AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has awarded and signed a direct, below-threshold proof-of-concept contract with CAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTD to test AI as a replacement for an evaluator during procurement assessment.
Published outcomeOne active award and one active contract are recorded for CAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTD. The contract was signed on 8 October 2026 and is scheduled to run from 12 October to 31 December 2026.
Market significanceThis is a short procurement-technology proof of concept using a direct, below-threshold route without competition. The published contract value is £1 excluding VAT (£1.20 including VAT), an unusually low figure that should be interpreted with caution.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
CAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTD
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £1 excluding VAT; £1.20 including VAT GBP · Verified legal supplier; active award and contract
View supporting evidence
Award 1 names Capita Business Services Ltd as its sole supplier. Supplier verification provides verified_company_name "CAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTD" (company number 02299747). Contract 1, linked to award 1, records amount £1 and amountGross £1.20.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
View supporting evidence
Document 095309-2026 is described as a "Contract details notice on Find a Tender" and was published on 8 October 2026.
Award status
99% confidenceActive
View supporting evidence
Award 1 has status "active".
Contract status
99% confidenceActive
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 has status "active".
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned on 8 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 states dateSigned: 2026-10-08T00:00:00+01:00.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£1
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 value.amount is 1 and currency is GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£1.20
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 value.amountGross is 1.2 and currency is GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence8 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-08.
Notice published
99% confidence8 October 2026
View supporting evidence
The contract details notice has datePublished 2026-10-08T15:12:58+01:00.
Contract start
99% confidence12 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-10-12.
Contract end
99% confidence31 December 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.endDate is 2026-12-31T23:59:59Z.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceProof of concept to test and measure the benefit/effectiveness of AI in replacing the role of an evaluator during the procurement assessment phase.
View supporting evidence
Tender title and description state: "Procurement AI - Role of an Evaluator Proof of Concept" and describe testing AI in replacing an evaluator role.
Procurement category
99% confidenceGoods
View supporting evidence
Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is "goods".
Classification
99% confidenceCPV 48000000 — Software package and information systems
View supporting evidence
Award item 1 includes CPV 48000000 with this description.
Delivery geography
95% confidenceUnited Kingdom
View supporting evidence
Award item 1 lists a delivery address in region UK, country GB.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect procurement
View supporting evidence
Tender procurementMethod is "direct".
Competition approach
99% confidenceBelow threshold — without competition
View supporting evidence
Tender procurementMethodDetails states "Below threshold - without competition".
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceNo
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
99% confidence12 October 2026 to 31 December 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period records these start and end dates.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
View supporting evidence
Information not supplied in the published notice.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
95% confidenceShort-duration AI evaluation proof of concept
View supporting evidence
The published scope is a proof of concept and the stated term runs from 12 October to 31 December 2026.
Route-to-market signal
99% confidenceThe FCA used a direct below-threshold route without competition for this requirement.
View supporting evidence
Tender procurementMethod is direct and procurementMethodDetails states "Below threshold - without competition".
Evaluation information
99% confidenceNo scoring, bidder, pricing breakdown, or award rationale is published.
View supporting evidence
Information not supplied in the published notice.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Published value requires caution
99% confidenceThe contract records £1 excluding VAT and £1.20 including VAT. This unusually low value is reported as published; no explanation or pricing breakdown is supplied.
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 value records amount 1, amountGross 1.2, currency GBP.
Award date
99% confidenceNot published
View supporting evidence
The award record has no award_date.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description, or separate lot value.
View supporting evidence
Lot 1 is listed as complete, while its title, description and value fields are null.
Competition and evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice beyond the stated direct, below-threshold route without competition.
View supporting evidence
No bid counts, evaluation criteria, scores, or rationale are included in the supplied data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The notice does not publish an award date, bid count, evaluation methodology, scores, award rationale, pricing breakdown, or supplier-selection rationale.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description, or individual value.
- No extension, renewal, or follow-on procurement terms are published.
- The reported contract value of £1 excluding VAT (£1.20 including VAT) is unusually low and is presented without explanation.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
FCACAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTDprocurement AIevaluator proof of conceptdirect awardFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the FCA procurement AI proof-of-concept contract?
CAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTD was the sole supplier named for award 1.
When does the FCA AI proof-of-concept contract run?
The published contract period is 12 October 2026 to 31 December 2026.
Was the procurement competed?
The notice states a direct, below-threshold procedure without competition.
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.