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Product Journey Engine (PJE) Development and Configuration Services

Post Office Limited

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

18 Sep 2026 at 15:38

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

07 Aug 2026 at 15:26

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

07 Aug 2026 at 15:17

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Post Office Limited procured development and configuration services for Escher’s Product Journey Engine (PJE), a standalone software module supporting the Horizon Replacement Services transformation programme. The work covers a proprietary framework, tools and a library of postal-retail customer journeys. Three journeys are preconfigured for mail-related transactions, ten further journeys are to be configured by Escher, and Post Office Limited will configure the remaining journeys. The PJE is intended to let complex transactions be configured, adapted and deployed rapidly within the Post Office’s architecture and wider programme. This is an information technology services requirement, including software development, consulting and support. Delivery is across the United Kingdom, for the Post Office’s branch network. The buying organisation is Post Office Limited, a public undertaking.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded under a direct award procedure to ESCHER SOFTWARE SERVICES UK LIMITED. Post Office Limited used section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023, stating that Escher is the sole owner of the PJE intellectual property, source code and technical know-how, and has the required development capability. The award was made on 7 August 2026 and the contract was signed on 19 August 2026. Its value is £12,000,000 excluding VAT, or £14,400,000 including VAT. The contract runs from 20 August 2026 to 19 August 2031, with two possible 12-month extensions at the authority’s discretion, giving a maximum end date of 19 August 2033. The award is above threshold and concerns one lot assessed as suitable for SMEs.

This award shows demand for specialist software development and configuration within a large, complex retail and postal technology transformation. A credible future supplier would need strong capability in configurable transaction platforms, software architecture and rapid deployment, together with the technical depth to work across an established branch-network environment. Relevant experience would include designing or adapting customer journeys for postal-retail and mail-related transactions, integrating proprietary or modular software into wider enterprise systems, and delivering agreed milestones, acceptance criteria and governance obligations. The requirement also favours organisations able to provide substantial development capability and demonstrate ownership or authorised access to the intellectual property, source code, tools and technical know-how underpinning their solution. Suppliers would need resilience when delivery depends on other transformation partners and changing public-sector requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Product Journey Engine (PJE) Development and Configuration Services

Notice Description

Post Office Limited ("POL") is undertaking the "Horizon Replacement Services" transformation programme to replace the legacy Horizon IT system used across its branch network. The programme was procured via a competitive flexible procedure published on Find a Tender (procurement identifier OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-050efb) and comprises two lots: * Lot 1 (Replacement Service Provider): awarded to Accenture (UK) Limited. * Lot 2 (COTS-EPOS-SaaS): awarded to OneView Commerce, Inc. As part of the programme, POL has identified a requirement for Escher's proprietary Product Journey Engine ("PJE") - a standalone, independently licensable software module incorporating Escher's proprietary framework, tools and a library of postal-retail customer journeys, comprising three journeys preconfigured for mail-related transactions, a further ten journeys to be configured by Escher, with the remaining journeys to be configured by POL. The PJE is required to enable complex transactions to be configured, adapted and deployed rapidly within POL's architecture and broader transformation programme. This notice relates specifically to the Year 1 development and configuration of the PJE (estimated value PS12,000,000). POL has awarded this contract directly to Escher under section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. The separate PJE licence (Years 1-7) and Year 2 support elements are intended to be procured via POL's existing call-off arrangements under Crown Commercial Service framework RM6098 (Technology Products and Associated Services 2) and are not the subject of this notice.

Procurement Information

POL considers that a direct award is justified because Escher is the sole owner of the intellectual property, source code, technical know-how and development capability in respect of the PJE.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06df56
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088816-2026
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
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

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
£12,000,000 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
£12,000,000 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
7 Aug 20262 months ago
Contract Period
20 Aug 2026 - 19 Aug 2031 Over 5 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
Post Office 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
EC2V 7ER
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
Bassishaw
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ESCHER SOFTWARE SERVICES UK LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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