AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
University of Portsmouth Higher Education Corporation awarded JISC SERVICES LIMITED a below-threshold contract for WAN connectivity supporting the relocation of primary IT infrastructure from the Rosalind Franklin Data Centre to the Nuffield Data Centre.
Published outcomeAward 1 is recorded as active, with an award date of 15 September 2026. The notice schedules contract start and signature for 9 March 2027; it does not state that the contract has been signed.
Market significanceThe £54,521 excluding-VAT award supports a critical university data-centre migration and is described as necessary to avoid technical incompatibility, duplicated costs and operational challenges associated with changing supplier.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
JISC SERVICES LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £54,521 excluding VAT; £65,425 including VAT GBP · Verified legal supplier; awarded
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Award 1 names JISC SERVICES LIMITED as supplier and gives £54,521 net and £65,425 gross. The supplier is verified against Companies House number 02881024.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract award notice on Find a Tender
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Document 095852-2026 is described as a Contract award notice on Find a Tender, published 9 October 2026.
Award status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 has status "active".
Signature status
98% confidenceFuture signature scheduled; not evidenced as signed
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Award milestone is a scheduled futureSignatureDate of 9 March 2027.
Contract start
98% confidence9 March 2027
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Award 1 contractPeriod startDate is 2027-03-09.
Contract end
98% confidence8 March 2032
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Award 1 contractPeriod endDate is 2032-03-08T23:59:59Z.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£54,521
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Award 1 value.amount is 54521 GBP; the notice description states the total contract value is £54,521 excluding VAT.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£65,425
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 65425 GBP.
Value allocation
93% confidenceSingle award covering lot 1
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Award 1 is linked to lot 1; no separate lot value is published.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Award date
98% confidence15 September 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-09-15.
Award notice published
99% confidence9 October 2026
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Award notice 095852-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-09.
Scheduled signature date
98% confidence9 March 2027
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Scheduled futureSignatureDate milestone is 2027-03-09.
Contract period
98% confidence9 March 2027 to 8 March 2032
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Award 1 contractPeriod provides these start and end dates.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceWAN connection supporting data-centre relocation
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Tender title is "Data Centre Relocation- WAN Connection"; description states the contract is intended to ensure uninterrupted services during migration from RFDC to NUDC.
Business context
98% confidenceDecommissioning Rosalind Franklin Data Centre and migrating primary IT infrastructure to Nuffield Data Centre
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Tender description states RFDC is being decommissioned and primary IT infrastructure relocated to NUDC, with main equipment migration planned before the end of 2026.
Procurement category
98% confidenceServices
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is services.
Classifications
97% confidenceSoftware package and information systems; IT services, consulting, software development, Internet and support
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Award item lists CPV 48000000 and CPV 72000000.
Delivery geography
94% confidenceUnited Kingdom
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Award item delivery address region is UK.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure context
98% confidenceBelow-threshold procurement; formal competitive process stated as not required
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Tender procurementMethodDetails is "Below threshold - unknown". Description states the £54,521 excluding-VAT value is below the applicable PA23 threshold and a formal competitive process is not required.
Supplier-change rationale
98% confidenceAuthority cites technical incompatibility, substantial duplicated costs, and disproportionate operational and maintenance challenges during migration
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Tender description gives these reasons in relation to changing supplier.
Competition data
99% confidenceNot published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
98% confidenceFive years
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The published contract period runs from 9 March 2027 to 8 March 2032.
Extension or renewal options
99% confidenceNot published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Signature milestone
98% confidenceScheduled for 9 March 2027
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Award milestone is a scheduled futureSignatureDate of 9 March 2027.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Continuity-led requirement
96% confidenceThe published rationale indicates continuity of existing network connectivity was a central consideration during a critical IT migration.
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The authority states that changing supplier would create technical incompatibility, duplicated costs, and disproportionate operational and maintenance challenges.
Value context
98% confidenceThe notice describes the £54,521 excluding-VAT value as below the applicable PA23 goods and services threshold.
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Tender description explicitly makes this statement.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Contract conclusion
98% confidenceThe record is an active award, but a future signature milestone is scheduled; the notice does not evidence a signed contract.
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Award status is active and futureSignatureDate is scheduled for 9 March 2027.
Competition and evaluation
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No bidder count, evaluation criteria, scores or award comparison is provided.
Lot detail
98% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
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Lot 1 is listed only with status complete; the award is linked to it.
Commercial terms
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice on pricing breakdown, service levels, termination, or extension arrangements.
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These details are absent from the supplied award and contract data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published record does not evidence that the contract has been signed; it provides a scheduled future signature date.
- Information not supplied in the published notice on tender participation, bid evaluation, scores, award comparison or savings.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice on extension options, renewal mechanisms, service levels, pricing breakdown or termination terms.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
University of PortsmouthJISC SERVICES LIMITEDWAN connectiondata centre relocationNuffield Data CentreIT services contractFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the University of Portsmouth WAN connection award?
JISC SERVICES LIMITED, verified under Companies House number 02881024.
What is the award value?
£54,521 excluding VAT, with a published gross value of £65,425.
Has the contract been signed?
The notice records an active award but only a scheduled future signature date of 9 March 2027; it does not state that the contract has been signed.
How long is the published contract period?
From 9 March 2027 to 8 March 2032.
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.