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Scientific Journal Access

NATIONAL NUCLEAR LABORATORY LIMITED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

29 Jul 2026 at 14:20

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

14 Jul 2026 at 08:59

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory Limited procured subscription-based access to scientific journals and online research databases through Elsevier’s ScienceDirect and Scopus platforms. The service provides full-text peer-reviewed publications, bibliographic and citation databases, and analytical tools supporting the organisation’s research, teaching and academic activities. It covers periodicals, database services and subscription services. Delivery applies across England, including the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, the South East and the South West. The buying organisation is based in Warrington. The requirement concerns digital access to Elsevier’s proprietary research content and related analytical resources, rather than the supply of printed journals or standalone research consultancy.

This procurement is complete and has been awarded following a direct award without prior publication. The stated basis was Elsevier’s exclusive intellectual property rights and its sole authority to provide the specified ScienceDirect and Scopus content, with no reasonable equivalent substitute identified. Elsevier B.V. was awarded the contract on 29 July 2026. The award value is £646,891 excluding VAT, or £776,269 including VAT. The stated contract period runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2031, with a maximum-extent date of 30 September 2032 and an option to extend for a further 12 months. There is one completed lot. The contract also allows additional or enhanced subscription packages, reviewed annually, which may be included or excluded.

This outcome indicates established demand for institutional access to high-volume scientific publishing, bibliographic and citation data, and research analytics within a national laboratory environment. A credible future competitor would need either ownership or authorised distribution rights for substantial scientific journal content and research databases, together with the technical capability to provide reliable, secure online access to full-text publications and analytical tools. Suppliers would need to support institutional subscription management, package changes and ongoing service administration across a geographically distributed organisation. Relevant strengths include a broad peer-reviewed content portfolio, comprehensive citation coverage, dependable digital delivery, research-sector experience and the capacity to manage annual reviews and optional enhanced packages. The requirement is particularly suited to major publishers, specialist scholarly information providers or authorised platform partners.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Scientific Journal Access

Notice Description

Provision of subscription-based access to scientific journals and online research databases through Elsevier's ScienceDirect and Scopus platforms. The services include access to full-text peer-reviewed publications, bibliographic and citation databases, and analytical tools to support the contracting authority's research, teaching, and academic activities. The contract term is four years, with an option to extend for a further 12 months, giving a maximum duration of five years.

Procurement Information

The contracting authority intends to award the contract without prior publication due to the existence of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights. Elsevier is the sole provider authorised to grant access to its proprietary scientific journals and research databases, including ScienceDirect and Scopus. These resources are protected by exclusive intellectual property rights and cannot be supplied by another economic operator. No reasonable alternative or substitute exists, as other providers do not offer equivalent journal content, coverage, or citation data. The services are essential to support the authority's research and academic activities.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ca50
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071749-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award 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

22 - Printed matter and related products

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

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

22212000 - Periodicals

72320000 - Database services

79980000 - Subscription services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£646,891 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
29 Jul 20261 months ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NATIONAL NUCLEAR LABORATORY 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
WARRINGTON
Postcode
WA3 6AE
Postcode Area
Warrington
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD6 Cheshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD61 Warrington
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Warrington
Electoral Ward
Birchwood
Westminster Constituency
Warrington North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Elsevier B.V.

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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