AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Jisc Services Limited has announced a pending direct award to AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY for 2027 access to ACS online journals for Jisc members, including preferential subscription rates and open-access publishing rights.
Published outcomeAward 1 names AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY with a gross shared award value of USD 5,178,762. The award remains pending and has a scheduled future signature date; the supplied data does not confirm a concluded or signed contract.
Market significanceThis is a high-value, above-threshold direct award for nationwide UK delivery of scholarly-journal subscription and publishing-access services to Jisc members.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
100% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 5178762 USD · Pending award
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Award 1 lists AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY as supplier and gives a gross award value of USD 5,178,762.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
98% confidenceContract award notice published; tender status complete
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The notice is described as a 'Contract award notice on Find a Tender'; tender status is 'complete'.
Award status
100% confidencePending
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Award 1 status is 'pending'.
Signature status
100% confidenceNot confirmed; future signature is scheduled for 31 October 2026
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The award milestone is type 'futureSignatureDate', due 2026-10-31T23:59:59Z, with status 'scheduled'.
Standstill
100% confidenceScheduled to end 30 October 2026
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Award 1 standstillPeriod endDate is 2026-10-30T23:59:59Z.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value
100% confidenceUSD 5,178,762 gross
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 5178762 USD.
Value allocation
99% confidenceAward-level value; no separate lot value published
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The award gives one gross value, while lot 1 has no value_amount or currency.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Transparency notice published
100% confidence20 October 2026
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Release history records notice 099050-2026, a Transparency notice, at 2026-10-20T14:19:51+01:00.
Award date
100% confidence21 October 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-21T00:00:00+01:00.
Contract award notice published
100% confidence21 October 2026
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Document 099278-2026 was published at 2026-10-21T09:46:24+01:00.
Scheduled contract period
100% confidence1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027
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Award 1 contractPeriod runs from 2027-01-01T00:00:00Z to 2027-12-31T23:59:59Z.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
100% confidenceACS online journal subscriptions at preferential rates and open-access article publishing rights for Jisc member institutions
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The published description states that the arrangement gives Jisc members rights to subscribe to ACS online journals at preferential rates and publish open-access articles in those journals.
Intended users
100% confidenceJisc members only; not for Jisc's own use
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The description states that the contract is for Jisc Members only and not for Jisc's own use.
Procurement category
100% confidenceServices
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is 'services'.
Classifications
100% confidencePeriodicals; software package and information systems; database services; subscription services; education and training services
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Award item 1 lists CPV codes 22212000, 48000000, 72320000, 79980000 and 80000000.
Delivery geography
100% confidenceUnited Kingdom
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Award item delivery address is region UK, country GB.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
100% confidenceDirect award
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Tender procurementMethod is 'direct' and procurementMethodDetails is 'Direct award'.
Framework indication
100% confidenceThe tender record indicates a framework agreement
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Tender techniques.hasFrameworkAgreement is true.
Competition information
100% confidenceNot published in the supplied notice data
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No bidder count, tenderer list, evaluation results or scores are supplied.
Above-threshold status
100% confidenceYes
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Award 1 aboveThreshold is true.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Planned term
100% confidence12 months, from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027
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The supplied award contract period specifies these start and end dates.
Extension or renewal terms
100% confidenceUnknown
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No extension or renewal provisions are supplied.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Access model
97% confidenceCombined subscription and open-access publishing arrangement for a member-institution community
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The scope combines preferential online-journal subscriptions with rights to publish open-access articles for Jisc members.
Commercial structure
100% confidenceSingle pending award covering one lot
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One award is supplied, linked to lot 1; the published amount is held at award level.
Market route
100% confidenceDirect award rather than an open competitive procedure
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The procurement method is recorded as direct award.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award versus contract status
100% confidenceThe record is a published award notice, but the award is pending and signature is only scheduled; it should not be presented as a signed or active contract.
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Award status is pending and the future signature milestone is scheduled for 31 October 2026.
Lot detail
100% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
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Lot 1 fields for title, description and value are null.
Evaluation and competition detail
100% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No tenderer count, evaluation rationale, scores or pricing breakdown is provided.
Supplier verification scope
100% confidenceThe supplier is identified through a PPON and is marked not applicable for Companies House verification; no verified legal company name was supplied.
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supplier_identity_status is 'not_applicable' and verified_company_name is null.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published award remains pending; it does not evidence a signed, concluded or active contract.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bidder numbers, evaluation rationale, scores, pricing breakdown and extension or renewal provisions.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value, so the award-level amount cannot be treated as a separately priced lot value.
- No verified legal company name was supplied; Companies House verification is marked not applicable for this supplier.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
JiscAmerican Chemical SocietyACS Journals 2027scholarly journal subscriptionsopen access publishingdirect award
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is named as the supplier?
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY is named for award 1.
Has the contract been signed?
The supplied record does not confirm signature. The award is pending and a signature date is scheduled for 31 October 2026.
What is the planned service period?
The published award records a planned period from 1 January to 31 December 2027.
What does the arrangement cover?
It covers preferential access to ACS online journals and open-access publishing rights for Jisc member institutions.
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.