Award

Vocalink Fixed Extranet Maintenance Services

DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

15 May 2026 at 14:44

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), a central government public authority situated in London, has completed a direct award contract titled "Vocalink Fixed Extranet Maintenance Services." This procurement process, categorised under IT maintenance services, is essential for the maintenance of Fixed Extranet connections that integrate DWP's Central Payment System with the banking network. The contract was awarded to Vocalink International Limited, commencing on 1 July 2026 and concluding on 30 June 2028, with an available extension until 2029. The project is located within the United Kingdom and valued at approximately £534,886.69, with a key milestone date scheduled for the future signature by 15 June 2026. The maintenance is pivotal for ensuring over 99.999% availability of the Central Payment System, which is used for processing citizen payments such as State Pensions and Benefits.

This tender offers significant business growth opportunities, particularly for large-scale service providers specialising in IT equipment maintenance. Given the exclusive rights held by Vocalink International Limited over their proprietary hardware, the contract is highly specialised, matching businesses that can navigate similar proprietary maintenance rights or develop comparable solutions. For enterprises that aim to engage with governmental departments or specialize in FinTech and secure IT infrastructure services, contracts like this serve as both a prestigious engagement opportunity and a chance to demonstrate distinctive expertise in managing critical national IT services.

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How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Vocalink Fixed Extranet Maintenance Services

Notice Description

This is a contract to provide maintenance to the two pairs of diverse Fixed Extranet connections installed in DWP Data Centres for access to the banking network through the Central Payment System.

Procurement Information

This is a contract for support and maintenance services for two pairs of diverse Fixed Extranet Connections installed in our data centres. The Vocalink Fixed Extranet Connections hardware connects DWP's Central Payment System (CPS) to the international banking system, offering continuous, secure, and reliable connectivity to UK payment services. The Central Payment System is DWP's tool for managing Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) and processing payments to citizens. The Vocalink Fixed Extranet Service is critical to citizen payments transacted using the Central Payment System, such as State Pensions, Benefits Payments, and allowances. This service is deployed for access into, Bacs, ICS, CASS, PayPort and the Payment Services Website. Vocalink International Ltd retains an exclusive contractual right to maintain its own proprietary hardware and there are no reasonable alternatives to these maintenance services. The maintenance fee ensures that DWP receives over 99.999% availability for the Central Payment System with proactive line monitoring, 24/7/365 helpdesk management, and a 4-hour fault response time.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069a41
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045019-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency 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

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50312610 - Maintenance of information technology equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£445,738 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 May 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
15 May 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2028 2-3 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
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
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

VOCALINK INTERNATIONAL

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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