Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 23 Mar 2026, 14:42 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Governance Risk and Compliance tool

Official notice

Authority: The Start-Up Loans Company (Central government)

ServicesCompetitive flexible procedureAbove thresholdConcessionSME suitableVCSE suitableAccelerated
Concession value (operator's revenue)£1,100,000operator revenue, not the authority's budget
Submissions closed 5 Jun 2026awarded 10 Sept 2026
Awarded to Decision Focus UK Limited
Contract term 6 yrsends 5 Oct 2032 · up to 5 Oct 2034 with extensions · starts 6 Oct 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

DELTA Access Code :4J4GPFS79V

Description

The Authority aims to procure a scalable, integrated Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) software solution, capable of supporting its organisational growth and any required regulatory obligations. The solution is intended to consolidate risk data from across the Authority into a single platform that strengthens oversight, enhances analysis & reporting, improves operational efficiency, and ensures accountability. A GRC tool may also provide the opportunity to identify data synergies and move away from several systems used across the Authority.

Strategic Objectives

Integrated View of the Risk and Control Environment

A unified cloud-based platform will provide a single source of truth for risks, controls, incidents, actions and metrics. Full traceability will be maintained across taxonomies, business units, policies and key processes, improving framework integration, transparency and decision-making.

Data Driven Culture and Analytics

The system will enable trend analysis, early warning indicators and data driven insights to support proactive management of current and emerging risks.

Operational Efficiency and Improved Ownership

An intuitive user experience, default ‘outofthebox’ configurability, guided workflows and automation will reduce manual effort and embed firstline ownership of risks and controls, while supporting second line oversight and challenge.

High Quality Data and Reporting

Automated dashboards and configurable reporting to the Microsoft Office suite will streamline internal and external stakeholder reporting, including for senior management, committees and regulators.

Assurance and Regulatory Compliance

The platform will facilitate compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code (including Provision 29) and relevant FCA expectations. Evidence trails, compliance monitoring and control testing will support a robust assurance framework.

Core Capability Requirements

Initial core capability requirements have been identified, with activities still ongoing to define the full scope of requirements and determine the business units which a GRC tool may be implemented into. A full prioritised list of requirements and business units identified as part of ongoing activities, will be incorporated into future specifications.

The current core GRC solution must support, but not be limited to the following key modules:

Risk & Control Management

  • Risk and control library
  • RCSA: inherent/residual assessments, control tiering and assessments, risk acceptances and outoftolerance management
  • Heat maps, bow ties and risk scoring matrices
  • Control improvement actions
  • Endtoend traceability of risk, control and incident data by risk taxonomy, business unit, policy suite, and key processes

Control Testing

  • Structured workflows, evidence capture and reporting to support assurance activities.

Data, Reporting & Analytics

  • Configurable automated reporting
  • UK Corporate Governance Code Provision 29aligned reporting
  • Data ingestion from internal and external sources
  • Use of AIassisted tooling where appropriate

Risk Appetite & Key Risk Indicators

  • Capture, monitoring and reporting of KRIs and risk appetite metrics.

Incident Management

  • Central reporting portal
  • End to end incident lifecycle management, including automations
  • Metrics and trend analysis

Policy Management

  • Governance and maintenance of the policy suite
  • Evidence based assessment of policy effectiveness using risk, control, testing and incident data

Regulatory Compliance

  • Compliance monitoring plan execution
  • Horizon scanning and analysis of regulatory changes
  • Impact assessment of external developments on the control environment

Ethics & Integrity

  • Management and reporting of gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, personal account dealing and insider lists.

