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Electoral Management System (EMS)

Durham County Council

This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

Award

19 Jun 2026 at 08:19

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

27 May 2026 at 17:12

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

05 Mar 2026 at 15:10

UK4 - Tender Notice
PlanningUpdate

12 Aug 2025 at 09:58

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

08 Aug 2025 at 09:09

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process led by Durham County Council for an Electoral Management System (EMS) has been recently completed. This tender aimed to enhance the statutory functions of Electoral Registration and Elections Management in compliance with Government legislation and regulations. The procurement, categorised under industry-specific software packages, was conducted via an open procedure and is associated with the region of Durham, UK. The contract, awarded to FCS Software Solutions Limited, is valued at £638,000 (gross amount £765,600) and covers a period from 15th June 2026 to 31st May 2029, with possible extensions up to a maximum of 2034. The initiative prioritises a cloud-based solution to replace the existing on-premise system, aligning with the Council's digital transformation goals.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in software solutions, particularly those adept in developing scalable, cloud-based electoral management systems. Companies with expertise in digital transformation and industry-specific software development stand to gain by pursuing such initiatives. SMEs like FCS Software Solutions Limited have demonstrated the ability to secure contracts within the public sector by focusing on cost-effective, compliant systems that cater to legislative changes. As the public sector continues to modernise operations, similar procurements can drive substantial business growth for technology providers with proven capabilities in adaptive and efficient software solutions.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Electoral Management System (EMS)

Notice Description

Electoral Registration & Elections Management are statutory functions the Council must provide for. Both functions are managed in accordance with Government legislation/regulations. An electronic management system is absolutely key to delivering the service, particularly the elections aspect, in the statutory timescales that apply. The current software system is hosted on premise. The Council's digital services team are keen for the EMS to move onto a cloud platform to become more cost effective.

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.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0583dd
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057815-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

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
£638,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£638,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Jun 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
14 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
5 Sep 2025Expired
Award Date
27 May 20263 months ago
Contract Period
15 Jun 2026 - 31 May 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

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
Postcode Area
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 & Newton Hall
Westminster Constituency
City of Durham

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FCS SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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