AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
NS&I awarded Optimal Workshop a direct, below-threshold contract for a user-research platform supporting unmoderated research, usability testing and service improvement.
Published outcomeThe contract record is active and states that it was signed on 1 October 2026, with a term to 30 September 2027.
Market significanceThis is a £19,000 gross software procurement for research and usability-testing capability, awarded without competition.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
Optimal Workshop
98% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · Shared contract value: £19,000 gross (£15,833.33 net) GBP · Active contract
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Award 1 names Optimal Workshop as its sole supplier and is linked to contract 1. Contract 1 gives the value; no separate award or lot value is published.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Published document 096332-2026 is described as a Contract details notice on Find a Tender.
Procurement status
99% confidenceComplete; award and contract recorded as active
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Tender status is complete; award 1 and contract 1 each have status active.
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned 1 October 2026
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Contract 1 specifies dateSigned: 2026-10-01.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value, gross
99% confidence£19,000
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 19000 GBP.
Contract value, net
99% confidence£15,833.33
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Contract 1 value.amount is 15833.33 GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceOne contract linked to award 1 and lot 1
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Contract 1 references awardID 1; award 1 relates to lot 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed and started
99% confidence1 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned and period.startDate are both 2026-10-01.
Contract end
99% confidence30 September 2027
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Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-09-30T23:59:59+01:00.
Notice published
99% confidence13 October 2026
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Document 096332-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-13.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceUser-research tool for internal research, usability testing and evidence-based service improvement
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The tender description states NS&I requires a user research tool for these purposes.
Research capability
99% confidenceUnmoderated research with customers and consumers who are not customers
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The description says the platform will enable unmoderated research with customers and consumers (non-customers).
Category
97% confidenceGoods; industry-specific software package
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Award 1 lists mainProcurementCategory as goods and CPV 48100000, Industry specific software package.
Delivery location
98% confidenceUnited Kingdom
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The award item lists a delivery address with country GB and region UK.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect
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Tender procurementMethod is direct.
Competition approach
99% confidenceBelow threshold – without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states Below threshold - without competition.
Bidder and evaluation information
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
99% confidence1 year
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The stated period runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.
Extension or renewal options
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Threshold status
99% confidenceBelow threshold
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Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial model signal
92% confidenceA time-limited software-platform procurement
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The requirement is for a user-research tool, classified as industry-specific software, with a one-year contract period.
Route-to-market signal
99% confidenceDirect below-threshold purchase without competition
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The published procurement method is direct and the method detail says below threshold - without competition.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier identity
99% confidenceSupplier name is published as Optimal Workshop; no UK company verification was applicable
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Supplier verification status is not_applicable, with no verified company name or number supplied.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value
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Lot 1 is recorded as complete, but its title, description and value fields are null.
Competition detail
99% confidenceBid count, bidder identities and evaluation results are not published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Contract changes
95% confidenceNo modification information is supplied
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Information not supplied beyond the active contract record.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- No separate award or lot value is published; the stated value is the contract-level amount linked to the sole published award and lot.
- Lot 1 has no published title or description.
- Information on bids, evaluation, pricing structure, extension options and renewal rights is not supplied in the published notice.
- Optimal Workshop is the published supplier name, but no verified legal company name or company number is supplied because UK company verification was not applicable.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
NS&IOptimal Workshopuser research toolusability testingjourney testingFind a Tenderdirect awardsoftware procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the NS&I user research, usability and journey testing contract?
Optimal Workshop is named as the supplier for award 1.
What is the contract value?
The published contract value is £19,000 gross, or £15,833.33 net, in GBP.
When does the contract run?
The published contract period is 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.
Was the procurement competed?
The notice describes it as 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.