Notice Information
Notice Title
UC Project Zora - Application Decomposition & Microservices Transition
Notice Description
Project Zora is a strategic programme within the Department for Work and Pensions' Working Age Services portfolio, focused on improving the sustainability, agility and resilience of the Universal Credit service. It addresses the constraints of a long-standing monolithic application estate to enable more responsive delivery of policy change, user needs and future service evolution. The programme will progressively decompose elements of the Universal Credit application into more modular, loosely coupled components aligned to a modern, microservices-based architecture. This includes re-architecting systems and supporting capabilities to reduce interdependencies, improve deployment flexibility, and enable faster, safer change while maintaining continuity of service. Through this transformation, Project Zora aims to establish reusable platform and service capabilities that can be iterated over time and support wider Working Age Services objectives. Delivery is expected to require specialist digital, engineering and delivery expertise across analysis, design, build and transition activity, with a clear focus on managing operational risk, supporting user-centred outcomes and delivering long-term value for money. Estimated total contract value (inclusive of optional extension period) is between PS20,000,000 and PS35,000,000 Please note, that all key decisions including final programme title, budgets, contract length and dates are yet to be approved through internal governance and therefore may change. The procurement will be conducted via DWP's e-procurement system Atamis. Further information on registering an interest in this procurement will be provided in future notices.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035414-2026
- Current Stage
- Planning
- All Stages
- Planning
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK1 - Pipeline Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Selective
- Procurement Method Details
- Award under framework
- Tender Suitability
- SME, VCSE
- Awardee Scale
- Not specified
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
-
- CPV Codes
72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- Not specified
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 18 Apr 20266 days ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- Not specified
- Contract Period
- 1 Nov 2026 - 31 Oct 2028 2-3 years
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Planned
- Lots Status
- Planned
- Awards Status
- Not Specified
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS
- Contact Name
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Email
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Phone
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Buyer Location
- Locality
- LONDON
- Postcode
- SW1H 9NA
- Post Town
- South West 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
- TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
-
- Local Authority
- Westminster
- Electoral Ward
- St James's
- Westminster Constituency
- Cities of London and Westminster
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035414-2026
18th April 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035413-2026
18th April 2026 - Pipeline 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-0685ce-2026-04-18T06:18:57+01:00",
"date": "2026-04-18T06:18:57+01:00",
"ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce",
"initiationType": "tender",
"planning": {
"documents": [
{
"id": "035413-2026",
"documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
"noticeType": "UK1",
"description": "Pipeline notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035413-2026",
"datePublished": "2026-04-18T06:15:48+01:00",
"format": "text/html"
},
{
"id": "035414-2026",
"documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
"noticeType": "UK1",
"description": "Pipeline notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035414-2026",
"datePublished": "2026-04-18T06:18:57+01:00",
"format": "text/html"
}
]
},
"parties": [
{
"id": "GB-PPON-PJCP-7274-TLRQ",
"name": "Department for Work & Pensions",
"identifier": {
"scheme": "GB-PPON",
"id": "PJCP-7274-TLRQ"
},
"address": {
"streetAddress": "Caxton House, 6-12 Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NA",
"locality": "London",
"postalCode": "SW1H 9NA",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"region": "UKI32"
},
"contactPoint": {
"name": "DWP Commercial Team",
"email": "cddigital.ucwa@dwp.gov.uk"
},
"roles": [
"buyer"
],
"details": {
"url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions",
"classifications": [
{
"id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
"scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
"description": "Public authority - central government"
}
]
}
}
],
"buyer": {
"id": "GB-PPON-PJCP-7274-TLRQ",
"name": "Department for Work & Pensions"
},
"tender": {
"id": "C9793",
"legalBasis": {
"id": "2023/54",
"scheme": "UKPGA",
"uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
},
"title": "UC Project Zora - Application Decomposition & Microservices Transition",
"description": "Project Zora is a strategic programme within the Department for Work and Pensions' Working Age Services portfolio, focused on improving the sustainability, agility and resilience of the Universal Credit service. It addresses the constraints of a long-standing monolithic application estate to enable more responsive delivery of policy change, user needs and future service evolution. The programme will progressively decompose elements of the Universal Credit application into more modular, loosely coupled components aligned to a modern, microservices-based architecture. This includes re-architecting systems and supporting capabilities to reduce interdependencies, improve deployment flexibility, and enable faster, safer change while maintaining continuity of service. Through this transformation, Project Zora aims to establish reusable platform and service capabilities that can be iterated over time and support wider Working Age Services objectives. Delivery is expected to require specialist digital, engineering and delivery expertise across analysis, design, build and transition activity, with a clear focus on managing operational risk, supporting user-centred outcomes and delivering long-term value for money. Estimated total contract value (inclusive of optional extension period) is between PS20,000,000 and PS35,000,000 Please note, that all key decisions including final programme title, budgets, contract length and dates are yet to be approved through internal governance and therefore may change. The procurement will be conducted via DWP's e-procurement system Atamis. Further information on registering an interest in this procurement will be provided in future notices.",
"items": [
{
"id": "1",
"additionalClassifications": [
{
"scheme": "CPV",
"id": "72200000",
"description": "Software programming and consultancy services"
}
],
"deliveryAddresses": [
{
"region": "UKC",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKD",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKE",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKF",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKG",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKH",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKI",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKJ",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKK",
"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"
},
{
"region": "UKF",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKG",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKH",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKI",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKJ",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKK",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
}
],
"relatedLot": "1"
}
],
"procurementMethod": "selective",
"procurementMethodDetails": "Award under framework",
"competitive": true,
"mainProcurementCategory": "services",
"aboveThreshold": true,
"lots": [
{
"id": "1",
"suitability": {
"sme": true,
"vcse": true
},
"contractPeriod": {
"startDate": "2026-11-01T00:00:00Z",
"endDate": "2028-10-31T23:59:59Z",
"maxExtentDate": "2029-10-31T23:59:59Z"
},
"hasRenewal": true,
"status": "planned"
}
],
"status": "planned",
"amendments": [
{
"id": "035414-2026",
"description": "Amending the contract term from 4 year total to 3 years total inclusive of extension period"
}
]
},
"language": "en"
}