AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
University of Bedfordshire has awarded a direct, below-threshold subscription-services procurement for Academic Search Complete to EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC. The published award value is £40,139 excluding VAT (£48,116.80 including VAT).
Published outcomeAward 1 is recorded as active, with a published contract period from 1 November 2026 to 30 October 2027. A future signature date of 16 October 2026 was scheduled, so the notice does not explicitly confirm that the contract had been signed at publication.
Market significanceThis is a single-supplier academic database subscription award, valued at £40,139 excluding VAT, conducted without competition.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC.
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 40139 excluding VAT; 48116.8 including VAT GBP · verified
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Award 1 identifies EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC. as supplier. Supplier verification records an exact-name match to company number FC016134.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidenceContract award notice published 16 October 2026
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Award document 097889-2026 is described as a Contract award notice on Find a Tender and dated 2026-10-16.
Award status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 has status "active".
Signature status
98% confidenceNot explicitly confirmed; future signature date scheduled for 16 October 2026
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Award milestone type "futureSignatureDate" has status "scheduled" and due date 2026-10-16T23:59:59+01:00.
Contract period
99% confidence1 November 2026 to 30 October 2027
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Award 1 contractPeriod startDate is 2026-11-01 and endDate is 2027-10-30.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£40,139
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Award 1 value.amount is 40139 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£48,116.80
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 48116.8 GBP.
Value allocation
96% confidenceAward-level value allocated to the sole supplier and lot
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Award 1 names one supplier and relates to lot 1 only.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Award date
99% confidence15 October 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-15.
Award notice publication
99% confidence16 October 2026
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Award notice 097889-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-16.
Scheduled signature date
98% confidence16 October 2026
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Future signature milestone dueDate is 2026-10-16.
Planned contract start
99% confidence1 November 2026
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Award 1 contractPeriod startDate is 2026-11-01.
Planned contract end
99% confidence30 October 2027
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Award 1 contractPeriod endDate is 2027-10-30.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceAcademic Search Complete for University of Bedfordshire
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Procurement title is "Academic Search Complete" and description states "Academic Search Complete-UoB".
Category
99% confidenceServices — subscription services
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is services; item CPV 79980000 is "Subscription services".
Lot coverage
99% confidenceLot 1
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Award 1 relatedLots and item relatedLot both identify lot 1.
Delivery area
95% confidenceUKH region, United Kingdom
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Award item deliveryAddresses specifies region UKH, GB.
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 is "Below threshold - without competition".
Competition metrics
99% confidenceNot published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
98% confidenceApproximately 12 months
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Published period runs from 1 November 2026 to 30 October 2027.
Extension or renewal options
99% confidenceNot published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Contract signature
98% confidenceNot explicitly confirmed in the supplied award data
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The only signature-related record is a scheduled future signature milestone.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
98% confidenceSingle-supplier, single-lot subscription-services award
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One supplier is named for award 1, which relates only to lot 1 and is classified as subscription services.
Route to market
99% confidenceDirect below-threshold award without competition
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Published procurement method details state "Below threshold - without competition".
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Signature evidence
99% confidenceAward status is active, but the supplied data records signature only as a scheduled future milestone.
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futureSignatureDate milestone is scheduled for 16 October 2026; no completed signature field is supplied.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no separately published title, description or value.
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Lot 1 is listed as complete, while its title, description and value are null.
Competition detail
99% confidenceBidder numbers, evaluation results and award rationale are not published.
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The notice does not explicitly confirm that the contract was signed; it records a scheduled future signature date.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Information on bidder numbers, evaluation, pricing breakdown, award rationale, extensions and renewal options was not supplied in the published notice.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
University of BedfordshireEBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC.Academic Search Completesubscription servicesdirect awardFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Academic Search Complete award?
EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC. is the verified supplier named for award 1.
What is the award value?
The published value is £40,139 excluding VAT and £48,116.80 including VAT.
When is the published contract period?
The published period runs from 1 November 2026 to 30 October 2027.
Was the procurement competed?
The notice describes 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.