Internal Audit

  • Audit planning and delivery workflows
  • Action tracking and reporting

Non-Core Capabilities

While not central to the initial procurement, the system should also be capable of supporting:

  • Business continuity and resilience
  • Programme/project risk management
  • Third party risk management
  • How the procedure runs: Procurement Specific Questionnaire Invitation to Participate Proof of Concepts

CPV: Compliance software development services · Corporate governance rating services · Financial systems software development services · Risk or hazard assessment other than for construction

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 6 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£1,100,000
Contract period: 6 Oct 2026 – 5 Oct 2032 (6 yrs) · up to 5 Oct 2034 with extensionsValue: £1,100,000 exc. VAT · £1,320,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
Extensions: Optional 2 year extension is applicable to this contract

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 65%Price: 35%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Quality Criteria: 65%
  • Commercial Offer: 35%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Commercial Offer
  • Quality Criteria
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 35 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Competitive flexible procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Concession
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
23 Mar 2026, 14:42 GMT
Last source update
15 Oct 2026, 12:04 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 22 Sept 2026
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-047402
Accelerated
Qualifying planned procurement notice
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Compliance software development servicesCorporate governance rating servicesFinancial systems software development servicesRisk or hazard assessment other than for construction
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-067195 Find a Tender
How it runs

Procurement Specific Questionnaire

Invitation to Participate

Proof of Concepts

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Delta eSourcing · Who buys & how to bid on Delta
Public notice page · account needed to bidElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free Select account; no DUNS asked at signup
Requests to participate (first stage)
5 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission deadline
5 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
29 May 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

23 Mar 2026 → 15 Oct 2026 · 9 dates
  1. Planning notice published211 days ago
    23 Mar 2026, 14:42 GMT
  2. Next notice expected155 days ago
    18 May 2026, 23:59 BST
  3. Tender notice published152 days ago
    21 May 2026, 17:20 BST
  4. Clarification questions by144 days ago
    29 May 2026, 12:00 BST
  5. Submission deadline137 days ago
    5 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
  6. Assessment summaries sent41 days ago
    10 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
  7. Award decision expected by28 days ago
    22 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
  8. Contract starts15 days ago
    6 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
  9. Latest notice published5 days ago
    15 Oct 2026, 12:04 BST

Notice history

10 events · 6 releases on Find a Tender · since 23 Mar 2026
  1. Planned procurement notice published
    23 Mar 2026, 14:42 GMT
    UK3
  2. Tender notice published
    21 May 2026, 17:20 BST
    UK4
  3. Status changed to active
    21 May 2026, 17:20 BST
  4. Tender notice published
    21 May 2026, 17:53 BST
    UK4
  5. Tender notice published
    21 May 2026, 17:57 BST
    UK4
  6. Contract award notice published
    10 Sept 2026, 16:19 BST
    UK6
  7. Status changed to complete
    10 Sept 2026, 16:19 BST
  8. Procurement method changed
    10 Sept 2026, 16:19 BST
  9. Contract signature expected
    6 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  10. Contract details notice published
    15 Oct 2026, 12:04 BST
    UK7
Routine re-releases (6)
  • 2026-05: 2 releases · 21 May 2026, 21 May 2026
  • 2026-03: 1 release · 23 Mar 2026

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £1,100,0001 award exc. VAT
Bids received 63 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 14 Oct 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Decision Focus UK LimitedSME7 Oct 2026 – 6 Oct 2032 · up to 5 Oct 2034Extensions: Optional 2 year extension is applicable to this contract£1,100,00010 Sept 2026Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 1 · Decision Focus UK LimitedSME

    Signed
    14 Oct 2026
    Value
    £1,100,000
    Period
    1 Nov 2026 – 31 Oct 2032 · up to 31 Oct 2034 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    Optional 2 year extension is applicable to this contract

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
6final-stage tenders · 21 at stage one30—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

British Business Bank Plc

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PGTM-8337-GYXM 2, West Street, Sheffield, Yorkshire & Humber, S1 2GQContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Decision FocusAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PDRQ-4187-JNMR Decision Focus Ltd, Suffolk house, George Street, Croydon, London, CR0 0YNContact name, email, phone

Official documents & specifications (6)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Planned procurement notice planningPlanned procurement noticeUK3Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender