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PHOENIX TECHNICAL REFRESH PHASE 3

Rail Staff Travel Limited

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

10 Sep 2026 at 10:49

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

16 Jul 2026 at 12:50

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

16 Jul 2026 at 12:42

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Rail Staff Travel Limited commissioned Phase 3 of the Phoenix Technical Refresh Programme, the final stage of a multi-phase modernisation of its bespoke, business-critical Staff Travel Management and Administration System. The work covers migration of the remaining portal functionality, customer-facing processes and core data management capabilities onto the modernised architecture established in earlier phases. It is intended to improve usability, cyber security, resilience, data integrity and long-term sustainability, while allowing legacy technology components to be retired. The system manages rail travel benefits for approximately one million rail employees, pensioners and eligible family members. The procurement is for custom software development services supporting a live rail staff travel system and its associated business processes.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Tracsis PLC. The single lot was awarded through a direct award under the Procurement Act 2023 because competition was considered absent for technical reasons and there were no reasonable alternatives. The award date was 8 July 2026, the contract was signed on 29 July 2026, and the contract period runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 January 2028. The awarded and contracted value is £1,599,154 gross. Tracsis is the incumbent supplier for Phases 1 and 2, whose architecture, software components, integrations and migration framework underpin Phase 3. The buyer’s rationale cites the need to avoid substantial technical rediscovery, duplication, delay and operational risk to the live system.

This procurement indicates demand for suppliers able to modernise and support bespoke, business-critical platforms rather than deliver a standalone software product. A credible competitor for comparable work would need strong custom software development capability, experience migrating portal functions and core data, and the ability to work safely with live customer-facing services. Relevant expertise includes modern technical architecture, systems integration, data management and migration frameworks, with a demonstrable focus on cyber security, resilience, data integrity and long-term maintainability. The requirement also shows the importance of retaining detailed knowledge of existing configuration, business rules and implementation decisions across a multi-phase programme. Suppliers would need sufficient technical assurance, delivery capacity and sector-aware risk management to take responsibility for complex legacy modernisation.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

PHOENIX TECHNICAL REFRESH PHASE 3

Notice Description

Rail Settlement Plan intends to award a contract to Tracsis for the delivery of Phase 3 of the Phoenix Technical Refresh Programme, the final stage of a multi-phase modernisation of the Phoenix Staff Travel Management and Administration System. Phoenix is a bespoke, business-critical platform used by Rail Staff Travel Limited to manage rail staff travel benefits for approximately one million rail employees, pensioners and eligible family members. Phase 3 will complete the migration of the remaining Phoenix portal functionality, customer-facing processes and core data management capabilities onto the modernised technical architecture established during Phases 1 and 2. The works will improve usability, cyber security, resilience, data integrity and long-term sustainability while enabling the retirement of legacy technology components. The proposed contract is being awarded on the basis that, due to technical dependencies arising from the delivery of the previous phases, only the incumbent supplier can reasonably complete the programme without significant duplication of work, technical rediscovery, delay and increased operational risk

Procurement Information

The contract is being awarded in reliance on Schedule 5, paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023, on the basis that competition is absent for technical reasons and there are no reasonable alternatives. The requirement relates to Phase 3 of the Phoenix Technical Refresh Programme, which is the final stage of an existing three-phase programme to modernise the Phoenix Staff Travel Management and Administration System. Phases 1 and 2 have already been delivered by the incumbent supplier, Tracsis, and have established the modernised architecture, software components, integration approach and migration framework upon which Phase 3 is dependent. Completion of Phase 3 requires detailed technical knowledge of the architecture, configuration, business rules and implementation established through the earlier phases. Appointment of an alternative supplier would require substantial rediscovery, reverse engineering, technical assurance and reconstruction of knowledge already developed during the programme before delivery could safely proceed. This would result in significant duplication of effort, increased cost, programme delay and additional operational risk to a live business-critical system supporting rail staff travel services. Accordingly, only the incumbent supplier can reasonably complete the required services and there are no reasonable alternatives that would enable delivery of the programme without substantial technical rework and unacceptable operational risk

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ccdc
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085727-2026
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

72230000 - Custom software development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,599,154 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£1,599,154 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Sep 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 Jul 20263 months ago
Contract Period
1 Aug 2026 - 31 Jan 2028 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
Rail Staff Travel 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
LONDON
Postcode
EC4V 3DS
Postcode Area
Central 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
City of London
Electoral Ward
Castle Baynard
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

TRACSIS PLC

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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