Official UK procurement notice
Provision of a Redaction Solution for Modernisation of the Fitness to Practise Systems
Authority: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionProvision of a redaction solution for the Modernisation of the Fitness to Practise Systems Programme to support the efficient and accurate redaction of sensitive information within documents used in regulatory casework and operational processes
CPV: Software package and information systems
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 13 Mar 2026, 15:01 GMT
- Last source update
- 14 Aug 2026, 15:08 BST
- Authority reference
NMC-1006- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-077766- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-066a16Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
- Published justification
The NMC has undertaken pre-market engagement and market research to understand the capabilities of solutions capable of supporting automated or semi-automated document redaction and related information management functions. The solution must also be capable of integrating with and operating effectively within the NMC's existing technology environment, systems and processes.
The NMC identified and assessed these potential solutions. This included consideration of multiple redaction solutions, including solutions offering automated redaction, batch processing, pattern and concept detection and related functionality. The NMC engaged with suppliers through introductory discussions and product demonstrations to assess functional capability, usability, technical architecture and potential integration approaches.
This engagement identified potential solutions; however, the NMC's requirements extends beyond the availability of standard redaction functionality. The solution must satisfy the NMC's specific technical and integration requirements and operate effectively within its existing technology environment. The technical compatibility and integration requirements have therefore been a key consideration in determining a preferred solution
The NMC is currently undertaking trials of identified solutions to validate its functional capability, technical compatibility and integration with the NMC's existing systems and processes. These trials will provide evidence as to whether the solution can meet the NMC's specific requirements in practice without requiring significant redesign or modification of the existing technology environment.
Subject to successful completion of the trial and confirmation that the solution meets the NMC's requirements, the NMC intends to proceed with a direct award to the supplier under Schedule 5, paragraph 6 of PA23.
The proposed direct award is based on an absence of competition for technical reasons, specifically the requirement for the solution to provide the necessary redaction functionality while also satisfying the NMC's technical and interoperability requirements.
- Risks
The NMC's requirements for the use of the redaction solution may increase during the contract term as a result of changes in operational demand including; user numbers, casework volumes or the number of users requiring access to the solution.
The initial contract will be based on the NMC's current assessment of its licensing requirements. However, the level of licence demand over the contract term cannot be determined with certainty at the point of contract award, as this will depend on the NMC's operational requirements and adoption of the solution.
If the NMC's requirements increase during the contract term, additional licences or software add -ins may be required.
The contract will provide for the possibility of additional licences and solution add-ins being purchased during the contract term.
Any increase in licences or add-ins would be limited to the additional requirement arising and would not change the overall nature of the contract.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
13 Mar 2026 → 14 Aug 2026 · 3 dates- Planning notice published223 days ago13 Mar 2026, 15:01 GMT
- Contract starts144 days ago31 May 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published69 days ago14 Aug 2026, 15:08 BST
Notice history
5 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 13 Mar 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published13 Mar 2026, 15:01 GMTUK2
- Transparency notice published14 Aug 2026, 15:08 BSTUK5
- Status changed to complete14 Aug 2026, 15:08 BST
- Procurement method changed14 Aug 2026, 15:08 BST
- Contract signature expected1 Oct 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| supplier not publishedRedaction Software for MtFtPS5 Oct 2026 – 4 Oct 2029Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid: - solution add ins - option to increase the number of licences should the NMC's requirements change. | £350,000 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender