This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

06 Jul 2026 at 09:30

Summary of the contracting process

UK Biobank Limited (UKB) has completed a procurement process for the development of an "Airlock" Output Checking System (OCS) User Interface and Workflow Development Partner. The process falls under the industry category of Software Programming and Consultancy Services, with specific delivery addresses extending across multiple regions within the United Kingdom, including UKC, UKD, UKE, and others. The procurement was carried out under the G-Cloud 14 framework, using a limited procurement method without a prior publication of a call for competition. Key details reveal that this procurement, part of a larger project, enlists Kainos as the awarded supplier with a contract value of £2,042,564, signed on 6th July 2026. UKB emphasised the need for seamless integration with existing infrastructure and compatibility with future developments in its Research Analysis Platform.

This procurement presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in developing user interfaces and secure data workflows, particularly those with capabilities in integrating complex systems and frameworks like the G-Cloud. SMEs in the software services sector, especially those already listed on the G-Cloud framework, would find this tender beneficial for expanding their portfolio in the public health and research domains. As UKB seeks to enhance its data security and processing efficiencies, businesses with expertise in developing automated assessment tools and secure digital environments are ideally positioned to contribute to advancing UK Biobank's global research capabilities and safety standards, fostering potential for business growth and innovation.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

"Airlock" Output Checking System UI and Workflow Development Partner

Notice Description

UKB is using the G-Cloud 14 framework to procure its OCS UI and Workflow requirements. UKB is issuing this document to G-Cloud Development Partners under Lot 2 and Lot 3 which have been shortlisted in accordance with the buying process as best fitting UKB's high-level requirements. UKB will be evaluating shortlisted Development Partners based on the information and documents forming part of their published G-Cloud catalogue standard service offering (step 4 of the buying process). However, before proceeding with that evaluation UKB is contacting all shortlisted Development Partners to: 1.Confirm they hold the resource capabilities to deliver to UKB's timescales (see below), if they were to be successful in the shortlist evaluation; and 2.Seek clarification from shortlisted Development Partners in relation to any uncertainty regarding Development Partners' catalogue entries / service offerings to ensure their capability to meet UKB's requirements.

Lot Information

Lot 1

UK Biobank (UKB) is a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing genetic, lifestyle and health information from half a million UK participants. UKB's database is globally accessible to approved researchers who are undertaking health-related research that is in the public interest. Through carefully managing access, UKB allows approved researchers that have a project to conduct research for the public good and analyse the data held by UKB. In mid-2024, UKB stopped providing de-identified data downloads to researchers and moved to a data access model in which researchers (with some exceptions) must conduct their analyses on UKB-RAP (i.e. a "Platform-by-default" model). In moving to a Platform-by-default model, UKB is seeking to further improve its technical controls and intends to implement a functional mechanism to check data egress requests to ensure that participant record-level data is not being removed and does not contain information that can identify individual participants. This "Airlock" or Output Checking System (OCS) functionality will allow UKB to enhance the security of the UKB-RAP, reduce the risk of advertent and inadvertent data breaches and importantly further increases the trust and transparency of the UKB resource. Output checking processes for Trusted Research Environments (TREs) have to date been based on manual processes, with data analysts or administrators employed to review data egress requests to ensure they meet compliance standards. Given their reliance on human oversight of large data outputs, these systems are costly and do not provide a failsafe, and they cannot scale to the demands of UKB given its very large user base and continued growth. With over 20,000 publications (5,000 in the past year alone), continuing with a manual output checking process is neither desirable nor feasible. To develop and deliver the OCS, UKB is conducting separate procurements for two elements which will need to be fully interoperable: 1. OCS User Interface (UI) and Workflow (this procurement): The development of a seamless UI and Workflow for the OCS, including secure movement of data and integration with existing UKB infrastructure. 2. The OCS Decision Engine (separate procurement): The development of the core data interrogation component that uses algorithms and other techniques to allow an automated assessment of the data being egressed, giving an overall confidence assessment score and a Red/Amber/Green (RAG) rating for decision-making. The Development Partner for the OCS User Interface (UI) and Workflow will need to ensure it fully meets the functional, non-functional and operational requirements outlined in the attached specification (Specification) and will work in close collaboration with UKB and the OCS Decision Engine Development Partner to ensure the OCS UI and Workflow is aligned and integrates with the OCS Decision Engine being developed separately. It will also need to be compatible and integrated with the current and future UKB-RAP. UKB is using the G-Cloud 14 framework to procure its OCS UI and Workflow requirements. UKB is issuing this document to G-Cloud Development Partners under Lot 2 and Lot 3 which have been shortlisted in accordance with the buying process as best fitting UKB's high-level requirements. UKB will be evaluating shortlisted Development Partners based on the information and documents forming part of their published G-Cloud catalogue standard service offering (step 4 of the buying process). However, before proceeding with that evaluation UKB is contacting all shortlisted Development Partners to: 1. Confirm they hold the resource capabilities to deliver to UKB's timescales (see below), if they were to be successful in the shortlist evaluation; and 2. Seek clarification from shortlisted Development Partners in relation to any uncertainty regarding Development Partners' catalogue entries / service offerings to ensure their capability to meet UKB's requirements.

