---
title: "Provision of Downstream Access DSA Postal Services"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-cf75cb34-62bc-40a8-8728-b49f3ef01952"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-cf75cb34-62bc-40a8-8728-b49f3ef01952"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cf75cb34-62bc-40a8-8728-b49f3ef01952.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cf75cb34-62bc-40a8-8728-b49f3ef01952.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust"
published: "2026-10-20"
---

# Provision of Downstream Access DSA Postal Services

Buyer: United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-cf75cb34-62bc-40a8-8728-b49f3ef01952

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## Summary

United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is procuring downstream access postal services for NHS trusts in Lincolnshire and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. The service covers collection and delivery of letters, large letters and parcels within the UK through the NHS trusts’ postal arrangements. Small packages and parcels collection and delivery are optional at each trust’s discretion. The Lincolnshire lot covers United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, with Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust able to use the service through a separate call-off agreement. The Derby and Burton lot is for University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. Delivery is across the trusts’ service areas, including Lincolnshire and Derby and Burton.

The procurement is complete and both lots were awarded separately to DHL eCommerce Ltd. The award is dated 20 October 2026. Lot 1, covering Lincolnshire, has an estimated value of £6 million for United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals and Lincolnshire Community Health Services over four years; Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s potential call-off is estimated at £1.3 million over four years or part of that period. Lot 2, for University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, is estimated at £2.7 million over four years. These estimates may be exceeded because third-party final-mile delivery and other statutory costs are passed through. The lots run from 1 October and 1 November 2026 respectively to 30 September 2028, with options for two 12-month extensions at each authority’s discretion. The trusts used a further competition under a framework; the lots were evaluated and awarded individually.

The award demonstrates recurring NHS demand for managed downstream access postal services across multiple trusts, including the collection and delivery of letters and larger mail, with optional small-parcel services. A credible competitor would need the operational capacity to serve dispersed NHS sites across Lincolnshire and the Derby and Burton area, and to manage the final-mile delivery chain, including third-party costs. The framework call-off route and separate lot evaluations indicate that suppliers need to compete for defined trust groupings rather than assume a single combined service award. The selected supplier was a large-scale e-commerce delivery business, making established postal networks, reliable delivery operations and the ability to support multi-trust service arrangements relevant capabilities for a supplier seeking comparable NHS work.

## Notice

Provision of Downstream Access Postal Services to NHS trusts across Lincolnshire and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust Additional information: Lot 1 Lincolnshire comprising United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust ULTH Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust LCHS and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust LPFT Lot 2 University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust Both lots include the option for small packages and parcels collection and delivery at the discretion of each contracting authority. Lot 1 commenced 1 October 2026. Call-off signature date 20 September 2026. ULTH is the contracting authority on behalf of itself and LCHS under its LCHG group model. ULTH and LCHS estimated value over 4 years is PS6m excluding VAT. LPFT may call-off services under Lot 1 directly as a contracting authority at a future date at its discretion subject to the execution of a separate call-off agreement. LPFT estimated value PS1.3m over 4 years ex. VAT or part thereof. Lot 2 will commence 1 November 2026. Contract signature date 16 October 2026. Estimated value over 4 years is PS2.7m ex. VAT. UHDB is the sole contracting authority under this lot. Contract values over 4 years at individual trust level and combined aggregate level may exceed the totals specified due to the pass through of Third Party ie Final Mile Delivery and other statutory led costs outside of the contracting authorities' control. Both lots will end 30 September 2028 but may be extended as options for 2 x 12 months at each contracting authority's discretion. Framework GCA RM6280 Lot 2 Collection and Delivery of Letters, Large Letters and Parcels within UK via Further Competition Both lots individually evaluated and awarded to DHL eCommerce Ltd

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/83405137-0202-485c-b7ca-e7207c31a18c |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Contract period | 1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £10,000,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £10,000,000 |
| 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 | United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust |
| Locality | LINCOLN |
| Postcode area | Lincoln |
| Postcode | LN5 7JH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLF East Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLF3 Lincolnshire |
| ITL 3 | TLF30 Lincolnshire CC |
| Local authority | Lincoln |
| Electoral ward | Park |
| Westminster constituency | Lincoln |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | DHL Parcel UK Limited |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 64 - Postal and telecommunications services

### Codes

- 64110000 - Postal services

## Release History

- 20 Oct 2026 at 08:45 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/83405137-0202-485c-b7ca-e7207c31a18c

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/83405137-0202-485c-b7ca-e7207c31a18c
  20th 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-cf75cb34-62bc-40a8-8728-b49f3ef01952. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cf75cb34-62bc-40a8-8728-b49f3ef01952.json.