---
title: "Microsoft Unified Support 2026-2029"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06b5ec"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06b5ec"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b5ec.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b5ec.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY COMMISSION"
published: "2026-06-17"
---

# Microsoft Unified Support 2026-2029

Buyer: NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY COMMISSION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b5ec

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b5ec.json)

## Summary

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission has recently completed a procurement process titled "Microsoft Unified Support 2026-2029" facilitated through a direct award. This contract involves IT services, specifically consulting, software development, Internet, and support services, aimed at maintaining operational resilience and supporting cybersecurity for the Commission's Microsoft technology stack. The procurement process, which falls under the 'services' category, was completed with Microsoft Limited as the supplier. The contract is set to commence on 1st July 2026 and conclude on 30th June 2029. The procurement process is legally based on the Procurement Act 2023, which permits direct awards where exclusive supplier rights are involved, ensuring the continued provision of critical services without interruption. The contract's value is £233,000 GBP, with a gross amount of £279,600 GBP, and the service will be delivered in the UKN06 region, United Kingdom.

This procurement primarily creates opportunities for large-scale IT service providers with the capability to offer specialised support and maintenance of Microsoft technology. Given the direct award to Microsoft Limited based on exclusive rights due to intellectual property, the procurement offers a limited direct competitive opportunity. However, the marketplace for similar future contracts may benefit software development companies and IT consultancies looking to establish themselves as potential providers of related advisory or complementary technology solutions. This opportunity highlights the significance for businesses with unique product offerings or those considering strategic partnerships or bidding for sub-contracting opportunities with larger tech firms.

## Notice

The current support arrangement with Microsoft is approaching expiry and continued access to Microsoft Unified Support is required to maintain operational resilience, support cyber security capability and ensure continuity of support for the Assembly Commission's Microsoft technology stack. Therefore, a new contract arrangement is required to ensure uninterrupted service provision.

### Procurement Information

The justification for direct award is as below: The assessment confirms that a direct award under section 41 and Schedule 5, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 is legally permissible. Schedule 5, paragraph 5 permits a direct award where only one supplier can supply the goods, services or works required due to intellectual property or other exclusive rights. Schedule 5, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 allows for the award of a contract without competition when: The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract-- (a) due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057129-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 16 Jun 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £233,000 |
| 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 ASSEMBLY COMMISSION |
| Locality | BELFAST |
| Post town | Northern Ireland |
| Postcode | BT4 3XX |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland |
| ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland |
| ITL 3 | TLN06 Belfast |
| Local authority | Belfast |
| Electoral ward | Stormont |
| Westminster constituency | Belfast East |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

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

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

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

## Release History

- 17 Jun 2026 at 12:45 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057129-2026
- 16 Jun 2026 at 12:21 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056634-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057129-2026
  17th June 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056634-2026
  16th June 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-06b5ec. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b5ec.json.