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HR & Payroll SaaS system

The Arts Council of England

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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26 Aug 2026 at 13:57

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Arts Council of England procured a subscription-based software solution covering human resources, recruitment, time and attendance, and payroll. The requirement is for a single HR and payroll SaaS system rather than separate standalone services. The software is classified as a time-accounting or human-resources software package. Delivery is for use across the United Kingdom. This procurement is relevant to software providers that supply cloud-based HR and payroll platforms, particularly those able to combine recruitment, workforce time recording, attendance management and payroll within one service. It may also suit established HR technology businesses serving public authorities and organisations with varied workforce administration needs.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded following a direct, below-threshold procedure without competition. One lot was completed. The contract was awarded to The Access Group, and the contract was signed on 9 June 2026. It runs from 28 September 2026 to 28 September 2028. Its value is £99,988 excluding VAT, or £119,985.60 including VAT. The award concerns the HR, recruitment, time and attendance, and payroll software requirement. The selected supplier is The Access Group. The published evaluation basis was the buyer’s direct-award decision rather than a competitive tender, so the process does not provide a comparison of competing bids or disclosed scoring criteria.

This procurement shows that the Arts Council of England buys an integrated SaaS platform spanning core HR administration, recruitment, time recording, attendance and payroll. A future competitor would need a product that can cover all of these functions coherently, rather than offering only one component. Credibility would depend on being able to provide the software as an ongoing subscription service and support the buyer’s use of the combined platform across the United Kingdom. Providers with established HR and payroll software, recruitment functionality and time-and-attendance capability are the closest fit. The incumbent’s selection also indicates that a large, established supplier can meet this buyer’s requirement through a direct, below-threshold route.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

HR & Payroll SaaS system

Notice Description

Subscription for SaaS HR, recruitment, time and attendance and payroll solution

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06eca6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081340-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

CPV Codes

48450000 - Time accounting or human resources software package

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£99,988 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Aug 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
28 Sep 2026 - 28 Sep 2028 2-3 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
The Arts Council of England
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
MANCHESTER
Postcode
M1 1FN
Postcode Area
Manchester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD33 Manchester
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Manchester
Electoral Ward
Piccadilly
Westminster Constituency
Manchester Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

The Access Group

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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