Award

Digital Payment - Car Parking Services

NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

24 Mar 2026 at 17:12

Award

24 Mar 2026 at 17:08

Summary of the contracting process

Northern Trains Limited has completed its procurement process for a contract titled "Digital Payment - Car Parking Services" in the public authority central government sector. The process, intended to improve digital payment arrangements across Northern Trains' car park estate, involved a direct award to the National Parking Platform Limited. This single-supplier selection was justified by technical reasons related to the unique service provision capabilities of the National Parking Platform under the legal framework, Procurement Act 2023, Schedule 5, Section 6. The contract, valued at £420,000 net of VAT, will commence on 8th April 2026 with an initial term of two years and allows for annual renewal options over a potential total duration of seven years or longer. Services categories highlighted include parking services within the regions UKC, UKD, and UKE.

This contract creates significant business growth opportunities, particularly for companies specialising in digital payment solutions and parking services integration. The National Parking Platform acts as a central hub, aggregating data across multiple providers to offer streamlined operations and industry innovation at reduced costs. Businesses with expertise in digital infrastructure, providing scalable, versatile payment solutions in partnership with established service providers, would find competitive advantage in similar contracts. Organisations exploring collaboration or technological cross-developments within the parking and transport sectors might consider engaging with Northern Trains and similar buyers to enter into or expand their market presence.

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

Notice Title

Digital Payment - Car Parking Services

Notice Description

Northern Trains Limited intends to enter into a contract with the National Parking Platform (NPP) for the provision of digital parking payment services across the NTL car park estate. The service replaces the existing arrangement and will enable customers to pay for parking via any participating platform, using a single NPP issued location code. The National Parking Platform operates as a central data and payment integration hub, aggregating transaction data from all participating parking payment providers and supplying consolidated reporting to parking operators for financial and enforcement purposes. This approach increases customer choice, supports industry innovation, and reduces commission costs compared with existing market solutions.

Procurement Information

Northern Trains Limited considers that a direct award is permissible under Schedule 5, Section 6 of the Procurement Act 2023 on the basis that the National Parking Platform (NPP) is the only supplier capable of delivering the required service. The NPP is uniquely able to provide the essential technical function of aggregating multiple parking payment service providers into a single interoperable platform, thereby enabling users to pay for parking via a wide range of parking applications. The Department for Transport (DfT) is granting to the NPP the intellectual property and associated assets necessary to operate the platform, all of which were originally developed under DfT commission. No other supplier benefits from this grant, nor has any other supplier independently undertaken the work required to develop a comparable platform. In addition, no alternative provider has, or is reasonably capable of securing, the required cooperation of the main parking service providers, whose participation is integral to the governance, operation, and continued viability of the NPP. Without such cooperation, a competing aggregator cannot feasibly be created. The only possible alternative would be for the Contracting Authority to contract with a single parking payment service provider, this does not constitute a reasonable alternative, as it does not offer the multi provider operability, technical functionality, or market wide integration provided exclusively by the NPP. Northern Trains Limited is therefore satisfied that NPP is the only supplier capable of providing the services required and that no reasonable alternatives exist.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-067343
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027050-2026
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
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services


CPV Codes

63712400 - Parking services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£420,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
24 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
7 Apr 2026 - 7 Apr 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
YORK
Postcode
YO1 6JT
Post Town
York
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE2 North Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE21 York
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
York
Electoral Ward
Micklegate
Westminster Constituency
York Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

NATIONAL PARKING PLATFORM

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-067343-2026-03-24T17:12:44Z",
    "date": "2026-03-24T17:12:44Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-067343",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-03076444",
            "name": "NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "03076444"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PZCJ-2164-HJQZ"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "George Stephenson House",
                "locality": "York",
                "postalCode": "YO1 6JT",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKE21"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "procurement@northernrailway.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-16282865",
            "name": "NATIONAL PARKING PLATFORM LIMITED",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "16282865"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PGJX-5967-LLNJ"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Chelsea House",
                "locality": "Haywards Heath",
                "postalCode": "RH16 3AP",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ28"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "operations@npp.uk.net"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://npp.org.uk",
                "scale": "sme",
                "vcse": false,
                "publicServiceMissionOrganization": false,
                "shelteredWorkshop": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-COH-03076444",
        "name": "NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-067343",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Digital Payment - Car Parking Services",
        "description": "Northern Trains Limited intends to enter into a contract with the National Parking Platform (NPP) for the provision of digital parking payment services across the NTL car park estate. The service replaces the existing arrangement and will enable customers to pay for parking via any participating platform, using a single NPP issued location code. The National Parking Platform operates as a central data and payment integration hub, aggregating transaction data from all participating parking payment providers and supplying consolidated reporting to parking operators for financial and enforcement purposes. This approach increases customer choice, supports industry innovation, and reduces commission costs compared with existing market solutions.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "Northern Trains Limited considers that a direct award is permissible under Schedule 5, Section 6 of the Procurement Act 2023 on the basis that the National Parking Platform (NPP) is the only supplier capable of delivering the required service. The NPP is uniquely able to provide the essential technical function of aggregating multiple parking payment service providers into a single interoperable platform, thereby enabling users to pay for parking via a wide range of parking applications. The Department for Transport (DfT) is granting to the NPP the intellectual property and associated assets necessary to operate the platform, all of which were originally developed under DfT commission. No other supplier benefits from this grant, nor has any other supplier independently undertaken the work required to develop a comparable platform. In addition, no alternative provider has, or is reasonably capable of securing, the required cooperation of the main parking service providers, whose participation is integral to the governance, operation, and continued viability of the NPP. Without such cooperation, a competing aggregator cannot feasibly be created. The only possible alternative would be for the Contracting Authority to contract with a single parking payment service provider, this does not constitute a reasonable alternative, as it does not offer the multi provider operability, technical functionality, or market wide integration provided exclusively by the NPP. Northern Trains Limited is therefore satisfied that NPP is the only supplier capable of providing the services required and that no reasonable alternatives exist.",
        "specialRegime": [
            "utilities"
        ],
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            }
        ],
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "status": "pending",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 504000,
                "amount": 420000,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "aboveThreshold": true,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-16282865",
                    "name": "NATIONAL PARKING PLATFORM LIMITED"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "63712400",
                            "description": "Parking services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKC",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKD",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKE",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKC",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKD",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKE",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2026-04-08T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2028-04-07T23:59:59+01:00",
                "maxExtentDate": "2033-04-07T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "hasRenewal": true,
            "renewal": {
                "description": "The contract includes an initial term of two (2) years, followed by rolling one year extension periods. Northern Trains Limited currently anticipates utilising these annual renewals for a total contract duration of approximately seven (7) years; however, Northern Trains Limited retains the ability to continue the annual renewals beyond this period should the service remain required."
            },
            "hasOptions": true,
            "options": {
                "description": "Northern Trains Limited has the option to renew the contract on a rolling annual basis after the initial two year term. These options may be exercised repeatedly, enabling the Northern Trains Limited to extend the contract beyond the anticipated seven year period if operationally necessary."
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "027045-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027045-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-03-24T17:08:12Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                },
                {
                    "id": "027050-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK6",
                    "description": "Contract award notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027050-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-03-24T17:12:44Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2026-04-07T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ],
            "date": "2026-03-24T00:00:00Z",
            "standstillPeriod": {
                "endDate": "2026-04-02T23:59:59+01:00"
            }
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}