---
title: "DDaT27521- Software Upgrade"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078add"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078add"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078add.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078add.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION"
published: "2026-10-19"
---

# DDaT27521- Software Upgrade

Buyer: UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078add

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078add)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078add.json)

## Summary

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) procured software upgrades, classified as software packages and information systems. The requirement is described only in broad terms; the purchase is for upgrades rather than a wider software implementation or support service. UK Shared Business Services Ltd managed the procurement on UKRI’s behalf. The delivery location is listed as the United Kingdom, with no more specific place identified. This is a goods purchase, awarded to Photon Lines Limited, a Banbury-based supplier. The buyer is the public research and innovation organisation UKRI, while UK Shared Business Services acts as its shared service provider for this procurement.

The procurement is complete and the contract is active. UKRI selected Photon Lines Limited through a direct award without competition, citing technical reasons: only one supplier could provide the required goods and there were no reasonable alternatives. The contract was signed on 15 October 2026 and runs from 15 October 2026 to 7 January 2027. Its value is £12,930.45 excluding VAT, or £15,516.54 including VAT. There was one lot, covering the software upgrade requirement. The award was made to Photon Lines Limited; the published award does not give a separate award date. The procurement was below the applicable threshold and was not competed.

For suppliers considering comparable UKRI requirements, this award shows demand for software upgrades delivered as a goods purchase, managed through UK Shared Business Services. The successful supplier was Photon Lines Limited, a small and medium-sized enterprise specialising in software and based in Banbury. In this instance, UKRI justified using that supplier alone on technical grounds, stating that only a particular supplier could supply the required goods and that there were no reasonable alternatives. A credible competitor for a future requirement would therefore need to demonstrate that its upgrade is technically compatible with UKRI’s needs and can meet the specified requirement where alternatives are possible. The procurement gives a modest-scale example of a direct, below-threshold buying route; it does not establish that future purchases will use the same route.

## Notice

****THIS IS A CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE, NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION**** This procurement is being concluded without competition due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods required and there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods. Brief Description Software upgrades

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098539-2026 |
| 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 | 19 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 15 Oct 2026 - 7 Jan 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £12,930 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Postcode area | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Photon Lines Ltd |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48000000 - Software package and information systems

## Release History

- 19 Oct 2026 at 14:31 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098539-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098539-2026
  19th October 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.photonlines.co.uk
- 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-078add. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078add.json.