AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has published an award notice for infection sciences laboratory testing that cannot be provided in-house. The stated supplier is North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust.
Published outcomeAward 1 is recorded as active, with an award date of 28 September 2026. A future signature date of 30 October 2026 is scheduled, so the supplied data does not confirm that the contract has been signed.
Market significanceThis is a direct, below-threshold NHS laboratory pathology-services award valued at £131,708.33, with a stated initial period to 31 March 2029 and up to two 12-month extensions.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 131708.33 GBP · Awarded supplier
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Award 1 names NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST as supplier and gives an award-level value of £131,708.33.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract award notice on Find a Tender
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Document 098746-2026 is described as a Contract award notice on Find a Tender.
Award status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 has status 'active'.
Signature status
99% confidenceNot confirmed; future signature scheduled for 30 October 2026
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Award milestone type futureSignatureDate is scheduled for 2026-10-30T23:59:59Z.
Contract start
98% confidence1 November 2026
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Award 1 contractPeriod startDate is 2026-11-01T00:00:00Z.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value
99% confidence£131,708.33
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Award 1 value is stated as amount/amountGross 131708.33 GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceAward-level value; one related lot is recorded
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Award 1 is linked to lot 1. No separate lot value is supplied.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Award decision date
99% confidence28 September 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-09-28T00:00:00+01:00.
Award-notice publication
99% confidence20 October 2026
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The award notice document was published at 2026-10-20T08:49:11+01:00.
Scheduled signature date
99% confidence30 October 2026
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A scheduled futureSignatureDate milestone is 2026-10-30T23:59:59Z.
Stated initial end date
98% confidence31 March 2029
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Award 1 contractPeriod endDate is 2029-03-31T23:59:59+01:00.
Maximum stated end date
98% confidence31 March 2031
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Award 1 contractPeriod maxExtentDate is 2031-03-31T23:59:59+01:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceInfection sciences laboratory testing not available in-house
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The notice description states that testing 'cannot be provided in-house'.
Service classification
99% confidencePathology services (CPV 85111800)
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Award item 1 lists CPV 85111800, Pathology services.
Lot coverage
99% confidenceLot 1
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Award 1 is related to lot 1.
Delivery area
94% confidenceUKC region
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The award item delivery address specifies region UKC, United Kingdom.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect award under Provider Selection Regime 2023, Direct Award Process C
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The notice description explicitly states Direct Award Process C under Provider Selection Regime 2023.
Procurement method detail
99% confidenceBelow threshold - without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails is 'Below threshold - without competition'.
Competition information
98% confidenceNo competitive process is indicated
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The published method is direct and described as without competition.
Evaluation and bid information
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Initial term
98% confidence1 November 2026 to 31 March 2029
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Award 1 contractPeriod runs from 2026-11-01 to 2029-03-31.
Extension options
99% confidenceTwo optional extensions of 12 months each
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Award 1 hasRenewal is true and renewal description states '2 x 12 months'.
Maximum potential term
98% confidenceTo 31 March 2031 if both options are used
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The stated maxExtentDate is 2031-03-31, consistent with the two 12-month options.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Service sourcing rationale
98% confidenceThe buyer states that the required testing cannot be provided in-house.
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This wording appears in the notice description.
Market route
98% confidenceThe direct-award route means this notice does not evidence an open supplier competition for this requirement.
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The procurement method is direct and below threshold without competition.
Pricing detail
99% confidenceOnly a total award value is published; unit rates, volumes and pricing structure are unknown.
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Award-level value is supplied, but no pricing schedule, volumes or lot value is provided.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Signature and conclusion status
99% confidenceA scheduled future signature date is published; signature or concluded-contract status is not confirmed.
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The milestone is futureSignatureDate with scheduled status for 30 October 2026.
Lot information
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
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Lot 1 title, description and value fields are null.
Supplier identity treatment
98% confidenceSupplier is identified through the published GB-NHS identifier RNN; Companies House-style verification is not applicable.
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Supplier verification status is not_applicable and the supplier identifier is GB-NHS-RNN.
Unpublished commercial detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice includes bid counts, evaluation rationale, scores, volumes and pricing breakdown.
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No such fields are present in the supplied award data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The notice is an award announcement with a scheduled future signature date; it does not confirm that a contract has been signed or concluded.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description, individual value or pricing breakdown.
- Information not supplied in the published notice includes bids received, evaluation methodology or scores, award rationale beyond the stated in-house capacity issue, service volumes and detailed service levels.
- The stated £131,708.33 is an award-level figure; no separate pricing or lot-value allocation is published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
infection sciences laboratory testingpathology servicesCounty Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation TrustNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation TrustProvider Selection RegimeDirect Award Process C
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who was named as supplier?
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust was named for award 1.
What is the published award value?
The award-level value is £131,708.33.
Was this competitively tendered?
The notice describes a direct, below-threshold process without competition under Provider Selection Regime 2023.
Is the contract confirmed as signed?
No. The supplied data records a future signature date of 30 October 2026, but does not confirm signature.
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.