Official UK procurement notice
NoWcard Concessionary Travel System (Managed Service)
Authority: Lancashire County Council (Local council)·On behalf of: SOCIAL VALUE PORTAL LTD
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNoWcard is a transport smart card pass, most commonly for the elderly or disabled, available for use in Cumberland, Westmorland & Furness, Lancashire County Council (LCC), Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool administrative areas. It is administered by LCC on behalf of all NoWcard members with the smart card recording journey details and verifies eligibility for the concessionary travel.
LCC wish to engage a managed service provider to supply and maintain an ITSO (Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation) compliant NoWcard system, which is composed of the following components;
- Asset Management System - Host Operator Processing System (AMS - HOPS)
- ITSO Secure Application Module (ISAM) management
- Cardholder and Card Management System (CMS) - English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) and Commercial Schemes
- On-line application (web portal) - integration of ENCTS and existing commercial CMS
- Print and Dispatch
- How the procedure runs: The evaluation of Tenders will follow the guidelines detailed in the ITT. All Submissions will be marked over a three (3) stage process before the Contract is awarded. Stage 1: Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) Selection Criteria Stage 2: Award Evaluation Criteria Stage 3: Demonstration Meetings and Finalisation Meeting
CPV: Software package and information systems
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£1,200,000
- Economic & financial standing
Refer to paragraph 5.2 (Stage 1: PSQ Selection Criteria) of the ITT for the legal and financial capacity conditions of participation.
- Technical & professional ability
Refer to paragraph 5.2 (Stage 1: PSQ Selection Criteria) of the ITT for the technical ability conditions of participation.
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
- Commissioning Essential Criteria: Refer to paragraph 5.3 of the ITT for further details. This criteria is pass/fail. Tenderer confirms their solution can meet all essential criteria. The highest ranked Tenderer will be invited to evidence and demonstrate their solution meets each essential criteria.
- Compliance with statement of requirements: Refer to section 5.4 of the ITT for further details. This criteria is pass/fail. Tenderer confirms their solution can meet all "must have" (mandatory) requirements as detailed in Appendix B - Statement of Requirements, before Tender award. The highest ranked Tenderer will be invited to demonstrate their solution meet's all "must have" (mandatory) requirements prior to award.
- Quality and Technical Criteria: Refer to section 5.5 of the ITT for further details on the evaluation methodology and sub-criteria. This criteria is 60% of the total award criteria.
- Schedule of Pricing: Refer to section 5.6 of the ITT for further details on the evaluation methodology and sub-criteria. This criteria is 30% of the total award criteria.
- Social value: Refer to section 5.7 of the ITT for further details on the evaluation methodology and sub-criteria. This criteria is 10% of the total award criteria.
- Economic & financial standing
Refer to paragraph 5.2 (Stage 1: PSQ Selection Criteria) of the ITT for the legal and financial capacity conditions of participation.
- Technical & professional ability
Refer to paragraph 5.2 (Stage 1: PSQ Selection Criteria) of the ITT for the technical ability conditions of participation.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 26 Sept 2025, 16:18 BST
- Last source update
- 16 Oct 2026, 08:33 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 4 Sept 2026
- Authority reference
JB/ICT/LCC/26/R1177- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-042091- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a385Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
Refer to Appendix A - Contract and the Council's website
(www.lancashire.gov.uk/fusion-supplier-portal/ ↗) for further details.
- How it runs
The evaluation of Tenders will follow the guidelines detailed in the ITT. All Submissions will be marked over a three (3) stage process before the Contract is awarded.
Stage 1: Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) Selection Criteria
Stage 2: Award Evaluation Criteria
Stage 3: Demonstration Meetings and Finalisation Meeting
- Risks
Refer to Section 5 in Appendix B - Statement of Requirements
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 12 Jun 2026, 11:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 2 Jun 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Tender documentation and submissions to be made via the Authority's e-tendering platform - www.lancashire.gov.uk/isupplier/ ↗
Timeline
26 Sept 2025 → 16 Oct 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published395 days ago26 Sept 2025, 16:18 BST
- Market engagement361 days ago30 Oct 2025, 23:59 GMT
The early market engagement process is detailed within the Request for Information (RFI). Copies of the RFI documentation will be available at www.lancashire.gov.uk/business/tenders-and… ↗. Interested bidders are recommended to revisit this link regularly for updates on questions and answers that LCC have received.
Interested parties should complete the RFI returnable form and send to [email protected] on or before the 30th October 2025.
Lancashire County Council (LCC) intend to run the early market engagement via a desktop review, however LCC reserves the right to invited interest parties to a follow-up discussion to better understand their RFI response.
- Next notice expected294 days ago5 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published172 days ago7 May 2026, 15:56 BST
- Clarification questions by146 days ago2 Jun 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline137 days ago12 Jun 2026, 11:00 BST
- Award decision expected by52 days ago4 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts26 days ago1 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent20 days ago7 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published11 days ago16 Oct 2026, 08:33 BST
- Standstill ends10 days ago16 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
Notice history
11 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 26 Sept 2025- Pipeline notice published26 Sept 2025, 16:18 BSTUK1
- Preliminary market engagement notice published3 Oct 2025, 08:36 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published7 May 2026, 15:56 BSTUK4
- Published value updated7 May 2026, 15:56 BST
- Status changed to active7 May 2026, 15:56 BST
- Procurement method changed7 May 2026, 15:56 BST
- Deadline published: 12 Jun 2026, 11:00 BST7 May 2026, 15:56 BST
- Contract award notice published7 Oct 2026, 17:59 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete7 Oct 2026, 17:59 BST
- Contract award notice published16 Oct 2026, 08:33 BSTUK6
- Contract signature expected30 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2025-10: 1 release · 3 Oct 2025
- 2025-09: 1 release · 26 Sept 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH WEST SMART APPLICATIONS LIMITEDSME1 Nov 2026 – 31 Oct 2029 · up to 31 Mar 2034Extensions: The initial Contract period will be up to six (6) months for implementation and three (3) years for annual managed services. After such time the Authority may extend the Contract by any number of defined periods stipulated by the Authority pursuant to the Contract, provided that the total duration of the Contract Term does not exceed seven (7) years and six (6) months. · Options: The Authority may purchase additional managed services and associated goods and services related to the future concessionary system. Refer to Appendix B - Statement of Requirements and Appendix D - Schedule of Pricing for further details on scope of optional goods and services. | £1,200,000 inc. VAT | 7 Oct 2026standstill to 16 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2final-stage tenders | 2 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- wonSouth West Smart Applications Limited Trading as Smart Applications ManagementSME · South West England
- did not winUNICARD LIMITED · South West England
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
8 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- Blackburn With Darwen Borough CouncilContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
- Blackpool Borough CouncilContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
- Cumberland CouncilContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
- Cumbria Combined AuthorityContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
- Lancashire Combined County AuthorityContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
- SOCIAL VALUE PORTAL LTDProcuring entityEvaluation and ongoing contract management support for the social value deliverables under the future contract
- Westmorland and Furness CouncilContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice · 1 awarded- South West Smart Applications Limited Trading as Smart Applications ManagementAwarded supplier
- UNICARD LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
Official documents & specifications (6)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender