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Customer Engagement and Relationship Management

DFT OPERATOR LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

22 Oct 2026 at 14:38

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

DFT Operator Limited (DFTO) is planning a Customer Engagement and Relationship Management solution to provide shared capability for a consistent, coordinated and personalised customer experience across Great British Railways (GBR). The emerging scope covers software and related services for digital customer engagement and marketing communications; rail service, journey and disruption updates; customer enquiries, complaints and case management; using customer data for segmentation and personalisation; and maintaining a trusted, unified view of customer identity, profiles, consent and preferences. The solution is intended to support customers and staff across GBR. DFTO is exploring commercial off-the-shelf software delivered as a service, covering one or more capability areas, with systems integration to connect services into a seamless experience. Suppliers may offer a complete solution or capabilities in particular areas.

This is at the planning stage: DFTO is conducting preliminary market engagement to shape the procurement strategy, scope, specification, business case and final contract requirements; it is not an invitation to tender. DFTO expects to hold a supplier webinar on 4 November 2026 at 11:00 GMT and invite attendees to complete a feedback questionnaire by 17 November 2026. It is considering suitable framework agreements as a possible route to market. The planned contract period is 1 August 2027 to 31 July 2032, with a possible extension to 31 July 2037. The procurement is above the relevant financial threshold, but no contract value is stated. It is planned as one lot, with no evaluation criteria or final procedure set out yet; the emerging scope may change following engagement.

The work is likely to suit software-as-a-service providers and systems integrators with experience in customer relationship management, marketing communications, customer service and case management, customer data platforms and digital personalisation. Suppliers may contribute a focused product or service in one capability area, or combine products and integration expertise to cover several or all requirements. The buyer is seeking input on market capability, delivery models, transition approaches, commercial structures, indicative costs, barriers to participation and factors affecting suppliers’ interest or ability to bid. This gives suppliers with relevant rail or other complex, multi-channel customer-service experience an opportunity to inform the eventual scope and procurement approach. The planned lot is marked as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, so specialist and smaller providers may also be well placed to contribute.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Customer Engagement and Relationship Management

Notice Description

DFT Operator Limited (DFTO) is undertaking preliminary market engagement to help inform the procurement strategy, contract scope and specification for a Customer Engagement and Relationship Management (CERM) Solution that will provide the shared capability needed to deliver a consistent, coordinated and personalised customer experience across GBR. Emerging Scope The proposed CERM solution encompasses the following key capability areas: 1. Customer Engagement & Marketing Communications Design, manage and deliver coordinated customer engagement and marketing communications across digital channels and customer lifecycle stages. 2. Service & Journey Communications Deliver timely, relevant rail service, journey and disruption-related communications before, during and after travel, across digital channels. 3. Customer Support & Case Management Manage customer enquiries, complaints, support interactions and case resolution consistently across customer service channels. 4. Customer Data Activation & Personalisation Consume, segment and activate customer data to support personalised engagement, communications and customer experiences. 5. Foundation Customer Data Services Maintain, manage and make available a trusted and unified view of customer identity, profiles, consent, preferences and related customer data across customer engagement and support services and the wider ecosystem. These capability areas represent the current high-level scope and may be refined following market engagement. Purpose of Preliminary Market Engagement DFTO would like to understand what COTS SaaS cover one or more (or all) of the requirements including approach to systems integration to provide a seamless experience to GBR customers and staff and indicative costs to support the development of procurement methodology and business case. DFTO is contemplating utilising suitable framework agreements as a potential route to market.

Planning Information

To facilitate market engagement, DFTO will hold a webinar for interested suppliers on 04/11/2026 at 11:00 GMT setting out the requirement and approach to procurement. Please register your interest to attend by completing the form located at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/RePj8T7kWr Following the webinar, you will be invited to respond to a questionnaire with your feedback by 17/11/2026 The purpose of this questionnaire is to understand market capability, delivery models, transition approaches, commercial structures and indicative costings, potential barriers to participation and any factors that may influence supplier interest or ability to bid. Responses will be used to help shape the final procurement approach, tender documentation and contract requirements.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078e07
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100032-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

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

CPV Codes

48310000 - Document creation software package

48480000 - Sales, marketing and business intelligence software package

48600000 - Database and operating software package

48700000 - Software package utilities

72227000 - Software integration consultancy services

72250000 - System and support services

72260000 - Software-related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Aug 2027 - 1 Aug 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DFT OPERATOR 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
SE1 8SW
Postcode Area
South East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Waterloo & South Bank
Westminster Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

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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