AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The University of Bedfordshire published an award notice for Business Source Ultimate, naming EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC. as supplier. The direct below-threshold procurement has an award value of £45,150 excluding VAT (£54,180 including VAT). A future signature date was scheduled, so the notice does not confirm that the contract had been signed at publication.
Published outcomeOne active award (award ID 1) was made to EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC. for subscription services.
Market significanceThis is a £45,150 net direct award for a one-year subscription-services requirement, without competition.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC.
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 45150 GBP · Active award
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Verified supplier identity is EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC. (company number FC016134); award 1 names this supplier and has status active.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract award notice on Find a Tender
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Document 097866-2026 is described as a Contract award notice on Find a Tender.
Award status
99% confidenceActive award
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Award 1 has status 'active'.
Award date
99% confidence2026-10-15
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-15.
Signature status
98% confidenceNot confirmed; a future signature date was scheduled for 2026-10-16
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Award milestone type is futureSignatureDate, due 2026-10-16, with status scheduled.
Contract period
99% confidence2026-11-01 to 2027-10-30
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Award 1 contractPeriod specifies these start and end dates.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£45,150
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Award 1 value.amount is 45150 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£54,180
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 54180 GBP.
Value allocation
94% confidenceAward-level value for award 1
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The published award contains one named supplier and one related lot.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Award date
99% confidence2026-10-15
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Award 1 date.
Award notice publication
99% confidence2026-10-16
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Notice 097866-2026 was published on 2026-10-16.
Scheduled signature date
98% confidence2026-10-16
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Scheduled futureSignatureDate milestone.
Planned contract start
99% confidence2026-11-01
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Award 1 contractPeriod.startDate.
Planned contract end
99% confidence2027-10-30
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Award 1 contractPeriod.endDate.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceBusiness Source Ultimate-UoB
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Tender title is Business Source Ultimate and description states 'Business Source Ultimate-UoB'.
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is services.
Classification
99% confidenceCPV 79980000 — Subscription services
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Award item 1 lists CPV 79980000, Subscription services.
Lot
99% confidenceLot 1
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Award 1 is related to lot 1.
Delivery region
96% confidenceUKH, United Kingdom
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Award item delivery address specifies region UKH.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect
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Tender procurementMethod is direct.
Procedure detail
99% confidenceBelow threshold - without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states this explicitly.
Tender status
99% confidenceComplete
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Tender and lot 1 both have status complete.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
99% confidenceApproximately 12 months, from 2026-11-01 to 2027-10-30
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Published contractPeriod dates for award 1.
Signature
98% confidenceSignature not evidenced in the published data
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Only a scheduled future signature milestone is supplied.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial route
99% confidenceDirect below-threshold award without competition
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Published procedure detail states 'Below threshold - without competition'.
VAT treatment
99% confidenceThe notice provides both net and gross values
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Award 1 reports £45,150 amount and £54,180 amountGross.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Signature and contract conclusion
98% confidenceThe award is active, but signed-contract status is not confirmed.
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The only signature evidence is a scheduled futureSignatureDate milestone.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate lot value.
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Lot 1 fields for title, description and value are null.
Competition and evaluation detail
98% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No bid count, bidder list, scores, evaluation rationale or pricing breakdown is provided.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published record does not confirm that the contract was signed or concluded; it only shows a scheduled future signature date.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bid numbers, competing suppliers, evaluation criteria, scores, award rationale and pricing breakdown.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- No extension, option or renewal terms are published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
University of BedfordshireEBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC.Business Source Ultimatesubscription servicesdirect awardFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who was named as supplier?
EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC., whose legal identity was verified against company number FC016134.
What was the award value?
£45,150 excluding VAT and £54,180 including VAT.
Was the contract signed?
The published data does not confirm signature; it records a scheduled future signature date.
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.