AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Department for Transport has awarded and signed a direct, below-threshold contract with UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS for sponsorship of fees for an Active Travel England individual undertaking a part-time PhD on women’s safety related to transport.
Published outcomeOne active award and contract are recorded for UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS. The contract was signed on 12 October 2026 and runs from 13 October 2026 to 30 September 2032.
Market significanceThis is a £18,000 net (£21,600 gross) public-sector research and education-services engagement awarded without competition.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £18,000 net; £21,600 gross GBP · Verified supplier; active award and contract
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Award 1 identifies University of Leeds as supplier. Supplier verification confirms verified company name UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, company number RC000658. The single contract linked to award 1 records GBP 18,000 amount and GBP 21,600 amountGross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Document 096417-2026 is described as a "Contract details notice on Find a Tender" and has UK7 notice type.
Procurement status
98% confidenceComplete
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Tender status is "complete"; the process source status is "complete".
Award status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 has status "active".
Contract status
98% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 has status "active".
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned 12 October 2026
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Contract 1 records dateSigned as 2026-10-12.
Contract period
99% confidence13 October 2026 to 30 September 2032
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Contract 1 period records startDate 2026-10-13 and endDate 2032-09-30.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£18,000
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Contract 1 value.amount is 18000 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£21,600
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 21600 GBP.
Value attribution
98% confidenceThe published contract value relates to the single contract linked to award 1 and its sole supplier.
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Contract 1 is linked to awardID 1; award 1 names one supplier, University of Leeds.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence12 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-12.
Contract start
99% confidence13 October 2026
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Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-10-13.
Notice published
99% confidence13 October 2026
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Notice 096417-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-13T10:47:51+01:00.
Contract end
99% confidence30 September 2032
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Contract 1 period.endDate is 2032-09-30.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceSponsorship of fees for an Active Travel England individual to undertake a part-time PhD on women’s safety related to transport.
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Tender description states: "Sponsorhip of fees for an individual at Active Travel England to undertake a part time PhD on women's safety related to transport".
Procurement categories
99% confidenceResearch services; education and training services
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Award item classifications are CPV 73110000 Research services and CPV 80000000 Education and training services.
Lot structure
99% confidenceOne lot recorded (lot 1).
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Tender data contains one lot, ID 1; award 1 is related to lot 1.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect procurement
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct".
Procedure detail
99% confidenceBelow threshold – without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails is "Below threshold - without competition".
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceNo
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Contract 1 records aboveThreshold as false.
Competition information
98% confidenceNo competition was conducted; bid counts and evaluation information were not supplied.
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The procedure detail states "without competition". No bid-count or evaluation fields are present.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
99% confidence13 October 2026 to 30 September 2032
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Contract 1 period provides these start and end dates.
Contract value
99% confidence£18,000 excluding VAT; £21,600 including VAT
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Contract 1 records amount 18000 and amountGross 21600, in GBP.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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No extension or renewal terms are supplied in the published contract data.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial model
96% confidenceFee sponsorship for a part-time PhD, rather than a competitively tendered multi-supplier research framework.
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The description specifies sponsorship of fees for an individual undertaking a part-time PhD; the procedure is direct and without competition.
Supplier-market implication
97% confidenceThe published record indicates a single-supplier academic engagement with UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS for the stated research and education-related purpose.
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There is one award, one supplier, one lot and one contract; award classifications cover research and education and training services.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award date
99% confidenceNot supplied in the published notice data.
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Award 1 has no award_date in the supplied award summary, and no award date is stated in the OCDS award object.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
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Lot 1 is recorded only with ID and complete status; title, description and value are null.
Pricing detail
99% confidenceThe published record gives net and gross contract totals but no payment profile or detailed price breakdown.
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Contract 1 provides amount and amountGross only.
Evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No evaluation criteria, scoring, rationale or bid submissions are included in the supplied data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published notice does not provide an award decision date.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Bid counts, evaluation criteria, scores, award rationale and pricing breakdowns were not supplied.
- No extension or renewal terms were published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Department for TransportUNIVERSITY OF LEEDSActive Travel Englandwomen's safetyPhD sponsorshiptransport researchresearch serviceseducation and training services
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Active Travel England Women’s Safety PhD Sponsorship contract?
UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, verified under company number RC000658.
What is the contract value?
The contract value is £18,000 excluding VAT and £21,600 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
It was signed on 12 October 2026 and runs from 13 October 2026 to 30 September 2032.
Was the opportunity competed?
No. The published procedure is direct procurement, below threshold and 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.