AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Northern Gas Networks Limited has published a transparency notice stating its intention to directly award a three-year ArcGIS Enterprise licence agreement to ESRI (UK) LIMITED. The award remains pending and the notice schedules signature for 23 October 2026; it does not evidence a signed or active contract.
Published outcomePending direct award to ESRI (UK) LIMITED for ArcGIS software licences, maintenance and technical support.
Market significanceThis is a proprietary-software continuity procurement in a utilities context, with the buyer citing Esri intellectual-property rights, technical reasons and the cost and disruption of replacing its established GIS environment.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
ESRI (UK) LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £1,264,522 net; £1,517,426.40 gross GBP · Pending award
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Award 1 names ESRI (UK) LIMITED (GB-COH-01288342), verified by supplied Companies House number 01288342. The award value is GBP 1,264,522 with gross amount GBP 1,517,426.40; award status is pending.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
99% confidenceAwarded transparency notice; underlying award status is pending
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Process display status is "awarded" and the notice is a "Transparency notice on Find a Tender"; award 1 has status "pending".
Contract conclusion
99% confidenceNot evidenced
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The award is pending and only a future signature milestone is supplied.
Future signature date
99% confidence23 October 2026
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Award milestone type "futureSignatureDate" is scheduled for 2026-10-23T23:59:59+01:00.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value, net
99% confidence£1,264,522
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Award 1 value amount is 1264522 GBP.
Award value, gross
99% confidence£1,517,426.40
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Award 1 value amountGross is 1517426.4 GBP.
Value allocation
96% confidenceSingle award covering lot 1
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The published award value is recorded at award level and award 1 relates to lot 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Notice published
99% confidence15 October 2026
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The award notice was published at 2026-10-15T11:44:22+01:00.
Planned contract period
99% confidence23 October 2026 to 28 August 2029
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Award 1 contractPeriod specifies startDate 2026-10-23 and endDate 2029-08-28.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceArcGIS Enterprise software licences, associated maintenance and technical support
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The notice describes continued provision of Esri ArcGIS software licences and associated maintenance and technical support.
Operational use
98% confidenceGIS supporting network and asset information, operational mapping, field mobility and workflow processes
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The published description identifies these established GIS capabilities.
Flexibility
98% confidenceAdditional eligible licences may be deployed during the term
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The notice says the agreement provides flexibility to deploy additional eligible licences as business requirements change.
Category and classification
99% confidenceServices; CPV 72268000 — Software supply services
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Award 1 is categorised as services and its item carries CPV 72268000.
Delivery regions
98% confidenceUKC and UKE
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Award item 1 lists delivery addresses in UKC and UKE.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect award
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The process procurement method and details are recorded as direct / Direct award.
Published rationale
99% confidenceExclusive licensing and intellectual-property rights, plus absence of competition for technical reasons
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The buyer states Esri controls the relevant ArcGIS intellectual property and licensing rights and classifies the rationale as exclusive rights and technical reasons.
Buyer’s continuity rationale
98% confidenceReplacing the established ArcGIS environment would require migration and redevelopment of applications, integrations and workflows, causing technical complexity and disruption
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This is stated in the procurement-method rationale.
Competition data
99% confidenceNot published
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No bid count, bidder list, evaluation scores or comparative pricing information is supplied.
Regime
99% confidenceUtilities
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Tender specialRegime is recorded as utilities.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Planned duration
96% confidenceApproximately 34 months, 6 days
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The published planned period runs from 23 October 2026 to 28 August 2029.
Extensions or options
99% confidenceNot published
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No extension, option or renewal clauses are supplied.
Contract start
99% confidencePlanned for 23 October 2026; not evidenced as commenced
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The date appears in the pending award's contractPeriod, alongside a scheduled future signature milestone.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
97% confidenceEnterprise licensing arrangement supporting continuity and potential additional eligible licences
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The description calls for an Enterprise Licence Agreement and permits deployment of additional eligible licences during the term.
Market access implication
96% confidenceThe buyer’s stated rationale indicates limited substitutability for the specified ArcGIS enterprise licensing arrangement
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The buyer cites Esri’s exclusive rights and says no reasonable alternative can meet the current requirement without replacing or materially redesigning its GIS environment.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award and contract status
99% confidenceThe record is a transparency notice with a pending award, not evidence of a signed or active contract
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Award 1 is pending; signature is recorded as a future scheduled milestone.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value
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Lot 1 is listed only with status complete and no title, description or value.
Commercial and evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice
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No bid data, scoring, pricing breakdown, award decision date or signed contract document is supplied.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award is pending; the supplied data does not confirm signature, contract conclusion or commencement.
- Lot 1 is unnamed and has no separate description or value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bid count, competing suppliers, evaluation methodology, scores, pricing breakdown, award decision date, contract document and extension terms.
- The planned contract dates may change before signature.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Northern Gas NetworksESRI (UK) LIMITEDArcGIS EnterpriseGIS software licencesdirect awardutilities procurementsoftware supply services
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is the proposed supplier?
ESRI (UK) LIMITED, verified in the supplied data against company number 01288342.
Has the contract been signed?
No. The published award is pending and lists a future signature date of 23 October 2026.
Why was a direct award used?
The buyer cites Esri’s exclusive licensing rights, intellectual property and technical reasons related to its established ArcGIS environment.
What is the published value?
£1,264,522 net, with a published gross amount of £1,517,426.40.
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.