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DfC - Work and Health Group - Home Heating Oil Support Scheme

Department for Communities

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

28 Jul 2026 at 09:31

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

16 Jul 2026 at 12:38

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

16 Jul 2026 at 12:16

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Communities procured specialist financial and insurance services to implement a closed-loop voucher or prepaid-card solution for the 2026 Home Heating Oil Support Scheme. The service is intended to support the secure distribution of grant-funding voucher codes to eligible households in Northern Ireland. It covers the operational delivery of the scheme rather than the provision of heating oil itself. The Department for Communities is the buying organisation, with CPD - Supplies and Services Division acting as the central procurement function for Northern Ireland’s central government. The work is delivered across Northern Ireland. The requirement sits within the Department’s Work and Health Group and supports a household assistance programme funded through an approved government support package.

The procurement is complete and was awarded by direct award on 16 July 2026, using an urgency rationale. Huggg Limited was selected as the supplier. The award and contract value is £569,500 excluding VAT, or £683,400 including VAT. The contract was signed on 28 July 2026 and runs from 29 July 2026 to 31 December 2027. The contract is active and covers one completed lot. The award followed a standstill period ending on 27 July 2026. The direct-award justification refers to Executive approval for a £36.4 million funding package to support eligible households through a voucher-based scheme. The procurement was above the relevant threshold and covered by the Government Procurement Agreement.

This award demonstrates demand for suppliers able to deliver secure, controlled payment or voucher infrastructure for public household-support schemes. A credible competitor would need experience operating closed-loop voucher, prepaid-card or comparable disbursement systems, including the secure generation, distribution and redemption of grant-funded codes. The requirement also points to the importance of protecting public funds, maintaining accurate eligibility-linked transactions and supporting a public body through a compressed implementation timetable. Suppliers should be able to manage delivery at Northern Ireland scale, coordinate closely with a central government procurement function and provide reliable operational support throughout the scheme. Relevant financial-services, payment-technology, voucher-management and public-sector delivery experience would strengthen a future response to this buyer’s requirements.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

DfC - Work and Health Group - Home Heating Oil Support Scheme

Notice Description

The Department (DfC) has an urgent requirement for a specialist delivery partner to implement a closed loop voucher/prepaid card solution to support delivery of the 2026 Home Heating Oil Support Scheme. The solution is required to securely provide grant funding voucher codes for our distribution to eligible households in Northern Ireland within a fixed and compressed delivery timeframe.

Procurement Information

This was in response to the Communities Minister secured Executive approval for a PS36.4m funding package to deliver support to eligible households through a voucher-based scheme.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ccd1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071037-2026
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
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

CPV Codes

66000000 - Financial and insurance services

66171000 - Financial consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£569,500 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£569,500 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
16 Jul 20262 months ago
Contract Period
29 Jul 2026 - 31 Dec 2027 1-2 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
Department for Communities
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
BT2 7EG
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
Central
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Huggg Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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