AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Bluelight Commercial Limited has published a contract award notice for a single-operator framework to provide secure cryptoasset storage and related realisation services for the Home Office. The award is pending, not yet signed: the notice schedules signature for 3 November 2026 and framework commencement for 1 December 2026. The supplier’s identity is withheld under section 94(1)(a) of the Procurement Act 2023 for national-security reasons.
Published outcomeOne pending award, covering lot 1, has been announced to an identity-withheld supplier.
Market significanceThe framework has a stated award value of £40 million excluding VAT (£48 million including VAT), with an initial four-year term and options that could extend its maximum duration to eight years.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
Supplier identity withheld under section 94
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £40,000,000 excluding VAT; £48,000,000 including VAT (award-level value, not independently allocated) GBP · Pending award
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Award 1 identifies supplier 'Withheld Section94 supplier'. The notice states that the successful supplier's identifying information is withheld under section 94(1)(a) on national-security grounds. Award 1 is pending and has value amount £40,000,000 and amountGross £48,000,000.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidenceContract award notice published 13 October 2026
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Award document 096668-2026 is described as a Contract award notice on Find a Tender and dated 2026-10-13.
Award status
99% confidencePending
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Award 1 has status 'pending'.
Standstill end
98% confidence22 October 2026, 23:59:59 BST
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Award 1 standstillPeriod.endDate is 2026-10-22T23:59:59+01:00.
Planned signature
98% confidence3 November 2026
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Award milestone type futureSignatureDate is scheduled for 2026-11-03T23:59:59Z.
Planned framework start
98% confidence1 December 2026
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Award 1 contractPeriod.startDate is 2026-12-01T00:00:00Z.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£40,000,000
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Award 1 value.amount is 40000000 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£48,000,000
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 48000000 GBP.
Process maximum value
96% confidence£40,000,000
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Process value_max is 40000000 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender notice publication
99% confidence16 February 2026
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Release history records tender notice 013828-2026 released on 2026-02-16.
Tender deadline
98% confidence20 March 2026, 12:00 UTC
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Process submission_deadline is 2026-03-20T12:00:00+00:00.
Award decision date
98% confidence12 October 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-12T00:00:00+01:00.
Assessment summaries sent
98% confidence13 October 2026
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Award 1 assessmentSummariesDateSent is 2026-10-13T00:00:00+01:00.
Initial term end
98% confidence30 November 2030
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Award 1 contractPeriod.endDate is 2030-11-30T23:59:59Z.
Maximum possible term end
98% confidence30 November 2034
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Award 1 contractPeriod.maxExtentDate is 2034-11-30T23:59:59Z.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceSecure cryptoasset storage and related services, including support for return of assets to owners or victims and sale of assets.
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Tender description states the framework will provide secure storage of cryptoassets during legal proceedings and support assets being returned to owners, returned to victims or sold.
Policy context
99% confidenceSupports delivery of the Economic Crime Plan 2.
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Tender description explicitly states this support purpose.
Framework model
99% confidenceSingle-operator framework
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Tender description states it is to establish a single-operator framework.
Lot coverage
99% confidenceLot 1; no lot title or description published.
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Award 1 is related to lot 1. The supplied lot record has no title or description.
Procurement categories
95% confidenceServices, with goods additionally recorded at award level.
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Process main category is services; award 1 additionally lists goods.
Classification
99% confidenceCPV 72260000 — software-related services.
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Award item 1 lists CPV 72260000 with description 'Software-related services'.
Delivery geography
99% confidenceUnited Kingdom, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey.
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Award item 1 delivery addresses list UK, GG, IM and JE.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceSelective procurement using a competitive flexible procedure.
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Tender procurementMethod is selective and procurementMethodDetails is Competitive flexible procedure.
Competition information
99% confidenceNumber of bids, participant identities, evaluation scores and award rationale not supplied.
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No bid count, scoring, tender evaluation or rationale data is present in the supplied notice data.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Initial term
99% confidenceFour years, planned from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2030.
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Award contract period runs from 2026-12-01 to 2030-11-30; renewal description calls this an initial period of four years.
Extension provision
99% confidenceOption to extend in any combination up to a maximum total duration of eight years.
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Award renewal description states the framework may be extended up to a maximum of 8 years in any combination; maxExtentDate is 2034-11-30.
Contract conclusion
99% confidenceNot evidenced as signed or active.
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The award is pending and a future signature milestone is scheduled for 3 November 2026.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Market structure
97% confidenceThe requirement is designed as a single-operator framework, concentrating delivery with one provider if the pending award proceeds.
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Tender description states a single-operator framework; award status remains pending.
Security and disclosure environment
99% confidenceThe supplier identity is withheld on stated national-security grounds, limiting public competitor and supply-chain analysis.
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Notice explicitly cites section 94(1)(a) and safeguarding national security as the reason for withholding supplier information.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award versus contract status
99% confidenceThis is a pending award announcement, not evidence of a signed, concluded or active contract.
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Award 1 status is pending; signature is a future scheduled milestone.
Supplier transparency
99% confidenceSupplier identity is intentionally withheld. The supplied placeholder is not a legal supplier name and no verified company identity is supplied.
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Notice says the supplier name and identifying information are withheld. Supplier verification is not_applicable and contains no verified company name or number.
Value allocation
99% confidenceThe £40 million excluding-VAT and £48 million including-VAT values are award-level figures. There is one disclosed award, but no detailed price breakdown or lot-level value is supplied.
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Award 1 contains the values; lot 1 value is null.
Notice-date inconsistency
99% confidenceThe process-level published timestamp is 16 February 2026, while the award document and release history date the contract award notice to 13 October 2026.
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Process published_at is 2026-02-16; award document datePublished and award release date are 2026-10-13.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award remains pending; the supplied data does not evidence signature, conclusion or live delivery.
- The successful supplier's legal identity, address and other identifying information are withheld under section 94(1)(a); no verified company identity is available.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Bid count, bidder identities, evaluation criteria, scores, pricing detail and award rationale are not supplied in the published notice.
- The supplied process publication timestamp differs from the award notice publication date; this analysis uses the award document and release history for the award-notice date.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Home Office cryptoasset storage frameworkBluelight Commercial crypto capabilitiescrypto storage and realisation awardEconomic Crime Plan 2 procurementFind a Tender 096668-2026
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Crypto Capabilities: Storage and Realisation framework?
The notice withholds the successful supplier's name and identifying information under section 94(1)(a), citing national-security grounds. No verified legal supplier identity is published in the supplied data.
Has the framework contract been signed?
No signed contract is evidenced. The award is marked pending, with signature scheduled for 3 November 2026 and planned commencement on 1 December 2026.
What is the value and duration?
The award value is £40 million excluding VAT (£48 million including VAT). The stated initial term is four years, with options that may extend the framework to a maximum of eight years.
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.