Official UK procurement notice
992,638 · UK public procurement notice
Authority: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice. This notice is to indicate that Network Rail intends to contract with Aptitude Software Limited, for the Software licencing + support & maintenance services.
CPV: IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1This requirement is for a three year renewal for the Microgen Aptitude Software…
This requirement is for a three year renewal for the Microgen Aptitude Software Licence, Maintenance and Support Agreement with Aptitude Software Limited via a Single Tender Action (STA) commencing on 23/06/2025.
The “Track access billing programme” has been established within Route Services IT to deliver a consolidated software application, database and infrastructure for the recording of Track Access, Compensation Payments (Planned and Unplanned) and the maintenance of reference data. The Billing programme is a strategic programme to improve the way in which the billing function for Network Rail (NR) is carried out and managed by the organisation.
As a longstanding client of Aptitude since 2008, Network Rail has leveraged Aptitude
Software Limited platform to support critical internal operations through a customised application built
and maintained using the Aptitude Platform.
Key Areas of Support:
- Web Application Development
Network Rail uses the Aptitude Platform’s web application generator to develop
and operate an internal application. Uniquely, they run their environment on
Microsoft Windows, utilising IIS (Internet Information Services) and .NET
technologies, rather than the more common Linux-based setup.
- Calculation Capability
The platform supports core business calculations - specifically, those used to
model and determine the fees other companies must pay to access and use
railway infrastructure. These financial models are essential to Network Rail’s
operations.
- Ongoing Upgrades and Technical Support
Aptitude has supported several platform upgrades over the years, with the most
recent migration to version 24.4.1. We assisted in resolving issues during this
process, particularly compatibility concerns with Windows Server 2022.
- Testing and Migration Status
Network Rail is in the final phase of testing their newly upgraded application.
Most system tests have been completed successfully, with a few final validations
currently underway.
- Continued Engagement
While direct development work has been minimal since 2019, Aptitude
continues to provide proactive technical support, version upgrades, and
assistance with troubleshooting to ensure continued platform stability.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0025 Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (Directive 2014/25/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 11 Jun 2025, 15:57 BST
- Last source update
- 11 Jun 2025, 15:57 BST
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-031626- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0546efFind a Tender
- Why no open competition
The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights
- Published justification
This award is compliant with the New Procurement Act 2023 under section 41 referencing I7 Sch. 5 para. 4 and para. 5 ; competition is absent for technical reasons and NR’s C&P Policy. The Rationale is as follows:
- Due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and
- There are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works.
- due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and
- There are no other suppliers in the marketplace that are able to replace NR’s legacy billing systems with a single solution that could manage changes to the billing rules more effectively and to more efficiently manage the workload and improve the accuracy of revenue collection.
The Contract Award Notice also noted that the estimated total value was based on Network Rail’s current forecast of future spend under the frameworks. The Contract Award Notice noted that the values are Network Rail’s best estimate based on currently available information, and in particular that any third party spend is not certain at the stage the Contract Award Notice was published.
Please note that this is a voluntary transparency notice and the contracts have not yet been awarded.
Publisher note: NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Find a Tender website: Find a Tender (find-tender.service.gov.uk)
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aptitude Software LimitedAptitude Software Limited, Tabs -Software licencing + support & maintenanceSubcontracting: declared | — | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Aptitude Software Limited, Tabs -Software licencing + support & maintenance · Aptitude Software Limited
- Signed
- 11 Jun 2025
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | £992,638 – £992,638 |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- The High CourtReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Aptitude Software LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.