Tender

003315 - Electoral Management System

DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Tender

05 Mar 2026 at 15:10

PlanningUpdate

12 Aug 2025 at 08:58

Planning

08 Aug 2025 at 08:09

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process for an Electoral Management System is currently in the tender stage, organised by Durham County Council, a public authority under sub-central government classification. The aim is to replace the existing system with a modern, scalable solution that enhances efficiency, improves user experience, and supports digital transformation goals. This tender involves creating efficient software for managing electoral registrations and elections for six constituencies with an electorate of 396,000 individuals. The procurement method is through an open procedure, with a tender submission deadline by 14th April 2026, and system demonstrations scheduled for September 2025. The submission is via the Open Portal following electronic submission policy in English. Located in Durham, UKC14, the tender holds a gross value of £720,000. Key deadlines are set for June 2026, with awards anticipated by 12th May 2026, and the new system expected to go live on 11th December 2026.

This procurement presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in industry-specific software packages or cloud-based solutions. Companies experienced in electoral management systems are ideal due to the focus on digital transformation and enhancement requirements such as compliance with legislative standards, operational efficiency, and agile working practices. Businesses offering advanced system functionalities, efficient architectural design, and hypercare support services stand to benefit greatly from this procurement. With the emphasis on cloud solutions, those transitioning from on-premises systems can leverage the growing demand to support electoral registrations and seamless election processes for a total electorate of 396,000, positioning themselves as key players in public sector digital transformation.

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How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

003315 - Electoral Management System

Notice Description

Electoral Registration and Elections Management are statutory functions the Council must provide for. The purpose of this Procurement is to replace the existing Electoral Management System, following contract expiry in March 2027, which has been used by the Council since 2011. The current system is hosted on premise and does not align with the Council strategy of 'cloud first.' The system has been used to maintain electoral registration and election management for six parliamentary constituencies with a total electorate of 396,000. This project will deliver a modern, scalable EMS that enhances operational efficiency, improves user experience, supports digital transformation goals and complies with current compliance standards. Full requirements are outlined in the tender documents which can be access free of charge by registering on the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The Contract period is for an initial 3-year period, with the option to extend for 1 x 36 month period, then 1 final extension period of 1 x 24 months, subject to satisfactory performance, service continuity, and the Council's future requirements. The anticipated go-live date for the new system is 11th December 2026, following a 6-month period of mobilisation and implementation.

Planning Information

Written questionnaire available to access free of charge at open-uk.org Deadline for completed written responses is 12 noon on Friday 5th September 2025. Providers who complete a written response questionnaire, and provide satisfactory responses, will be invited to demonstrate their system via Microsoft Teams, based on the scenarios and questions outlined in section 5 of the PME questionnaire. We anticipate system demonstrations to take place in September 2025 and will last 2 hours per provider. *Please note the 1 week extension and new deadline for this PME opportunity.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0583dd
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020012-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems


CPV Codes

48100000 - Industry specific software package

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£600,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£600,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Mar 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
14 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
5 Sep 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 May 2026 - 31 May 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DURHAM
Postcode
DH1 5WB
Post Town
Durham
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC41 Durham
Delivery Location
TLC14 Durham

Local Authority
County Durham
Electoral Ward
Framwellgate and Newton Hall
Westminster Constituency
City of Durham

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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