---
title: "ACAS27493 - CO-ARMS Discovery"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-aa18611f-f9c4-4a8a-8745-e4112a497181"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-aa18611f-f9c4-4a8a-8745-e4112a497181"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-aa18611f-f9c4-4a8a-8745-e4112a497181.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-aa18611f-f9c4-4a8a-8745-e4112a497181.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED"
published: "2026-10-09"
---

# ACAS27493 - CO-ARMS Discovery

Buyer: UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-aa18611f-f9c4-4a8a-8745-e4112a497181

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## Summary

UK Shared Business Services Limited procured consultancy to carry out a structured discovery for the Cabinet Office’s annual return process. The work covers assessing how the current process operates, engaging stakeholders, and analysing existing processes, data and integrations. The supplier is to define user-centred requirements for a logged-in portal experience and associated services. Deliverables include an options appraisal, target architecture, roadmap and inputs to the business case for procuring a new portal. This is research and development and related consultancy work, delivered in the United Kingdom. The requirement is focused on discovery and defining a future digital service, rather than building or operating the portal itself.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded to MLC Partners Limited. The award was made on 7 October 2026 for £28,400. The contract runs from 12 October 2026 to 17 January 2027. The work was procured through a mini-competition under the Management Consultancy Framework Four, using a selective call-off route. The stated deadline for submissions was 30 September 2026. The requirement was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The available award details do not set out a separate scoring breakdown or detailed evaluation criteria, so the award basis cannot be described more specifically.

For consultancies seeking similar Cabinet Office work, this award demonstrates demand for short, defined discovery engagements ahead of a larger digital procurement. Credible suppliers will need to combine stakeholder engagement with practical analysis of business processes, data flows and system integrations, then translate findings into user-centred requirements and clear delivery options. The buyer also valued outputs that support decision-making: an options appraisal, target architecture, roadmap and business case inputs for a future portal. Experience in shaping authenticated digital services for complex administrative processes would be directly relevant, alongside the ability to communicate findings in a form that supports a subsequent procurement. The small-business suitability and framework mini-competition route indicate that SMEs with focused discovery and service-design capability can be positioned to compete for this kind of requirement.

## Notice

***** THIS IS AN AWARD NOTICE, NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION ***** This procurement is being concluded following a mini competition under the GCA RM6309 - Management Consultancy Framework Four (MCF4) - Lot 1: Business Description of the requirement Conduct a structured Discovery to assess, create a logged in experience portal for the CO's Annual return process and associated services. The supplier will engage stakeholders, analyse current processes, data and integrations, and define user centred requirements. Outputs will include options appraisal, target architecture, roadmap and business case inputs to support procurement of a new logged in experience Portal

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/e480c2f6-05f3-4574-a42a-852bb998f77f |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Dynamic |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a dynamic purchasing system |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 7 Oct 2026 |
| Contract period | 12 Oct 2026 - 17 Jan 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £28,400 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Postcode area | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FF |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | MLC PARTNERS LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 9 Oct 2026 at 10:40 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/e480c2f6-05f3-4574-a42a-852bb998f77f

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/e480c2f6-05f3-4574-a42a-852bb998f77f
  9th October 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-aa18611f-f9c4-4a8a-8745-e4112a497181. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-aa18611f-f9c4-4a8a-8745-e4112a497181.json.