AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
General Medical Council has issued a contract award notice naming The Guardian Service Limited as the intended supplier for external freedom to speak up guardian services. The award remains pending and is subject to a standstill period; the source records a future signature milestone, so a concluded or signed contract is not evidenced.
Published outcomeOne pending award for lot 1 to The Guardian Service Limited, with an award value of £400,000 excluding VAT (£480,000 gross).
Market significanceThis is an above-threshold open-procedure services award with a potential maximum term through October 2030 if both stated extension options are exercised.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
The Guardian Service Limited
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 400000 GBP · Pending award
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Award 1 names The Guardian Service Limited as supplier, covers related lot 1, has status pending, and states value amount £400,000.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Procurement stage
99% confidenceContract award notice; award pending
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Process display status is awarded, while award 1 has status 'pending'.
Preliminary market engagement
98% confidencePublished 6 August 2026
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Release history lists preliminary market engagement notice 074976-2026 dated 2026-08-06.
Tender notice
98% confidencePublished 14 August 2026
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Release history lists tender notice 077662-2026 dated 2026-08-14.
Award notice
99% confidencePublished 7 October 2026
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Award notice 094893-2026 is dated 2026-10-07.
Contract signature
99% confidenceNot evidenced; future signature milestone scheduled for 20 October 2026
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Award milestone type is futureSignatureDate, due 2026-10-20; no signed-contract status or signature confirmation is provided.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£400,000
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Award 1 value.amount is 400000 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£480,000
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 480000 GBP.
Opportunity maximum value
94% confidence£400,000
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Process-level value_max is 400000 GBP.
Value allocation
93% confidenceSingle award to one named supplier; no separate lot value published
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The only award names one supplier and related lot 1; lot value is null.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender submission deadline
99% confidence11 September 2026, 12:00 BST
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Process submission_deadline is 2026-09-11T12:00:00+01:00.
Award decision date
98% confidence7 October 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-07.
Standstill end
99% confidence16 October 2026, 23:59:59 BST
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Award 1 standstillPeriod.endDate is 2026-10-16T23:59:59+01:00.
Scheduled signature date
99% confidence20 October 2026
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Future signature milestone dueDate is 2026-10-20T23:59:59+01:00.
Planned contract start
98% confidence23 October 2026
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Award contractPeriod.startDate is 2026-10-23.
Planned initial end
98% confidence22 October 2028
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Award contractPeriod.endDate is 2028-10-22.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceExternal freedom to speak up guardian services supporting GMC colleagues
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Procurement description states: 'The provision of external freedom to speak up guardian services to support our colleagues'.
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices
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Process and award main procurement category are services.
CPV classification
99% confidence79414000 — Human resources management consultancy services
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Award item additional classification gives CPV 79414000.
Lot structure
99% confidenceOne lot (lot 1)
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Tender lists lot 1 and award 1 is related to lot 1.
Delivery geography
98% confidenceUnited Kingdom
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Award delivery address is region UK, country GB.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen procedure
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Tender procurementMethod is open and procurementMethodDetails is 'Open procedure'.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceYes
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Award 1 aboveThreshold is true.
Competition data
99% confidenceUnknown
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No number of tenders, participating suppliers, scores, ranking, or evaluation results are supplied.
Award rationale
99% confidenceNot published in supplied data
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No award rationale or assessment outcome is included.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Award status
99% confidencePending
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Award 1 status is pending.
Initial term
98% confidence23 October 2026 to 22 October 2028
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Award contract period specifies those start and end dates.
Extension options
99% confidenceUp to two 12-month extensions
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Renewal description states an option to extend by two periods of 12 months.
Maximum possible end date
99% confidence22 October 2030
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Award contractPeriod.maxExtentDate is 2030-10-22.
Contract conclusion
99% confidenceNot evidenced
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The record is a pending award with a scheduled future signature date; it does not confirm contract signature or execution.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial position
99% confidencePending award subject to standstill, rather than confirmed contract delivery
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Award status is pending; standstill ends 16 October 2026 and signature is scheduled later.
Market route
98% confidenceOpen above-threshold procurement preceded by preliminary market engagement
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Release history shows planning engagement followed by an open tender; award is above threshold.
Value interpretation
99% confidence£400,000 is the published award amount excluding VAT; £480,000 is the gross amount
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Award value contains amount 400000 and amountGross 480000 GBP.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Contract status clarity
99% confidenceClear that award is pending; signature and conclusion are not confirmed
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Pending award status and future signature milestone are both provided.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLimited
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Lot 1 has no title, description, or standalone value.
Competition transparency
99% confidenceLimited
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No tender counts, bidder identities beyond awardee, evaluation scores, or award rationale are supplied.
Process-level dates
97% confidenceIncomplete
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Top-level contract start and end fields are null, although award-level planned dates are provided.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Lot 1 has no published title, description, or standalone value, although it is the only lot and is linked to the only award.
- No number of bids, evaluation scores, award rationale, or tenderer list is supplied, so competitive intensity and reasons for selection cannot be assessed.
- The notice is a pending award, not evidence of a signed or concluded contract; monitor for a subsequent contract notice or confirmation after the scheduled signature date.
- Top-level contract start and end fields are null; dates reported here are taken from the award-level planned contract period.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
General Medical CouncilGMCThe Guardian Service Limitedfreedom to speak up guardian servicescontract awardopen procedureUK public procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who was named for the GMC freedom to speak up guardian services award?
The Guardian Service Limited was named as supplier for the single published award.
Has the GMC contract been signed?
Not according to the supplied record. The award is pending, with a future signature milestone scheduled for 20 October 2026.
What is the published award value?
£400,000 excluding VAT, with a stated gross amount of £480,000.
How long could the arrangement run?
The initial planned term ends on 22 October 2028, with up to two 12-month extensions and a published maximum end date of 22 October 2030.
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.