Council

View supporting evidence

Buyer party is named Cambridgeshire County Council.

Buyer type

99% confidence

Sub-central government public authority

View supporting evidence

Buyer classification is "Public authority - sub-central government".

Buyer location

98% confidence

Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon, United Kingdom

View supporting evidence

Buyer address lists Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon, PE28 4YE.

SUPPLIER CONTEXT

Supplier context

Active-contract supplier

99% confidence

BOLINDA UK LTD

View supporting evidence

The supplier party and award 2 name BOLINDA UK LTD; company number 05086231 is verified in supplied supplier data.

Supplier classification

98% confidence

SME

View supporting evidence

The BOLINDA UK LTD party details mark scale as "sme".

Other verified suppliers in pending records

98% confidence

OVERDRIVE GLOBAL LIMITED and ULVERSCROFT LIMITED

View supporting evidence

Supplier-verification data matches company numbers 12501978 and 01068776 respectively, but their associated awards are pending.

RENEWAL OUTLOOK

Renewal outlook

Extension decision window

91% confidence

Estimate: by 31 March 2029, subject to the buyer exercising the stated 12-month extension

View supporting evidence

The explicit initial end date is 31 March 2029; a 12-month extension is available to a maximum date of 31 March 2030.

DATA QUALITY

Gaps and source limitations

Conflicting award records

99% confidence

Pending awards overlap with the active award's lots and state the same £660,000 figure

View supporting evidence

Award 1 covers lots 1–4 and award 3 covers lot 2, while active award 2 covers lots 1–2; all state £660,000.

Lot mapping limitation

99% confidence

Lot numbers 1 and 2 are active, but their titles and descriptions are not supplied

View supporting evidence

Structured tender lots contain only IDs and status, although the overall description lists four content categories.

Supplier-name variation

99% confidence

ULVERSCROFT LIMITED is the verified legal name; the source supplier name was "Ulverscroft Limited (uLibrary)"

View supporting evidence

Supplier verification reports a name mismatch and verifies company number 01068776 as ULVERSCROFT LIMITED.

Information not supplied in the published notice

99% confidence

No tender deadline, bid count, evaluation details, individual lot values or pricing breakdown

View supporting evidence

These fields are absent from the supplied opportunity and contract data.

SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS

Information not supplied in the published notice

Pending awards 1 and 3 conflict with the active award's lot coverage. They are reported as pending rather than treated as concluded contracts.
The published structured data does not map lot IDs to the stated eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers categories.
The £660,000 values on pending awards are not attributed as concluded values to their suppliers; the active contract's £660,000 net and £770,000 gross values are aggregate values for lots 1 and 2.
Information not supplied in the published notice: individual lot values, tenderer count, evaluation results, award rationale, tender deadline and pricing breakdown.
ULVERSCROFT LIMITED's source name included "(uLibrary)"; the verified legal name is used, and the source variation is retained only as evidence.

MARKET THEMES

Relevant award themes

COMMON QUESTIONS

About this award

Who holds the active Cambridgeshire library e-lending contract?

BOLINDA UK LTD is named on the active contract record for lots 1 and 2.

What is the value and term of the active contract?

The contract states £660,000 excluding VAT and £770,000 including VAT, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029, with a possible 12-month extension.

Are all four stated e-lending lots conclusively awarded?

No. The active contract confirms only lots 1 and 2. Other supplied award records remain pending and overlap with the active allocation.

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.

25041 Provision of Estock for Cambridgeshire County Council Library service

Opportunity overview

Awarded to

OverDrive Global Ltd.

BOLINDA UK LTD

Ulverscroft Limited (uLibrary)

Classification

Lots

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Scope, procedure and submissions

Legal basis

Lots and requirements

Published documents

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Identifier

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Classifications

Identifier

Additional Identifiers

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Award information

Items

Additional Classifications

Delivery locations

Additional Classifications

Delivery locations

Suppliers

Related lots

Contracts and changes

Period

Renewal

Value

Agreed Metrics

Observations

Period

Documents

Recorded locations

Notice and amendment history

Award intelligence at a glance

Published outcome signals

Traceable procurement data

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

Continue your research