Award

Provision of Ticketing Retailing Equipment and Support Services at station locations.

NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

01 Aug 2025 at 09:37

Award

21 Jul 2025 at 08:30

Summary of the contracting process

Northern Trains Limited, based in York, has completed a procurement process for the provision of ticketing retailing equipment and support services at various station locations. The process involved the extension of the current agreement from 1st April 2026 to December 2026, following a notification of End of Service Life for the existing STARdesktop system. This service is essential for ticketing operations across 159 ticket offices in regions including UKC, UKD, and UKE. The procurement method was limited, bypassing a formal call for competition due to the protection of exclusive intellectual property rights. Key dates in the process included contract signing on 31st July 2025, and the tender falls under the industry category of repair, maintenance and related services to railways, with Fujitsu Services as the supplier.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in railway equipment, maintenance, and support services. Companies with expertise in managing complex ticketing systems and possessing the necessary intellectual property rights or unique technical capabilities are particularly well-suited to compete in such procurement processes. Entering into partnerships or subcontracting with larger firms like Fujitsu Services could also provide growth opportunities for smaller businesses looking to expand their offerings and establish themselves in the railway services sector.

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Notice Title

Provision of Ticketing Retailing Equipment and Support Services at station locations.

Notice Description

Extension to the current agreement for the Provision of Ticketing Retailing Equipment 'STARdesktop' and Support Services at station locations from 1st April 2026 until December 2026.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Extension to the current agreement for the Provision of Ticketing Retailing Equipment and Support Services at station locations from 1st April 2026 until December 2026. This includes over 200 STARdesktop devices across 159 ticket offices for the issuing of tickets, railcards, reservations, staff discounts and journey planning information to customers of the railway On the 12th March 2025 the current service provider published a notification of the End of Service Life (EOSL) for STARdesktop and confirmed that this system will no longer be supported for operational for use beyond the end of 2026. Ticket retailing is critical activity for Northern Trains, and other Train Operating Companies (TOC's), and continuity in support activities until December 2026 will allow time for NTL to approach the market to source a replacement onboard train ticket retailing solution.

Procurement Information

Award a contract directly as this approach is allowed under the UCR's where restrictions on the use of IPR do not trigger a requirement to conduct a new OJEU-compliant tender process. We believe in this circumstance the following is applicable: There are grounds where NTL as public body could award a subsequent contract to a third party using the exemptions in Regulation 50 of the UCR. This exemption is provided for under the UCR Regulation 50(1)(c) which allows Utilities to award a contract where the works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier because competition is absent for technical reasons and where no reasonable alternative or substitute exists. The supplier owns copyright and the IPR in all the software. The absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement The works, supplies or services can only be supplied only by a particular supplier because competition is absent for technical reasons and where no reasonable alternative or substitute exists. The supplier owns copyright and the IPR in all the software. The absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-056293
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045091-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

30 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

50 - Repair and maintenance services


CPV Codes

30144200 - Ticket-issuing machines

34940000 - Railway equipment

50220000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services related to railways and other equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Aug 20256 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Jul 20257 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED
Contact Name
Robin Horsman
Contact Email
robin.horsman@northernrailway.co.uk
Contact Phone
+44 7827937566

Buyer Location

Locality
YORK
Postcode
YO1 6JT
Post Town
York
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE2 North Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE21 York
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber

Local Authority
York
Electoral Ward
Micklegate
Westminster Constituency
York Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FUJITSU SERVICES

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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