AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
UK Research and Innovation awarded a software-upgrade goods contract to PHOTON LINES LIMITED following a direct, below-threshold procurement without competition. The published contract record states that it was signed on 15 October 2026 and is active.
Published outcomeOne active award and contract are recorded for PHOTON LINES LIMITED.
Market significanceThe requirement was sourced directly because the notice states that only a particular supplier could provide the required goods and no reasonable alternatives existed.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
PHOTON LINES LIMITED
100% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · GBP 12,930.45 net; GBP 15,516.54 gross GBP · Verified supplier; active award and contract
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Supplier identity is verified by Companies House number 04773984. Award 1 names PHOTON LINES LIMITED; linked Contract 1 states GBP 12,930.45 amount and GBP 15,516.54 amountGross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
100% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Published document is described as "Contract details notice on Find a Tender".
Award status
100% confidenceActive
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Award 1 has status "active".
Contract status
100% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 has status "active".
Contract signature
100% confidenceSigned 15 October 2026
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Contract 1 gives dateSigned as 2026-10-15.
Contract period
100% confidence15 October 2026 to 7 January 2027
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Contract 1 period gives startDate 2026-10-15 and endDate 2027-01-07.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
100% confidenceGBP 12,930.45
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Contract 1 value.amount is 12930.45 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
100% confidenceGBP 15,516.54
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 15516.54 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
100% confidence15 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-15.
Contract start
100% confidence15 October 2026
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Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-10-15.
Contract end
100% confidence7 January 2027
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Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-01-07.
Notice published
100% confidence19 October 2026
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The contract details notice datePublished is 2026-10-19.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
100% confidenceSoftware upgrades
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Tender description states: "Brief Description Software upgrades".
Procurement category
100% confidenceGoods
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is "goods".
Classification
100% confidenceCPV 48000000 — Software package and information systems
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Award item additional classification is CPV 48000000.
Delivery coverage
100% confidenceUnited Kingdom
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Award item delivery address is region UK, country GB.
Lot
100% confidenceLot 1
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Award 1 is related to lot 1.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
100% confidenceDirect; below threshold — without competition
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct" and procurementMethodDetails is "Below threshold - without competition".
Reason for no competition
100% confidenceAbsence of competition for technical reasons
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Notice states that only a particular supplier could supply the required goods and that there were no reasonable alternatives.
Competition outcome
100% confidenceNo competitive call for competition
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Notice explicitly says it is a contract award notice, not a call for competition, and records a direct procedure without competition.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract duration
95% confidenceApproximately 84 days
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Published period runs from 15 October 2026 to 7 January 2027.
Threshold status
100% confidenceBelow threshold
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Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false; tender procedure details also state below threshold.
Extension or renewal terms
100% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Route-to-market implication
100% confidenceThe direct award was justified in the notice by technical exclusivity and lack of reasonable alternatives.
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The published description says only a particular supplier could supply the required goods.
Value attribution
100% confidenceThe published contract value is attributable to the single recorded award and supplier.
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Contract 1 links to Award 1, which names one supplier: PHOTON LINES LIMITED.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier identity quality
100% confidenceVerified
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Supplier identity was matched by company number 04773984 to PHOTON LINES LIMITED.
Lot detail quality
100% confidenceLot title and description not supplied
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Lot 1 is present but has no published title or description.
Evaluation transparency
100% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice
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No bid counts, evaluation scores, pricing breakdown or award-decision date are provided.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Lot 1 has no published title or description.
- The notice does not publish bid counts, evaluation methodology, scores, award-decision date or pricing breakdown.
- No extension, renewal option or future procurement information is published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
UK Research and InnovationPHOTON LINES LIMITEDDDaT27521software upgradedirect awardFind a Tendersoftware package and information systems
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the UKRI DDaT27521 Software Upgrade contract?
PHOTON LINES LIMITED, verified by company number 04773984.
What is the value of the contract?
GBP 12,930.45 excluding VAT and GBP 15,516.54 including VAT.
Why was the contract awarded without competition?
The notice cites technical reasons, stating that only a particular supplier could provide the required goods and there were no reasonable alternatives.
When does the contract end?
The published contract end date is 7 January 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.