---
title: "Automatic Voter Registration: EMS changes IDOX"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078058"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078058"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078058.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078058.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government"
published: "2026-10-05"
---

# Automatic Voter Registration: EMS changes IDOX

Buyer: Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078058

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## Summary

Welsh Government is buying software development, testing, implementation and support to adapt Idox’s existing Electoral Management System for Automatic Voter Registration in Wales. The work covers design and deployment of electoral registration changes, including matching electors, registration processes, communications and related system enhancements. The system is used by Welsh local authorities, and the changes support new electoral legislation as part of a wider programme of electoral management system updates across Wales. This is development of the supplier’s existing proprietary platform, not the purchase of a new electoral management system. The work is classified as software development and implementation services (CPV 72262000 and 72263000). The published item also includes an unrelated food-products classification, which does not match the described requirement.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Idox Software Ltd, although the award is recorded as pending and the contract was not to be signed before the standstill period expired. The award date is 25 August 2026. The contract is due to run from 16 October 2026 to 31 December 2027, with renewal periods totalling no more than six months and a maximum extent to 31 May 2028. The awarded value is £797,404 excluding VAT (£956,884.80 including VAT). It was a direct award under the Procurement Act 2023, justified on the grounds that Idox owns and maintains the platform, holds the necessary intellectual property and technical access, and no reasonable alternative supplier could modify it. There is one lot; no competitive evaluation took place.

For suppliers considering comparable future work for Welsh Government, this award shows demand for changes to the electoral management systems already used by Welsh local authorities, rather than replacement systems. A credible provider would need ownership or authorised access to the relevant platform, the rights and technical knowledge to modify it, and the ability to develop, test, deploy and support functionality within an established live system. Experience handling electoral registration processes, elector matching, communications and statutory change would be directly relevant. Suppliers would also need to manage integration and operational risks, accommodate unforeseen technical dependencies, and work closely with Welsh Government and local authorities as legislative requirements are implemented. The award demonstrates that platform-specific rights and access can determine who is capable of competing for this type of requirement.

## Notice

This Contract Award Notice informs the market of Welsh Government's decision to award a contract to the Supplier for the provision of software development, testing, implementation and support services to enhance the Supplier's Electoral Management System used by Welsh local authorities in support of the introduction of Automatic Voter Registration in Wales. The services include the design, development and deployment of functionality required to implement legislative changes relating to electoral registration and administration, including elector matching capabilities, elector registration processes, communications functionality and associated system enhancements. The contract forms part of a wider programme of Electoral Management System changes being implemented across Wales to support new electoral legislation. As detailed in the Transparency Notice, the contract relates to modifications and enhancements to the Supplier's existing proprietary Electoral Management System platform. Welsh Government concluded that only the Supplier could deliver the required services because it owns and maintains the relevant platform and possesses the intellectual property rights, technical knowledge and access necessary to undertake the required development work. Welsh Government further concluded that no reasonable alternative supplier could deliver the required functionality. Welsh Government considers that the conditions for direct award were met under Section 41 and Schedule 5, Paragraphs 5 and 6 of the Procurement Act 2023, as only the Supplier could provide the required services due to intellectual property rights, exclusive rights and an absence of competition for technical reasons, and no reasonable alternative existed. Welsh Government will not enter into the contract until expiry of the applicable standstill period.

### Procurement Information

The Authority intends to award a contract directly to the Supplier pursuant to Section 41 and Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.. The contract relates to the development and implementation of enhancements to the Supplier's existing Electoral Management System used by Welsh local authorities to support the introduction of Automatic Voter Registration in Wales. The required services comprise modifications to the Supplier's proprietary software platform and associated functionality. The Authority considers that only the Supplier is capable of delivering the required services because it owns and maintains the relevant Electoral Management System and holds the associated intellectual property rights, technical knowledge and access necessary to undertake the required development work. The requirement relates to modifications of an existing supplier-owned system and does not constitute the procurement of a new Electoral Management System. The Authority further considers that there are no reasonable alternative suppliers capable of providing the required services. Any alternative supplier would be unable to modify or develop the Supplier's Electoral Management System without access to the Supplier's proprietary software, intellectual property rights and technical architecture. The Authority is establishing comparable contractual arrangements with all Electoral Management System providers operating within Wales, with each supplier responsible for implementing changes to its own platform. Accordingly, the Authority considers that the conditions for a direct award are met under Schedule 5, Paragraph 5(a) and (b) and Paragraph 6(a) and (b) of the Procurement Act 2023, as only the Supplier can provide the required services due to intellectual property rights, exclusive rights and an absence of competition for technical reasons, and no reasonable alternative exists.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093671-2026 |
| 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 | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 25 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 16 Oct 2026 - 31 Dec 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £797,404 |
| 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 | Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government |
| Locality | CARDIFF |
| Postcode area | Cardiff |
| Postcode | CF10 3NQ |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan |
| Local authority | Cardiff |
| Electoral ward | Cathays |
| Westminster constituency | Cardiff South and Penarth |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Idox Software Ltd |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 15 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products
- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

### Codes

- 15000000 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products
- 72262000 - Software development services
- 72263000 - Software implementation services

## Release History

- 5 Oct 2026 at 10:31 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093671-2026
- 5 Oct 2026 at 09:31 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093628-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093671-2026
  5th October 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093628-2026
  5th October 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://gov.wales
- 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-078058. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078058.json.