---
title: "Out of Hours Telephone Answering Service"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0777df"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0777df"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0777df.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0777df.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ORWELL HOUSING ASSOCIATION LIMITED"
published: "2026-09-22"
---

# Out of Hours Telephone Answering Service

Buyer: ORWELL HOUSING ASSOCIATION LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0777df

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0777df.json)

## Summary

Orwell Housing Association Ltd procured an out-of-hours telephone answering service. The service covers telephone switchboard and telephone-answering duties outside normal working hours, with additional cover when Orwell holds team meetings, events or other meetings. The procurement was carried out collaboratively with Broadland Housing Association Ltd, with both housing associations seeking the same service provider while retaining separate contracts. The service is delivered in the United Kingdom. It is a service contract rather than a supply or works opportunity, and is relevant to contact-centre, call-handling and outsourced customer-service providers able to provide reliable telephone coverage for housing organisations and respond to calls outside standard office hours.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to Norse Group Services Limited. The award was made on 9 June 2026 and the contract was signed on 4 September 2026. The contract runs from 30 September 2026 to 29 September 2028, with Orwell Housing Association Ltd holding sole discretion to extend it for a further two years, up to 29 September 2030. The awarded contract value is £66,423.33 excluding VAT, or £79,708 including VAT. It was a below-threshold procurement using a tender process, conducted jointly with Broadland Housing Association Ltd during April and May 2026; the tender closed on 5 May 2026. One completed lot was awarded.

This award demonstrates established demand from Orwell Housing Association for dependable out-of-hours call handling, including extra resilience during internal meetings and events. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need an operational telephone-answering or contact-centre service, sufficient staffing and systems to maintain coverage outside normal hours, and the ability to handle calls consistently for a housing association. The collaborative approach with Broadland Housing Association shows the value of supporting more than one housing provider and coordinating service delivery while operating separate customer arrangements. Performance would need to be managed against efficiency, effectiveness, environmental impact, equity and economy, so suppliers should be able to evidence service quality, value for money and responsible operating practices.

## Notice

Orwell Housing Assoc. Ltd have awarded a contract for: Out of Hours Telephone Answering Service to Norse Group Services Ltd. This is a service contract covering the organisations out of hours telephone answering service and is also required at times when Orwell have team meetings, events or other meetings as needed. The tender was carried out in collaboration with Broadland Housing Association Ltd during April & May 2026 (closing date 05/05/26). Both authorities wished to appoint the same out of hours supplier for the contract, each to have their own individual contract with the successful supplier. The contract is for 2 years with the option of a 2 year extension, at the sole discretion of Orwell Housing Assoc. Ltd. Previous notices for the tender were published by Broadland Housing Assoc. Ltd. UK 6 Contract award notice - 09/06/26 UK4 Tender notice - 01/04/2026. Procurement identifier (OCID) ocds-h6vhtk-067a65 Notice identifier 2026/S 000-030195.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089796-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - unknown |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 30 Sep 2026 - 29 Sep 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £66,423 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ORWELL HOUSING ASSOCIATION LIMITED |
| Locality | IPSWICH |
| Postcode area | Ipswich |
| Postcode | IP2 0BE |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH6 Suffolk |
| ITL 3 | TLH62 Ipswich |
| Local authority | Ipswich |
| Electoral ward | Gipping |
| Westminster constituency | Ipswich |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NORSE GROUP SERVICES LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 64 - Postal and telecommunications services
- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 64214200 - Telephone switchboard services
- 79510000 - Telephone-answering services

## Release History

- 22 Sep 2026 at 16:03 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089796-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089796-2026
  22nd September 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://norsegroup.co.uk/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.orwell-housing.co.uk/

## 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-0777df. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0777df.json.