AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Education Authority has published a contract award notice naming BLACKWELL ASSOCIATES LIMITED as the intended supplier for occupational health services. The award remains pending, with a future signature date scheduled for 30 November 2026; it should not be treated as a signed or active contract.
Published outcomePending award to BLACKWELL ASSOCIATES LIMITED for lot 1.
Market significanceThe published award value is £3.1 million excluding VAT (£3.72 million including VAT) for call-off occupational health services in Northern Ireland, with a potential extension of up to 36 months.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
BLACKWELL ASSOCIATES LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 3100000 GBP · Pending award
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Verified company name: BLACKWELL ASSOCIATES LIMITED (company no. NI622446). Award 1 names source supplier Blackwell Associates Limited and has status "pending". The £3.1m value is published for the single award/lot.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
99% confidenceContract award notice published; award status is pending.
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The notice is a UK6 contract award notice, published 13 October 2026; award 1 has status "pending".
Signature position
99% confidenceNot evidenced as signed; future signature is scheduled by 30 November 2026.
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Award milestone type "futureSignatureDate" is scheduled for 30 November 2026.
Contract start
98% confidencePlanned for 1 December 2026.
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Award contractPeriod.startDate is 2026-12-01.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£3,100,000
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Award 1 value.amount is 3100000 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£3,720,000
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 3720000 GBP.
Value allocation
95% confidencePublished at award level; the award relates to the single listed lot.
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Award 1 is related to lot 1; no separate lot value is supplied.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender notice published
99% confidence21 July 2026
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Release history records tender notice 068786-2026 dated 2026-07-21.
Tender deadline
99% confidence21 August 2026, 15:00 BST
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Process submission_deadline is 2026-08-21T15:00:00+01:00.
Award decision date
99% confidence8 October 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-08.
Award notice published
99% confidence13 October 2026
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Award notice 096438-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-13.
Standstill end
99% confidence22 October 2026, 23:59:59 BST
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Award standstillPeriod.endDate is 2026-10-22T23:59:59+01:00.
Planned contract end
98% confidence30 November 2029
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Award contractPeriod.endDate is 2029-11-30T23:59:59+00:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceCall-off occupational health services, provided as required.
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The notice states services will be provided "as and when required and on a call-off basis."
Core services
98% confidencePre-employment health assessments and post-entry employment medical services.
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Listed in the procurement description.
Specialist support
98% confidenceExpertise to support compliance with health and safety and disability legislation.
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Listed in the procurement description.
Delivery area
98% confidenceNorthern Ireland (UKN).
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Award delivery address region is UKN.
Lot structure
99% confidenceOne listed lot; no lot title or separate description published.
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Tender and award data reference lot 1 only; lot title and description are null.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen procedure.
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Tender procurementMethodDetails is "Open procedure".
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceAbove threshold.
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Award 1 aboveThreshold is true.
Competition information
99% confidenceNumber of tenders and evaluation results not supplied in the published data.
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No bid count, bidder list, scoring, ranking or evaluation narrative is included.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Planned initial term
98% confidence1 December 2026 to 30 November 2029.
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Award contractPeriod gives these start and end dates.
Extension option
99% confidenceOne further extension period of up to 36 months.
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Award renewal description states this option.
Maximum possible end date
98% confidence30 November 2032.
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Award contractPeriod.maxExtentDate is 2032-11-30.
Commercial model
99% confidenceCall-off / as-required service provision.
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Procurement description specifies call-off provision as and when required.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Addressable demand
97% confidenceDemand is variable rather than a fixed volume commitment.
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Services are to be supplied as required on a call-off basis.
Service breadth
98% confidenceThe requirement combines employee health assessments, medical services and legislative-compliance expertise.
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Scope description lists these elements.
Award maturity
99% confidenceThe supplier selection has been announced, but contract conclusion remains pending.
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Award is pending and the signature milestone is scheduled in the future.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Pending award status
99% confidenceThe record is a published award notice but does not evidence a signed contract or service commencement.
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Award status is pending; future signature date is scheduled for 30 November 2026.
Published information gaps
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice includes tender numbers, evaluation scores, pricing detail, lot title, individual service volumes and detailed performance terms.
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These fields are absent from the supplied record.
Supplier identity quality
99% confidenceSupplier identity has been verified by exact-name match to active company NI622446.
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Supplier verification status is verified with match method exact_name.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award is pending. The published record does not establish that a contract has been signed, commenced or remains capable of commencement.
- The published notice does not provide bid counts, bid prices, evaluation scores, award rationale, detailed pricing, service volumes or performance measures.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or separately stated value.
- The extension is an option, not a confirmed renewal.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Education AuthorityBLACKWELL ASSOCIATES LIMITEDoccupational health servicesNorthern Ireland procurementcall-off servicescontract award notice
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is the named supplier for the Education Authority occupational health services award?
BLACKWELL ASSOCIATES LIMITED, verified as company number NI622446.
Is the occupational health services contract signed?
No. The award is marked pending and the notice schedules a future signature date of 30 November 2026.
What is the published value?
£3.1 million excluding VAT, with £3.72 million including VAT shown in the award data.
How long is the planned term?
The planned initial term runs from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2029, with an optional extension of up to 36 months.
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.