---
title: "User research, usability and journey testing"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-07861e"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07861e"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07861e.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07861e.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NS&I"
published: "2026-10-13"
---

# User research, usability and journey testing

Buyer: NS&I  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07861e

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07861e)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07861e.json)

## Summary

NS&I procured an industry-specific software platform for internal user research, usability testing and customer-journey testing. The tool is intended to help its teams assess digital services, customer journeys and content, supporting evidence-based service improvement. Research is to be conducted without a moderator and includes both NS&I customers and people who are not customers. The buying organisation is NS&I, the UK government-backed savings and investments provider. The platform is for use in the United Kingdom. The requirement is for software that supports research and evaluation by NS&I teams, rather than a separately described research consultancy or delivery of a specific digital service.

The procurement is complete and awarded to Optimal Workshop. NS&I used a direct award below the applicable threshold, without competition. The contract was signed on 1 October 2026 and runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027. Its value is £15,833.33 excluding VAT, or £19,000 including VAT. The procurement was structured as one lot. The published information does not give a separate award date or award value. The award is active and the contract is active. No evaluation criteria are set out, consistent with the direct, non-competitive route; no competitive scoring basis is reported.

The award shows demand at NS&I for a software platform that enables in-house teams to run unmoderated research with customers and non-customers and test digital services, journeys and content. A credible competitor for this requirement would need to provide a usable research tool suited to those activities and support evidence-led service improvement within the buyer’s teams. The contract was awarded through a direct, below-threshold route without competition, so the outcome does not demonstrate a competitive evaluation or identify scored supplier attributes. The selected supplier, Optimal Workshop, is an SME. The requirement is specifically for user-research and usability software for NS&I; suppliers focused only on general IT services or outsourced research delivery may not match it.

## Notice

NS&I requires the procurement of the user research tool to support internal user research, usability testing and evidence-based service improvement. The platform will enable NS&I to conduct unmoderated research with customers and consumers (non-customers), helping teams evaluate digital services, customer journeys and content.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096332-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £15,833 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NS&I |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | South East London |
| Postcode | SE1 9HA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East |
| ITL 3 | TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark |
| Local authority | Southwark |
| Electoral ward | Borough & Bankside |
| Westminster constituency | Bermondsey and Old Southwark |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Optimal Workshop |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48100000 - Industry specific software package

## Release History

- 13 Oct 2026 at 08:01 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096332-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096332-2026
  13th October 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.optimalworkshop.com
- 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-07861e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07861e.json.