AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
University of Gloucestershire published an award and contract notice for staff benefits, employee assistance, and reward and recognition services. The notice records a contract signed with SME HCI LIMITED for £27,000.
Published outcomeOne award is recorded to SME HCI LIMITED. Contract data records a £27,000 GBP contract signed on 9 October 2026; no service start or end date is published.
Market significanceThis is a small, single-supplier staff-benefits services award made following further competition under the ESPO Staff Benefits Framework Agreement 319_23.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
SME HCI LIMITED
98% confidenceAward 096298-2026-1 · Lots 1 · 27000 GBP · active
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Verified supplier identity is SME HCI LIMITED (company number 05558651). Award 096298-2026-1 names SME HCI Limited; the linked contract records £27,000 GBP.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
96% confidenceAward and contract notice published; source process marked complete
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Process display_status is 'awarded', source_status is 'complete', and the release is tagged 'award' and 'contract'.
Award status
96% confidenceActive
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Award 096298-2026-1 has status 'active'.
Contract status
96% confidenceActive; signed date recorded
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Contract 096298-2026-1 has status 'active' and dateSigned '2026-10-09T00:00:00+01:00'.
Lot status inconsistency
99% confidenceCancelled
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Lot 1 is marked 'cancelled', while the related award and contract are marked active.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value
99% confidence£27,000 GBP
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Contract 096298-2026-1 value is amount 27000, currency GBP.
Value allocation
91% confidenceContract-level value linked to the sole recorded award and supplier
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The contract is linked to award 096298-2026-1, which names one supplier.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence9 October 2026
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Contract dateSigned is 2026-10-09T00:00:00+01:00.
Award and contract notice published
99% confidence12 October 2026
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Published_at and release_date are 2026-10-12T17:23:06+01:00.
Service commencement
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice; contract_start_at is null.
Contract end
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice; contract_end_at is null.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
97% confidenceStaff benefit schemes, employee assistance programme, and reward and recognition programme for all staff
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Tender and lot descriptions specify staff benefit schemes including employee assistance and reward and recognition programmes.
Service classification
96% confidenceGuidance and counselling services (CPV 85312300)
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Tender primary classification is CPV 85312300.
Additional classification
95% confidenceMiscellaneous services (CPV 98300000)
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Item additional classification is CPV 98300000.
Delivery region
91% confidenceUKK1
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The item delivery address specifies region UKK1.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
96% confidenceLimited procedure
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Tender procurementMethod is 'limited'.
Procedure detail
98% confidenceAward procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states this wording.
Route to award
98% confidenceFurther competition under ESPO Staff Benefits Framework Agreement 319_23
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Tender procurementMethodRationale states: 'Awarded after further competition on ESPO Staff Benefits Framework Agreement ref 319_23'.
Competition information
99% confidenceBidder count and evaluation results unknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Award criterion
94% confidencePrice
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Lot 1 awardCriteria contains one criterion of type 'price'.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract title
98% confidenceProvision of Staff Benefits, Employee Assistance and Reward & Recognition
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This is the title of award and contract 096298-2026-1.
Options
95% confidenceNo options stated
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Lot 1 hasOptions is false.
Electronic auction
90% confidenceElectronic auction indicated
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Tender techniques hasElectronicAuction is true.
Duration and extension terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice; no end date, duration, or extension terms are provided.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
96% confidenceSingle-supplier award with a published contract value of £27,000 GBP
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One active award names one supplier, and its linked contract records £27,000 GBP.
Market route
96% confidenceFramework further competition rather than an openly published call for competition
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The rationale cites a further competition under ESPO Framework Agreement 319_23; procedure details state no prior publication of a call for competition.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Conflicting lot and award records
99% confidenceLot 1 is cancelled, but its related award and contract are active
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Lot 1 status is 'cancelled'; award and contract 096298-2026-1, both linked to lot 1, are 'active'.
Contract dates incomplete
99% confidenceStart and end dates not supplied
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contract_start_at and contract_end_at are null; the contract record supplies only a signed date.
Supplier identity quality
99% confidenceVerified
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Supplier was matched by company number to SME HCI LIMITED (05558651); no name mismatch is flagged.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published records conflict: lot 1 is marked cancelled while the linked award and contract are marked active. This analysis reports both statuses without resolving the discrepancy.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: contract start date, end date, duration, extension terms, bidder count, bid prices, scoring and evaluation rationale.
- No individual lot value is published; the £27,000 GBP figure is the linked contract-level value.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
University of GloucestershireSME HCI LIMITEDemployee benefitsemployee assistance programmereward and recognitionESPO Staff Benefits Frameworkpublic procurement contract award
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the University of Gloucestershire staff benefits contract?
The recorded supplier is SME HCI LIMITED, company number 05558651.
What is the published contract value?
The linked contract record states £27,000 GBP.
When was the contract signed?
The contract record gives a signed date of 9 October 2026.
Was the procurement run through a framework?
The notice states that the award followed further competition under ESPO Staff Benefits Framework Agreement 319_23.
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.