AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Financial Conduct Authority awarded a direct, below-threshold contract for live court transcription services for a criminal trial to EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD. The published contract record states it was signed on 24 September 2026 and will run from 4 January to 23 April 2027.
Published outcomeOne active award and one active contract are recorded for lot 1, with EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD. as the verified legal supplier.
Market significanceThis is a short-duration, below-threshold professional services engagement procured without competition, with a published net contract value of £78,850 and gross value of £94,620.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD.
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £78,850 net; £94,620 gross (contract-level value) GBP · Verified legal supplier; active award and contract
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The award names supplier ID GB-COH-05343223 for lot 1. Supplier verification matches company number 05343223 to EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD. Contract 1, linked to award 1, states £78,850 amount and £94,620 amountGross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Published document 095522-2026 is described as a "Contract details notice on Find a Tender".
Procurement status
96% confidenceComplete
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Tender status is "complete"; the process display status is "awarded".
Award status
99% confidenceActive
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Award 1 has status "active".
Contract status
99% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 has status "active".
Contract signed
99% confidence24 September 2026
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Contract 1 states dateSigned as 2026-09-24.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value, excluding VAT
99% confidence£78,850
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Contract 1 value.amount is 78850 GBP.
Contract value, including VAT
99% confidence£94,620
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 94620 GBP.
Value allocation
96% confidenceContract-level value linked to award 1 and lot 1
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Contract 1 is linked to awardID 1; award 1 relates to lot 1 and names one supplier.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed date
99% confidence24 September 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-09-24.
Notice publication date
99% confidence9 October 2026
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Document 095522-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-09.
Contract start date
99% confidence4 January 2027
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Contract 1 period.startDate is 2027-01-04.
Contract end date
99% confidence23 April 2027
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Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-04-23T23:59:59+01:00.
Planned contract duration
94% confidenceApproximately 109 days
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Calculated from the published contract period of 4 January 2027 to 23 April 2027.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceLive transcription services for a criminal trial
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The tender description states: "Provision of live transcription services for a criminal trial."
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is "services".
CPV classification
99% confidence75231100 — Law-courts-related administrative services
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Award item 1 lists CPV 75231100.
Delivery geography
98% confidenceUnited Kingdom
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Award item 1 specifies a delivery address in region UK, country GB.
Lot structure
99% confidenceOne published lot (lot 1)
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Tender data lists lot 1 only; award 1 and contract 1 are linked to it.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct".
Procedure detail
99% confidenceBelow threshold - without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states "Below threshold - without competition".
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceNo
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Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.
Competition information
99% confidenceNo bidder count, evaluation results or award rationale published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract period
99% confidence4 January 2027 to 23 April 2027
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Contract 1 period states these start and end dates.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
VAT treatment
99% confidencePublished values include both net and gross amounts
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Contract 1 provides amount of £78,850 and amountGross of £94,620.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial route
99% confidenceDirect below-threshold procurement without competition
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The published procurement method detail is "Below threshold - without competition".
Engagement profile
96% confidenceTime-limited transcription requirement tied to a criminal trial
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The description specifies live transcription for a criminal trial and the contract period ends on 23 April 2027.
Published pricing visibility
99% confidenceAggregate net and gross contract values are available; no rate card or pricing breakdown is published
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Contract 1 provides total amounts only. Information on pricing breakdown is not supplied in the published notice.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier name difference handled
99% confidenceThe source notice names "Epiq Europe Ltd.", while company-number verification identifies EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD. as the legal supplier.
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Source supplier name is Epiq Europe Ltd.; verified company name for matched company number 05343223 is EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD.; supplier_name_mismatch is true.
Award date
99% confidenceNot published
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Award 1 has no award_date. Information not supplied in the published notice.
Lot title and lot-specific description
99% confidenceNot published
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Lot 1 has no title or description. Information not supplied in the published notice.
Competition and evaluation detail
99% confidenceNot published
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No bidder count, scoring, tenderer list, rationale or evaluation information is provided.
Contract value basis
99% confidenceNet and gross amounts are published, but no detailed pricing basis is stated
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Contract value contains amount and amountGross; no rate or pricing schedule is supplied.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The source supplier name, "Epiq Europe Ltd.", differs from the verified legal company name, EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD.; the analysis uses the verified legal identity and retains the source name as evidence.
- No award decision date is published.
- No bidder count, competing suppliers, evaluation scores, award rationale or detailed pricing information is published.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
- No extension, option or renewal terms are published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Financial Conduct AuthorityFCACourt Transcription ServicesEPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD.live transcription servicescriminal trialdirect awardFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the FCA Court Transcription Services contract?
EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD. is the verified legal supplier. The published source notice names Epiq Europe Ltd., and the company number matches EPIQ SYSTEMS, LTD.
What is the value of the contract?
The published contract value is £78,850 excluding VAT and £94,620 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
The published contract period is from 4 January 2027 to 23 April 2027.
Was the contract competitively tendered?
The notice describes a direct, below-threshold procurement 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.