TROO0487 IEP Escrow Verification Services

{
  "awards": [
    {
      "aboveThreshold": true,
      "contractPeriod": {
        "endDate": "2031-03-25T23:59:59+00:00",
        "startDate": "2026-03-26T00:00:00+00:00"
      },
      "documents": [
        {
          "datePublished": "2026-03-13T11:18:44Z",
          "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
          "documentType": "awardNotice",
          "format": "text/html",
          "id": "022844-2026",
          "noticeType": "UK5",
          "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022844-2026"
        }
      ],
      "id": "1",
      "items": [
        {
          "additionalClassifications": [
            {
              "description": "Technical services",
              "id": "71356000",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            }
          ],
          "deliveryAddresses": [
            {
              "country": "GB",
              "countryName": "United Kingdom",
              "region": "UK"
            }
          ],
          "id": "1",
          "relatedLot": "1"
        }
      ],
      "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
      "milestones": [
        {
          "dueDate": "2026-03-26T23:59:59+00:00",
          "id": "1",
          "status": "scheduled",
          "type": "futureSignatureDate"
        }
      ],
      "relatedLots": [
        "1"
      ],
      "status": "pending",
      "suppliers": [
        {
          "id": "GB-COH-02802141",
          "name": "NCC Services Limited"
        }
      ],
      "title": "IEP Escrow Verification Services",
      "value": {
        "amount": 398729.0,
        "amountGross": 478474.8,
        "currency": "GBP"
      }
    }
  ],
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PLTC-5358-LTWZ",
    "name": "Department for Transport"
  },
  "date": "2026-03-13T11:18:44Z",
  "id": "022844-2026",
  "initiationType": "tender",
  "language": "en",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06698a",
  "parties": [
    {
      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "SW1P 4DR",
        "region": "UKI32",
        "streetAddress": "Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "dftc.procurement@dft.gov.uk"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
          {
            "description": "Public authority - central government",
            "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE"
          }
        ]
      },
      "id": "GB-PPON-PLTC-5358-LTWZ",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PLTC-5358-LTWZ",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "name": "Department for Transport",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ]
    },
    {
      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "Spinningfields Manchester",
        "postalCode": "M3 3AQ",
        "region": "UKD33",
        "streetAddress": "XYZ Building, 2 Hardman Boulevard,"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "escrow@nccgroup.com"
      },
      "details": {
        "scale": "large",
        "vcse": false
      },
      "id": "GB-COH-02802141",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "02802141",
        "scheme": "GB-COH"
      },
      "name": "NCC Services Limited",
      "roles": [
        "supplier"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "tag": [
    "award",
    "contract"
  ],
  "tender": {
    "description": "Under the IEP ECML contract, the Department, along with Agility Trains East (ATE) and Hitachi Rail Limited (HRL), were obliged to enter into an IP Escrow Agreement with NCC Group (NCC). As part of this Agreement, the cost of any verification works by NCC shall be borne by the Department.\nNCC are now commencing the works to verify the material deposited in escrow which can be rebuilt completely independently of HRL by the NCC technical team. Hence a Direct Award with NCC in order to provide payment and fulfil our obligations. The primary focus of the engagement with NCC is to validate that the source code, assets, and components deposited in escrow can be rebuilt independently simulating the steps that would need to be replicated in the event of supplier failure. By conducting this level of verification, the Department are ensuring that the escrow protection in place can be utilised for Business Continuity purposes. IEP (InterCity Express Programme) require the provision of services with NCC to validate that the source code, assets, and components deposited in escrow can be rebuilt independently simulating the steps that would need to be replicated in the event of supplier failure. By conducting this level of verification, the Department are ensuring that the escrow protection in place can be utilised for Business Continuity purposes. IEP understand that this service will be ongoing through-out the duration of the Master Availability and Reliability Agreement (MARA ) and Train Availability and Reliability Agreement (TARA) contracts and the life span of the current trains. IEP would like to consider the use of a different way to procure these services which last longer than a single year at a time after.",
    "documents": [
      {
        "description": "Not published",
        "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
        "id": "conflictOfInterest"
      }
    ],
    "id": "TROO0487",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "scheme": "UKPGA",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
    },
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "complete"
      }
    ],
    "procurementMethod": "direct",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
    "procurementMethodRationale": "Contracts held by the Department with Agility Trains East and Agility Trains West contain a binding joint obligation between the parties to maintain an independent Escrow for software code for essential onboard train systems.  Ncc is specified in each of the two contracts. Failure to enact an Escrow in the event of supplier failure could represent significant service delivery risk.",
    "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
      {
        "id": "singleSuppliersIntellectualPropertyExclusiveRights"
      },
      {
        "id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
      }
    ],
    "status": "complete",
    "title": "TROO0487 IEP Escrow Verification Services"
  }
}