--- title: "Working Age Services Project Zora - Application Decomposition & Microservices Transition" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS" published: "2026-06-04" --- # Working Age Services Project Zora - Application Decomposition & Microservices Transition Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce.json) ## Summary The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), a central government public authority based in London, is initiating a procurement process titled "Working Age Services Project Zora - Application Decomposition & Microservices Transition". The process is currently in the planning stage as of 4th June 2026, with a Request for Information (RFI) deadline set for 5th June 2026. The project, valued at approximately £41.4 million, focuses on transforming the Universal Credit system into a modern, microservices-based architecture to enhance agility and resilience. This procurement falls under the services category within the software programming and consultancy services industry, and it involves multiple regions across the UK, such as UKC, UKD, and UKE among others. The procurement method will be selective, conducted under a framework agreement, with the contract period planned from 2nd November 2026 to 1st November 2028. This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in digital transformation, microservices architecture, and software consultancy. Firms with expertise in analysis, design, engineering, and digital delivery will find this project particularly rewarding, as it involves re-architecting systems to support new public service capabilities. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSE) are encouraged to participate, offering a diverse range of expertise and fostering innovation across the supply chain. As the process is underpinned by a selective procurement method, interested parties should prepare for a competitive bidding environment that will require demonstrating both technical capability and value for money. ## Notice Project Zora is a strategic programme within the Department for Work and Pensions' Working Age Services portfolio, focused on improving the sustainability, agility and resilience of the Universal Credit service. It addresses the constraints of a long-standing monolithic application estate to enable more responsive delivery of policy change, user needs and future service evolution. The programme will progressively decompose elements of the Universal Credit application into more modular, loosely coupled components aligned to a modern, microservices-based architecture. This includes re-architecting systems and supporting capabilities to reduce interdependencies, improve deployment flexibility, and enable faster, safer change while maintaining continuity of service. Through this transformation, Project Zora aims to establish reusable platform and service capabilities that can be iterated over time and support wider Working Age Services objectives. Delivery is expected to require specialist digital, engineering and delivery expertise across analysis, design, build and transition activity, with a clear focus on managing operational risk, supporting user-centred outcomes and delivering long-term value for money. ### Planning Information A Request for Information (RFI) has been issued to the suppliers identified through a longlisting process via the filtering process on RM1043.9 DOS7 Framework Lot 2. The RFI will cover themes such as subcontracting ecosystems and the effect of AI tooling on pricing models. RFI responses must be submitted no later than 5 June 2026. Responses received after this deadline will not be considered. Where further questions arise beyond those set out in the RFI, DWP reserves the right to issue follow-up questions and request a further response from participating suppliers. The deadline for responding to any follow-up questions will be specified in DWP’s request. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052553-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Award under framework | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 4 Jun 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 22 Jun 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 2 Nov 2026 - 1 Nov 2028 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £34,500,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South West London | | Postcode | SW1H 9NA | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London | | Local authority | Westminster | | Electoral ward | St James's | | Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster | | Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support ### Codes - 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services ## Release History - 4 Jun 2026 at 07:21 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052553-2026 - 18 Apr 2026 at 05:18 - PlanningUpdate - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035414-2026 - 18 Apr 2026 at 05:15 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035413-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052553-2026 4th June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035414-2026 18th April 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035413-2026 18th April 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-h6vhtk-0685ce. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0685ce.json.