Procurement Information

The contract was awarded under the G-Cloud14 framework, as allowed by the framework

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c41a
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063111-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

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
£2,042,564 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
5 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UK BIOBANK 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
STOCKPORT
Postcode
SK3 0SA
Post Town
Stockport
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD35 Greater Manchester South East
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
Stockport
Electoral Ward
Davenport & Cale Green
Westminster Constituency
Stockport

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

KAINOS

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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-06c41a-2026-07-06T10:30:21+01:00",
    "date": "2026-07-06T10:30:21+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06c41a",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06c41a",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "32014L0024",
            "scheme": "CELEX"
        },
        "title": "\"Airlock\" Output Checking System UI and Workflow Development Partner",
        "status": "complete",
        "classification": {
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "id": "72200000",
            "description": "Software programming and consultancy services"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "description": "UKB is using the G-Cloud 14 framework to procure its OCS UI and Workflow requirements. UKB is issuing this document to G-Cloud Development Partners under Lot 2 and Lot 3 which have been shortlisted in accordance with the buying process as best fitting UKB's high-level requirements. UKB will be evaluating shortlisted Development Partners based on the information and documents forming part of their published G-Cloud catalogue standard service offering (step 4 of the buying process). However, before proceeding with that evaluation UKB is contacting all shortlisted Development Partners to: 1.Confirm they hold the resource capabilities to deliver to UKB's timescales (see below), if they were to be successful in the shortlist evaluation; and 2.Seek clarification from shortlisted Development Partners in relation to any uncertainty regarding Development Partners' catalogue entries / service offerings to ensure their capability to meet UKB's requirements.",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "description": "UK Biobank (UKB) is a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing genetic, lifestyle and health information from half a million UK participants. UKB's database is globally accessible to approved researchers who are undertaking health-related research that is in the public interest. Through carefully managing access, UKB allows approved researchers that have a project to conduct research for the public good and analyse the data held by UKB. In mid-2024, UKB stopped providing de-identified data downloads to researchers and moved to a data access model in which researchers (with some exceptions) must conduct their analyses on UKB-RAP (i.e. a \"Platform-by-default\" model). In moving to a Platform-by-default model, UKB is seeking to further improve its technical controls and intends to implement a functional mechanism to check data egress requests to ensure that participant record-level data is not being removed and does not contain information that can identify individual participants. This \"Airlock\" or Output Checking System (OCS) functionality will allow UKB to enhance the security of the UKB-RAP, reduce the risk of advertent and inadvertent data breaches and importantly further increases the trust and transparency of the UKB resource. Output checking processes for Trusted Research Environments (TREs) have to date been based on manual processes, with data analysts or administrators employed to review data egress requests to ensure they meet compliance standards. Given their reliance on human oversight of large data outputs, these systems are costly and do not provide a failsafe, and they cannot scale to the demands of UKB given its very large user base and continued growth. With over 20,000 publications (5,000 in the past year alone), continuing with a manual output checking process is neither desirable nor feasible. To develop and deliver the OCS, UKB is conducting separate procurements for two elements which will need to be fully interoperable: 1. OCS User Interface (UI) and Workflow (this procurement): The development of a seamless UI and Workflow for the OCS, including secure movement of data and integration with existing UKB infrastructure. 2. The OCS Decision Engine (separate procurement): The development of the core data interrogation component that uses algorithms and other techniques to allow an automated assessment of the data being egressed, giving an overall confidence assessment score and a Red/Amber/Green (RAG) rating for decision-making. The Development Partner for the OCS User Interface (UI) and Workflow will need to ensure it fully meets the functional, non-functional and operational requirements outlined in the attached specification (Specification) and will work in close collaboration with UKB and the OCS Decision Engine Development Partner to ensure the OCS UI and Workflow is aligned and integrates with the OCS Decision Engine being developed separately. It will also need to be compatible and integrated with the current and future UKB-RAP. UKB is using the G-Cloud 14 framework to procure its OCS UI and Workflow requirements. UKB is issuing this document to G-Cloud Development Partners under Lot 2 and Lot 3 which have been shortlisted in accordance with the buying process as best fitting UKB's high-level requirements. UKB will be evaluating shortlisted Development Partners based on the information and documents forming part of their published G-Cloud catalogue standard service offering (step 4 of the buying process). However, before proceeding with that evaluation UKB is contacting all shortlisted Development Partners to: 1. Confirm they hold the resource capabilities to deliver to UKB's timescales (see below), if they were to be successful in the shortlist evaluation; and 2. Seek clarification from shortlisted Development Partners in relation to any uncertainty regarding Development Partners' catalogue entries / service offerings to ensure their capability to meet UKB's requirements.",
