Award

GOV.UK Delegation Agreement - Nominet (Direct Award)

DSIT

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

13 Apr 2026 at 16:23

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has completed the procurement process for the management of the GOV.UK domain, which has been awarded to Nominet UK. This single tender action falls under the IT services category, specifically focused on consulting, software development, Internet, and support, with the procurement finalised as a direct award due to Nominet's unique capability to fulfill the contract. The service covers a broad geographic area, including the United Kingdom and beyond, with the contract valued at £75,000 for a duration from 6th February 2026 to 6th February 2027. Despite being a pivotal opportunity, the award, tagged with the status 'complete', did not involve competition or technical evaluation because of Nominet's natural monopoly on these specific services.

This procurement process highlights unique business growth opportunities, especially for firms that can develop niche offerings that fulfil specific governmental requirements. While this particular tender was not open to competition, businesses can evaluate and position themselves for future opportunities by understanding the constraints and technical requirements that govern such direct awards. Companies engaged in IT and domain management services would benefit from building similar capabilities that align with governmental needs and leverage their specialised service offerings in the competitive landscape. Although not suitable for small or voluntary community and social enterprises, larger organisations can gain insights into leveraging their unique market positions when specific government contracts become available.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

GOV.UK Delegation Agreement - Nominet (Direct Award)

Notice Description

This contract covers the delegation and ongoing management of the GOV.UK domain. The services are provided by Nominet UK, which operates the UK country code top level domain and is the sole organisation able to deliver the GOV.UK domain delegation and associated services. The contract has been awarded by direct award due to a natural monopoly, as only Nominet UK can provide this service. No competition or technical evaluation was possible.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-47443975-a24c-461b-b54c-563bf45e7bb5
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/38962834-06c9-4991-a206-9215a80acb14
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Single tender action (below threshold)
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£75,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£75,000 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Apr 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
16 Sep 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
15 Sep 20257 months ago
Contract Period
6 Feb 2026 - 6 Feb 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DSIT
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1A 2BQ
Post Town
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

NOMINET

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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