AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology has recorded a direct award to ELSEVIER B.V LTD for a Researchfish Explorer subscription supporting UK Space Agency monitoring of research and innovation outcomes. The published contract record states that it was signed on 8 October 2026 and runs to 31 March 2027.
Published outcomeOne active award and one active contract are recorded for ELSEVIER B.V LTD under a below-threshold direct procurement without competition.
Market significanceThe buyer states that the proprietary platform and associated access rights are exclusively controlled by Elsevier, making this a single-supplier requirement rather than a competed software subscription.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
ELSEVIER B.V LTD
98% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £28,530.18 excluding VAT; £34,236.22 including VAT GBP · Active award; active contract
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Verified supplier name supplied as ELSEVIER B.V LTD. Award 1 names source supplier "Elsevier B.V."; its linked contract value is GBP 28,530.18 net and GBP 34,236.22 gross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Published document description: "Contract details notice on Find a Tender".
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 signature
99% confidenceSigned on 8 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned: 2026-10-08.
Contract period
99% confidence8 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period startDate: 2026-10-08; endDate: 2027-03-31.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£28,530.18
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Contract 1 value.amount: 28530.18 GBP; amountGross: 34236.22 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£34,236.22
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Contract 1 value.amountGross: 34236.22 GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceOne contract linked to award 1 and lot 1
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Contract 1 awardID is 1; award 1 is related to lot 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence8 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned: 2026-10-08.
Contract start
99% confidence8 October 2026
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Contract 1 period.startDate: 2026-10-08.
Contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period.endDate: 2027-03-31.
Notice published
99% confidence15 October 2026
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Contract details notice datePublished: 2026-10-15.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceResearchfish Explorer subscription
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Tender and contract title: "Researchfish Explorer Subscription 2026–2027".
Purpose
99% confidenceAccess to grant outcome data for monitoring and analysis of research and innovation outcomes from funded activities
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Published description states that the subscription provides access to grant outcome data for these purposes.
Category
99% confidenceSoftware package and information systems
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Award item CPV 48000000: "Software package and information systems".
Delivery location
98% confidenceUnited Kingdom
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Award item delivery address region: UK, country: GB.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect procurement
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Tender procurementMethod: "direct".
Procedure detail
99% confidenceBelow threshold - without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails: "Below threshold - without competition".
Stated legal rationale
99% confidenceSchedule 5, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023: intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights
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Published description expressly cites this basis.
Competition rationale
98% confidenceThe buyer states that Elsevier exclusively controls the platform, software and access rights, so the requirement can only be supplied by the holder of those rights.
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Published description states that competition is absent for this reason.
Bid count and evaluation
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract term
98% confidenceApproximately 175 days, from 8 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Published contract period runs from 2026-10-08 to 2027-03-31.
Threshold status
99% confidenceBelow threshold
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Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Supplier switching conditions
96% confidenceBuyer-described exclusive-rights dependency
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The buyer states that proprietary platform ownership and access rights are controlled exclusively by Elsevier. This describes the published rationale, not an independent assessment of alternatives.
Commercial model
95% confidenceShort-duration software/data-access subscription
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The stated requirement is a subscription, with a contract period from October 2026 to March 2027.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier identity
98% confidenceVerified legal supplier identity available
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Verification status is verified, with verified company name ELSEVIER B.V LTD and company number 17266213.
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% confidenceNo bid count, bidder identities or evaluation information published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Contract change information
99% confidenceNo modification information published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bid count, bidder identities, evaluation results, pricing breakdown and extension or renewal terms.
- No modification information is published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
ELSEVIER B.V LTDResearchfish ExplorerDepartment for Science, Innovation & TechnologyUK Space Agencydirect awardsoftware subscriptionresearch outcome data
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Researchfish Explorer Subscription 2026–2027 contract?
ELSEVIER B.V LTD is the verified legal supplier linked to award 1. The source notice names the supplier as Elsevier B.V.
What is the contract value?
The published contract value is £28,530.18 excluding VAT and £34,236.22 including VAT.
Why was the procurement not competed?
The buyer states that the platform and related access rights are exclusively controlled by Elsevier, citing Schedule 5, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.
When does the contract end?
The published contract end date is 31 March 2027.
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.