                "awardCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "name": "AWS Data Review and Transfer Component (DRTC)",
                            "type": "quality",
                            "description": "25"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "UI and Decision Workflows",
                            "type": "quality",
                            "description": "25"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "Timescales and Ways of Working",
                            "type": "quality",
                            "description": "10"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "DevOps Capability",
                            "type": "quality",
                            "description": "10"
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "price",
                            "description": "30"
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "hasOptions": false,
                "status": "cancelled"
            }
        ],
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKC"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKD"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKE"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKF"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKG"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKH"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKI"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKK"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "procurementMethod": "limited",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition",
        "coveredBy": [
            "GPA"
        ],
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "D_OUTSIDE_SCOPE",
                "scheme": "TED_PT_AWARD_CONTRACT_WITHOUT_CALL",
                "description": "The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive"
            }
        ],
        "procurementMethodRationale": "The contract was awarded under the G-Cloud14 framework, as allowed by the framework"
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "063111-2026-1",
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "status": "active",
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-NI729618",
                    "name": "Kainos"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-4978912",
            "name": "UK BIOBANK LIMITED",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "UK BIOBANK LIMITED",
                "id": "4978912",
                "scheme": "GB-COH"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Units 1 & 2 Spectrum Way,",
                "locality": "Stockport",
                "region": "UKD35",
                "postalCode": "SK30SA",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Andrea Howard",
                "email": "tenders@ukbiobank.ac.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "BODY_PUBLIC",
                        "scheme": "TED_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Body governed by public law"
                    },
                    {
                        "id": "07",
                        "scheme": "COFOG",
                        "description": "Health"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-NI729618",
            "name": "Kainos",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "Kainos",
                "id": "NI729618",
                "scheme": "GB-COH"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "4-6 Upper Crescent",
                "locality": "Belfast",
                "region": "UKN",
                "postalCode": "BT7 1NT",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "sme"
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-FTS-495",
            "name": "The High Court",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "The High Court"
            },
            "address": {
                "locality": "London",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom"
            },
            "roles": [
                "reviewBody"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-COH-4978912",
        "name": "UK BIOBANK LIMITED"
    },
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "063111-2026-1",
            "awardID": "063111-2026-1",
            "status": "active",
            "value": {
                "amount": 2042564,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "dateSigned": "2026-07-06T00:00:00+01:00"
        }
    ],
    "bids": {
        "statistics": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "measure": "bids",
                "relatedLot": "1",
                "value": 4
            },
            {
                "id": "2",
                "measure": "smeBids",
                "relatedLot": "1",
                "value": 3
            },
            {
                "id": "3",
                "measure": "electronicBids",
                "relatedLot": "1",
                "value": 4
            }
        ]
    },
    "language": "en"
}