Award

Transaction Management System

RAIL DELIVERY GROUP LIMITED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

22 Jan 2026 at 09:23

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

22 Jan 2026 at 09:10

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process involves a contract awarded by Rail Delivery Group Limited, operating from London, for a project titled "Transaction Management System" within the industry category of industry-specific software development services. The contract, valued at £1,429,917, provides critical bespoke software services for national rail operations on the existing ITSO smartcard infrastructure. The procurement follows a direct award method based on technical constraints, pivotal for maintaining continuity and supporting the transition to Great British Railways. The award status is pending, with a contract period commencing on 3rd February 2026 and concluding on 26th January 2028. The buyer, Rail Delivery Group Limited, classifies as a public undertaking, situated in the United Kingdom, under the utilities regime.

This tender presents substantial business growth opportunities for companies equipped to handle sophisticated software development tasks in the rail industry. It suits large-scale firms with expertise in managing and maintaining complex software systems, especially those that have experience interacting with the existing proprietary architecture to avoid interchangeability issues. Technical expertise in seamless ITSO smartcard system integration, management, and reporting would be pivotal to succeed in such procurements. As the procurement process acknowledges technical constraints and seeks continuity until broader strategic requirements for Great British Railways are established, businesses with the capability to provide long-term, reliable software solutions are favourably positioned to compete effectively in this sector.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Transaction Management System

Notice Description

RDG operates the Digital Ticketing Service (DTS), formerly known as Central Back Office (CBO) on behalf of the UK rail industry to support the provision of ITSO smartcard ticket services. Established in 2014, one of the key components of the CBO is the Transaction Management System (TMS) which is in its extension period and due for renewal. TMS is a bespoke system that was designed and developed specifically to meet the needs of National Rail. This included specific requirements for the combined management, reporting and control of multiple TOC ITSO (electronic smartcards) schemes, scheme interoperability and integration and reporting to a number of external systems. The TMS has subsequently been incrementally developed, maintained and operated by the same supplier, Colibri, to meet the changing requirements of the rail industry. RDG, via RSP, own the TMS Intellectual Property (IP) and code / system. This modification is a permitted modification under Section 74 and Paragraph 8 of Schedule 8 (Additional Goods, Services or Works) of the Procurement Act 2023. The contract provides bespoke software services critical to national rail operations. A change of supplier at this juncture cannot be made at this point in time for technical reasons because: (i) a new supplier would face significant interchangeability issues with the existing proprietary architecture; and (ii) it would result in a substantial duplication of costs for RDG. These technical constraints are compounded by the transition to Great British Railways (GBR). Procuring a replacement system now would cause significant inconvenience and disproportionate financial risk before the long-term strategic and technical requirements of GBR are established. The extension is strictly limited to a duration that ensures operational continuity until the GBR transition allows for a settled procurement strategy.

Procurement Information

This modification is a permitted modification under Section 74(1)(a) and Paragraph 8 of Schedule 8 (Additional Goods, Services or Works) of the Procurement Act 2023. The modification provides for the continued supply of bespoke software services critical to national rail operations. A change of supplier is not possible because it would result in the provision of services that are incompatible with the existing proprietary architecture. RDG considers that this incompatibility would result in: Disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance during the critical transition to Great British Railways (GBR). Substantial duplication of costs, as a new procurement and implementation would be required for a system that may be sun setted once GBR's long-term technical requirements are finalised.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060bbc
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005577-2026
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

72212100 - Industry specific software development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,429,917 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Jan 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 Jan 20261 months ago
Contract Period
3 Feb 2026 - 26 Jan 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
RAIL DELIVERY GROUP LIMITED
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@raildeliverygroup.com
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
EC4V 3DS
Post Town
Central London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
City of London
Electoral Ward
Castle Baynard
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

GCI NETWORK SOLUTIONS

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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