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Digital Development Partner

The Arts Council of England

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

02 Sep 2026 at 13:20

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Arts Council of England appointed a digital development partner for its digital and data transformation programme. The requirement covers specialist external support to accelerate delivery, strengthen engineering and governance standards, and build sustainable internal capability supporting the Council’s long-term digital objectives. This is a digital transformation and information technology consultancy service, including strategic review and planning of information systems or technology (CPV 72222000). The buying organisation is Arts Council of England, a public authority based in Manchester. The work concerns the Council’s internal digital, data, engineering and governance environment, with delivery for the organisation rather than a construction, supply or venue-based requirement. It is a single service requirement delivered through one completed lot.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded. Arts Council of England used a competitive selective procedure, with the award made under a framework agreement. Mphasis UK Limited was selected on 1 September 2026 for £5,000,000 excluding VAT, or £6,000,000 including VAT. The contract period is 29 September 2026 to 28 September 2029, with a possible two-year renewal extending the maximum period to 27 September 2031. The award is active and above the relevant threshold. There was one completed lot, covering the full digital development partner requirement. The opportunity was evaluated through the competitive framework route; the published data does not provide a more detailed weighting or scoring basis.

This award shows that Arts Council of England buys substantial, integrated digital transformation support through a competitive framework route. Suppliers best placed for a future requirement would combine digital strategy with hands-on software engineering, data transformation, technology planning, governance and delivery improvement. Credible providers would need to demonstrate that they can accelerate complex programmes while raising engineering and governance standards, transfer knowledge and capability to internal teams, and support sustainable delivery rather than provide short-term consultancy alone. The buyer’s selection of Mphasis UK Limited, an SME, indicates that this scale of work can be delivered by a focused specialist rather than only by a very large systems integrator. Relevant firms should therefore be able to evidence comparable public-sector or complex organisational transformation work and operate effectively within framework competitions.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Digital Development Partner

Notice Description

Arts Council England is progressing a significant digital and data transformation programme and requires specialist external support to accelerate delivery, strengthen engineering and governance standards, and build sustainable internal capability, therefore, it was decided to run a competitive tender to choose the most suitable partner to help Arts Council achieve its long-term digital objectives.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f05e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083052-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Award under framework
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

72222000 - Information systems or technology strategic review and planning services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£5,000,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
1 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
29 Sep 2026 - 28 Sep 2029 3-4 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
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

Mphasis

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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