Notice Information
Notice Title
Provision of High Volume Call Handling (HVCH)
Notice Description
HVCH is an integral part of NIE Networks' fault and emergency response processes and systems. It plays a fundamental role in call handling operations, both during normal call volumes and periods of high demand. The HVCH hosted system provides 100% speech recognition, enabling customers to be identified by postcode and house number when their telephone number is not matched within the NIE Networks' database. Using HVCH ensures callers reporting a fault never receive an engaged tone, as the call is either handled by a Customer Service Agent (CSA), or the automated HVCH system. Additionally, HVCH provides customers with the option to report a fault online.
Procurement Information
The justification for this STA is reliance upon Clause 41 "Direct Award in Special Cases" of the Procurement Act 2023, Schedule 5. Where the goods to be supplied are strictly necessary for reasons of extreme and unavoidable urgency, and as a result the contract cannot be awarded on the basis of a competitive tendering procedure. The urgency is unavoidable as it is not attributable to any act or omission of NIE Networks and could not have been foreseen by NIE Networks.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-059dc2
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058608-2025
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK6 - Contract Award Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Direct
- Procurement Method Details
- Direct award
- 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
- Not specified
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- £363,000 £100K-£500K
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 22 Sep 20255 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- 18 Sep 20255 months ago
- Contract Period
- 1 Dec 2025 - 30 Nov 2027 1-2 years
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Complete
- Awards Status
- Active
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- NORTHERN IRELAND ELECTRICITY NETWORKS LIMITED
- Contact Name
- Not specified
- Contact Email
- emma.rodgers@nienetworks.co.uk
- Contact Phone
- Not specified
Buyer Location
- Locality
- BELFAST
- Postcode
- BT9 5HT
- Post Town
- Northern Ireland
- Country
- Northern Ireland
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- Not specified
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- Not specified
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- Not specified
- Delivery Location
- Not specified
-
- Local Authority
- Electoral Ward
- Westminster Constituency
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058608-2025
22nd September 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057960-2025
19th September 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057944-2025
19th September 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
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.
{
"tag": [
"compiled"
],
"id": "ocds-h6vhtk-059dc2-2025-09-22T15:41:12+01:00",
"date": "2025-09-22T15:41:12+01:00",
"ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-059dc2",
"initiationType": "tender",
"parties": [
{
"id": "GB-COH-NI026041",
"name": "Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Limited",
"identifier": {
"scheme": "GB-COH",
"id": "NI026041"
},
"address": {
"streetAddress": "120 Malone Road",
"locality": "Belfast",
"postalCode": "BT9 5HT",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"region": "UK"
},
"contactPoint": {
"email": "Emma.Rodgers@nienetworks.co.uk"
},
"roles": [
"buyer"
],
"details": {
"classifications": [
{
"scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
"id": "privateUtility",
"description": "Private utility"
},
{
"scheme": "UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS",
"id": "GB-NIR",
"description": "Northern Irish devolved regulations apply"
}
]
}
},
{
"id": "GB-COH-03435822",
"name": "Eckoh UK Limited",
"identifier": {
"scheme": "GB-COH",
"id": "03435822"
},
"address": {
"streetAddress": "Telford House,Corner Hall",
"locality": "Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire",
"postalCode": "HP39HN",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"region": "UKH23"
},
"contactPoint": {
"email": "Liam.brown@eckoh.com"
},
"roles": [
"supplier"
],
"details": {
"scale": "large",
"vcse": false,
"publicServiceMissionOrganization": false,
"shelteredWorkshop": false
}
}
],
"buyer": {
"id": "GB-COH-NI026041",
"name": "Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Limited"
},
"tender": {
"id": "B872",
"legalBasis": {
"id": "2023/54",
"scheme": "UKPGA",
"uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
},
"title": "Provision of High Volume Call Handling (HVCH)",
"description": "HVCH is an integral part of NIE Networks' fault and emergency response processes and systems. It plays a fundamental role in call handling operations, both during normal call volumes and periods of high demand. The HVCH hosted system provides 100% speech recognition, enabling customers to be identified by postcode and house number when their telephone number is not matched within the NIE Networks' database. Using HVCH ensures callers reporting a fault never receive an engaged tone, as the call is either handled by a Customer Service Agent (CSA), or the automated HVCH system. Additionally, HVCH provides customers with the option to report a fault online.",
"status": "complete",
"procurementMethod": "direct",
"procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
"procurementMethodRationale": "The justification for this STA is reliance upon Clause 41 \"Direct Award in Special Cases\" of the Procurement Act 2023, Schedule 5. Where the goods to be supplied are strictly necessary for reasons of extreme and unavoidable urgency, and as a result the contract cannot be awarded on the basis of a competitive tendering procedure. The urgency is unavoidable as it is not attributable to any act or omission of NIE Networks and could not have been foreseen by NIE Networks.",
"specialRegime": [
"utilities"
],
"lots": [
{
"id": "1",
"status": "complete"
}
],
"documents": [
{
"id": "conflictOfInterest",
"documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
"description": "Not published"
}
],
"procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
{
"id": "urgency"
}
]
},
"awards": [
{
"id": "1",
"title": "Provision of High Volume Call Handling (HVCH)",
"status": "active",
"value": {
"amountGross": 435600,
"amount": 363000,
"currency": "GBP"
},
"mainProcurementCategory": "services",
"aboveThreshold": true,
"suppliers": [
{
"id": "GB-COH-03435822",
"name": "Eckoh UK Limited"
}
],
"items": [
{
"id": "1",
"additionalClassifications": [
{
"scheme": "CPV",
"id": "72000000",
"description": "IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support"
}
],
"deliveryAddresses": [
{
"region": "UKN",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKN",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKN",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
}
],
"relatedLot": "1"
}
],
"contractPeriod": {
"startDate": "2025-12-01T00:00:00+00:00",
"endDate": "2027-11-30T23:59:59+00:00"
},
"relatedLots": [
"1"
],
"documents": [
{
"id": "057944-2025",
"documentType": "awardNotice",
"noticeType": "UK5",
"description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057944-2025",
"datePublished": "2025-09-19T08:56:26+01:00",
"format": "text/html"
},
{
"id": "057960-2025",
"documentType": "awardNotice",
"noticeType": "UK5",
"description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057960-2025",
"datePublished": "2025-09-19T09:22:25+01:00",
"format": "text/html"
},
{
"id": "058608-2025",
"documentType": "awardNotice",
"noticeType": "UK6",
"description": "Contract award notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058608-2025",
"datePublished": "2025-09-22T15:41:12+01:00",
"format": "text/html"
}
],
"milestones": [
{
"id": "1",
"type": "futureSignatureDate",
"dueDate": "2025-12-01T23:59:59+00:00",
"status": "scheduled"
}
],
"date": "2025-09-19T00:00:00+01:00"
}
],
"language": "en"
}