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Microsoft Unified Support 2026-2029

Northern Ireland Assembly Commission

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

30 Jun 2026 at 11:22

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

17 Jun 2026 at 13:45

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

16 Jun 2026 at 13:21

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, acting as the buying organisation, has completed a procurement process for the "Microsoft Unified Support 2026-2029" contract. This contract, classified under the IT services industry, involves ongoing support to maintain operational resilience and cyber security for the Commission's Microsoft technology stack. The procurement was a direct award to Microsoft Limited, justified under intellectual property rights as per the Procurement Act 2023, and was finalised with a signing date of 28th June 2026. The contract, valued at £233,000 with a gross amount of £279,600, spans from 1st July 2026 to 30th June 2029. The location for delivery of services is Belfast, Northern Ireland, under the region UKN06.

This tender provides a strategic opportunity primarily for large-scale IT service providers with capabilities in consulting, software development, and technical support, especially those specialising in Microsoft technologies. Although this specific contract was awarded via a direct procurement method to Microsoft due to their exclusive rights, businesses in the IT sector can consider positioning themselves as potential partners or subcontractors to gain experience and visibility in similar future procurements. Establishing a presence in IT support can also create pathways for further contracts with government bodies, enhancing business growth and market presence.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Microsoft Unified Support 2026-2029

Notice Description

The current support arrangement with Microsoft is approaching expiry and continued access to Microsoft Unified Support is required to maintain operational resilience, support cyber security capability and ensure continuity of support for the Assembly Commission's Microsoft technology stack. Therefore, a new contract arrangement is required to ensure uninterrupted service provision.

Procurement Information

The justification for direct award is as below: The assessment confirms that a direct award under section 41 and Schedule 5, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 is legally permissible. Schedule 5, paragraph 5 permits a direct award where only one supplier can supply the goods, services or works required due to intellectual property or other exclusive rights. Schedule 5, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 allows for the award of a contract without competition when: The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract-- (a) due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b5ec
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061127-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details 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

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£233,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£233,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jun 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
16 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
1 Jul 2026 - 30 Jun 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Northern Ireland Assembly Commission
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT4 3XX
Postcode Area
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Stormont
Westminster Constituency
Belfast East

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Microsoft Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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