---
title: "Extending the use of the Pulse, Blood Establishment Computer System (BECS) and support"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06b05f"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06b05f"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b05f.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b05f.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NORTHERN IRELAND BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE"
published: "2026-06-09"
---

# Extending the use of the Pulse, Blood Establishment Computer System (BECS) and support

Buyer: NORTHERN IRELAND BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b05f

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## Summary

The procurement process facilitated by the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS) involves a direct award for extending the use of the Pulse, Blood Establishment Computer System (BECS), which is a critical IT service in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The procurement, categorised under IT services like consulting and software development, is in the award stage as of 9th June 2026, covering a contract period from 1st July 2026 to 30th June 2027. The legal basis follows UKPGA 2023/54, reflecting the necessity of a seamless transition to a new system. The supplier selected for this contract is Savant Limited, and the contract is valued at £400,000, with a standstill period concluding on 19th June 2026.

This tender provides a significant opportunity for IT consulting and solutions providers, particularly those with expertise in system support and maintenance. Given its complexity and the direct procurement method, businesses with a robust understanding of IT infrastructure, especially those experienced with legacy systems, will find this project aligns with their services. SMEs, such as Savant Limited, are well-positioned for such tenders, demonstrating the potential for small to medium enterprises to expand their portfolios through government contracts that emphasise specialised IT support roles. The niche focus on healthcare IT systems further underscores opportunities for businesses operating in the health technology sector to foster growth and innovation.

## Notice

Provision of development, support and maintenance for the business-critical NIBTS system, PULSE, pending completion of a project and cutover to replace this system. This procurement will ensure continuity of an essential NIBTS services until full implementation of a replacement system under new contractual arrangements.

### Procurement Information

The overall architecture of the system is based on ltanium-based servers running the OpenVMS operating environment. A Mimer database system provides the core data management environment, with an n-tier approach of a Windows business layer server and Windows client applications providing access to the system to end users. The nature of the relationship with NHSBT, access to source code for the ongoing development of the system, and the capability to support the overall system in an end-to-end manner results in all support an development work on the NIBTS Pulse system being exclusively delivered by Savant.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054397-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 9 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 8 Jun 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £400,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NORTHERN IRELAND BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE |
| Locality | BELFAST |
| Post town | Northern Ireland |
| Postcode | BT9 7TS |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland |
| ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland |
| ITL 3 | TLN06 Belfast |
| Local authority | Belfast |
| Electoral ward | Blackstaff |
| Westminster constituency | Belfast South and Mid Down |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SAVANT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

## Release History

- 9 Jun 2026 at 14:42 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054397-2026
- 9 Jun 2026 at 08:14 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054054-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054397-2026
  9th June 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054054-2026
  9th June 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.savant.co.uk
- https://nibts.hscni.net/
- 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-06b05f. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b05f.json.