Award

Agreement for the purchase of Courier Services in SSA

BRITISH COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

19 Feb 2026 at 13:45

Summary of the contracting process

The British Council has completed the procurement process for the acquisition of courier services across Sub-Saharan Africa. This process, identified by OCDS code "ocds-h6vhtk-06582e", involved limited competition under a legal framework indicated by UKPGA 2023/54. The service covers numerous regions, including Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria, among others. The procurement stage is complete, with awards active since 19th February 2026. The contract, valued at £2,800,000, was signed on 15th September 2025 and extends from 11th November 2025 to 11th November 2028, with a potential year-long renewal based on an audit. The primary industry category for this tender is services, specifically under CPV classification 64120000 for courier services.

Businesses specialising in logistics, particularly large-scale courier service providers, stand to gain considerable opportunities from this contracting process. The tender facilitates the growth for enterprises like DHL and UPS, which have been awarded contracts to deliver services. This agreement allows companies experienced in cross-border delivery to enhance their network and expand their operations across multiple African countries. With the backing of the British Council, the successful suppliers can leverage the established international exposure and client base, strengthening their foothold in the Sub-Saharan market.

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Notice Title

Agreement for the purchase of Courier Services in SSA

Notice Description

Agreement for the purchase of Courier Services in Sub Sahara Africa for all the countries in SSA

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06582e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015250-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - limited competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

64 - Postal and telecommunications services


CPV Codes

64120000 - Courier services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£2,413,793 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Feb 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
15 Sep 20255 months ago
Contract Period
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2028 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
BRITISH COUNCIL
Contact Name
Sandra Banda
Contact Email
sandra.banda@britishcouncil.org
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E20 1JQ
Post Town
East London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI41 Hackney and Newham
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Newham
Electoral Ward
Stratford Olympic Park
Westminster Constituency
Stratford and Bow

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

DHL

UPS

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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