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Contract for Ancestry library edition

Durham County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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23 Sep 2026 at 08:46

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Durham County Council purchased an online subscription to Ancestry Library Edition for people using its library service. The service provides library users with access to Ancestry’s online family-history resources. This is a subscription service, rather than a purchase of software development or general library technology. The service is delivered in the United Kingdom for the council’s library users. The selected supplier, ProQuest LLC, is based in Ann Arbor, United States. The requirement concerns access to a named online product for public library use, so suppliers working in digital genealogy resources, subscription databases or licensed information services are closest to its scope.

The procurement is complete and the contract is active. Durham County Council awarded the single-lot contract directly to ProQuest LLC without competition, using a below-threshold route. The award date was 16 September 2026 and the contract runs from 17 September 2026 to 30 April 2029. Its value is £46,252.48 excluding VAT (£55,502.98 including VAT). The award covered the Ancestry Library Edition subscription service; no separate lot awards are recorded. The published procurement data gives no evaluation criteria or eligibility requirements, and the procurement was not competitively evaluated. The arrangement is therefore a direct purchase from the selected supplier, rather than an outcome decided through scored bids.

This award shows Durham County Council buys subscription access to a specialist family-history database for public library users. A credible supplier for a comparable requirement would need rights to provide a well-established genealogy resource, a reliable online service suitable for shared use by library customers, and the capacity to maintain access across a multi-year subscription. Experience supporting public libraries or similar institutional customers would be relevant, particularly where the product must serve many end users through a council-funded subscription. The incumbent’s selection does not establish a competitive benchmark, since the council used a direct award without competition. Suppliers of unrelated library software or general digital services would need to demonstrate a close fit with genealogy content and the subscription model to be relevant.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Contract for Ancestry library edition

Notice Description

Online subscription to Ancestry library edition for library users.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077812
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089898-2026
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
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79980000 - Subscription services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£46,252 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
17 Sep 2026 - 30 Apr 2029 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
Durham County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DURHAM
Postcode
DH1 5WB
Postcode Area
Durham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC41 Durham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
County Durham
Electoral Ward
Framwellgate & Newton Hall
Westminster Constituency
City of Durham

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ProQuest LLC

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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