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 14:46

Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has completed the procurement process for the "Vocalink Fixed Extranet Maintenance Services" contract, under a direct award method. The contract, designed to provide maintenance services for Fixed Extranet connections within DWP Data Centres, ensures reliable access to the banking network through the Central Payment System. This vital service supports the continuity of payments including State Pensions and Benefits Payments. Located in London, this procurement, which falls under the services industry category, has a contract period from 1st July 2026 to 30th June 2028, with the option for a 12-month extension. The upcoming signature date for this award is scheduled for 15th June 2026.

This tender presents substantial business growth opportunities, particularly for entities capable of delivering high-availability maintenance services for information technology equipment, as specified by the CPV Classification 50312610. The exclusive direct award to Vocalink International Limited highlights the value associated with specialised proprietary maintenance capabilities and intellectual property rights in such services. Large businesses with experience in secure and high-reliability infrastructure support for government payment systems would be ideally suited to compete in similar future procurement opportunities.

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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.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069a42
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045020-2026
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

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

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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