Award

Merchant Acquiring Services 2025-2031

TRANSLINK

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

05 Nov 2025 at 09:10

Award

24 Oct 2025 at 10:42

Award

16 Oct 2025 at 09:35

Summary of the contracting process

Translink, the buying organisation located in Belfast, UK, has recently completed a procurement process for "Merchant Acquiring Services 2025-2031". This process was conducted under the industry category of financial and insurance services, focusing on enabling the acceptance and processing of sales revenue from card payments across the group. The procurement stage has advanced to contract award with U.S. BANK EUROPE DAC as the supplier. The contract, signed on 5th November 2025, is set to commence on the same date and extend until 30th September 2029, with possible extensions up to 2031. The procurement method utilised a direct award due to technical reasons, indicating that currently, no reasonable alternatives exist to the current provider, Elavon. The maximum contract value is estimated at £4.3 million, covering both service and product delivery throughout Northern Ireland.

This tender represents significant opportunities for companies operating within the financial and insurance services sector, especially those proficient in credit/debit card transaction processing. The direct award underscores a stable partnership environment, offering business growth potential for suppliers adept at fulfilling such contracts. Businesses that can offer technical enhancements or complementary services might find strategic inroads as organisations like Translink continuously seek to optimise their payment processing systems. While the tender is complete, companies already embedded within this industry can position themselves as viable future candidates should similar opportunities arise.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Notice Title

Merchant Acquiring Services 2025-2031

Notice Description

Merchant Acquiring Services to enable acceptance and processing of sales revenue from credit/debit card payments across the Group.

Procurement Information

Due to technical reasons, there is currently no reasonable alternative or substitute to Translink's existing provider, Elavon.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05cdc7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071096-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details 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

66 - Financial and insurance services


CPV Codes

66000000 - Financial and insurance services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£4,307,200 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£4,307,200 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Nov 20253 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
30 Sep 20254 months ago
Contract Period
5 Nov 2025 - 30 Sep 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
TRANSLINK
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@translink.co.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT2 7LX
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

U.S. BANK EUROPE DAC

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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-05cdc7-2025-11-05T09:10:22Z",
    "date": "2025-11-05T09:10:22Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-05cdc7",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PTMT-7134-NRMV",
            "name": "Translink",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PTMT-7134-NRMV"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "22 Great Victoria Street",
                "locality": "Belfast",
                "postalCode": "BT2 7LX",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKN06"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "Procurement@translink.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "publicUndertaking",
                        "description": "Public undertaking"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS",
                        "id": "GB-NIR",
                        "description": "Northern Irish devolved regulations apply"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PYZD-5433-YBQL",
            "name": "U.S. BANK EUROPE DAC",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PYZD-5433-YBQL"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Cherrywood Business Park",
                "locality": "Dublin",
                "postalCode": "D18 W2X7",
                "country": "IE",
                "countryName": "Ireland",
                "region": "IE"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "Queries@Elavon.Com"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "large",
                "vcse": false,
                "publicServiceMissionOrganization": false,
                "shelteredWorkshop": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PTMT-7134-NRMV",
        "name": "Translink"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-05cdc7",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Merchant Acquiring Services 2025-2031",
        "description": "Merchant Acquiring Services to enable acceptance and processing of sales revenue from credit/debit card payments across the Group.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "Due to technical reasons, there is currently no reasonable alternative or substitute to Translink's existing provider, Elavon.",
        "specialRegime": [
            "utilities"
        ],
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            }
        ],
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
            }
        ],
        "coveredBy": [
            "GPA"
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "title": "Merchant Acquiring Services 2025-2031",
            "status": "active",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 5168640,
                "amount": 4307200,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "aboveThreshold": true,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-PPON-PYZD-5433-YBQL",
                    "name": "U.S. BANK EUROPE DAC"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "66000000",
                            "description": "Financial and insurance services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1",
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKN",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKN",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2025-11-05T00:00:00Z",
                "endDate": "2029-09-30T23:59:59+01:00",
                "maxExtentDate": "2031-09-30T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "hasRenewal": true,
            "renewal": {
                "description": "Initial period of four years until 30/09/2029 with options to extend by two periods of up to 12 months each. N.B The value for the initial 4 years is estimated at PS2.8m, with the maximum contract value (6 years if extension taken up) being PS4.3m exc. VAT."
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "065820-2025",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065820-2025",
                    "datePublished": "2025-10-16T10:35:59+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                },
                {
                    "id": "068140-2025",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK6",
                    "description": "Contract award notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068140-2025",
                    "datePublished": "2025-10-24T11:42:44+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2025-11-05T23:59:59Z",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ],
            "date": "2025-10-01T00:00:00+01:00",
            "standstillPeriod": {
                "endDate": "2025-11-04T23:59:59+00:00"
            }
        }
    ],
    "language": "en",
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "awardID": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "period": {
                "startDate": "2025-11-05T00:00:00Z",
                "endDate": "2029-09-30T23:59:59+01:00",
                "maxExtentDate": "2031-09-30T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "hasRenewal": true,
            "renewal": {
                "description": "Initial period of four years until 30/09/2029 with options to extend by two periods of up to 12 months each. N.B The value for the initial 4 years is estimated at PS2.8m, with the maximum contract value (6 years if extension taken up) being PS4.3m exc. VAT."
            },
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 5168640,
                "amount": 4307200,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "aboveThreshold": true,
            "dateSigned": "2025-11-05T00:00:00Z",
            "noAgreedMetricsRationale": "Direct Award",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "071096-2025",
                    "documentType": "contractNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK7",
                    "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071096-2025",
                    "datePublished": "2025-11-05T09:10:22Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}