Contract award notice – utilities
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED
03076444
George Stephenson House
York
YO16JT
UK
Contact person: Robin Horsman
Telephone: +44 7827937566
E-mail: Robin.Horsman@northernrailway.co.uk
NUTS: UKE21
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.northernrailway.co.uk
I.6) Main activity
Railway services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Upgrade of Payment Validators (Pvals), associated software and integration services.
II.1.2) Main CPV code
30123100
II.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
II.1.4) Short description
Upgrade of Payment Validators (Pvals), associated software and integration into the into the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Bee Network (Phase 1).
The contract will upgrade existing Pval equipment and software to allow payment transactions to integrate into the TfGM Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) scheme.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Lowest offer:
/ Highest offer:
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
72212100
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKC
UKD
UKE
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Upgrade of Payment Validators (PVals) and associated software to allow EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) transactions. This will integrate into the into the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Bee Network (Phase 1).
The contract will upgrade existing ATG equipment and software to allow payment
transactions to integrate into the TfGM Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) scheme. The activities will include as minimum:
• Software development.
• Upgrade of PVals to accept contactless EMV physical and virtual cards on devices
alongside existing fare media
• Deployment of a supplier middle office.
• Integration from the supplier middle office to the TfGM Secure Middle Office (SMO).
• PCI certification.
• Commissioning of devices for use at various stations on the operating network of Northern Trains Limited 'NTL', TransPenine Trains Limited 'TPT', and First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited 'Avanti'
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition
Justification for selected award procedure:
The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason: protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights
Explanation
Award a contract directly as this approach is allowed under the UCR's where restrictions on the use of IPR do not trigger a requirement to conduct a new OJEU-compliant tender process.
We believe in this circumstance the following is applicable:
There are grounds where NTL as public body could award a subsequent contract to a third party using the exemptions in Regulation 50 of the UCR. This exemption is provided for under the UCR Regulation 50(1)(c) which allows Utilities to award a contract where the works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier because competition is absent for technical reasons and where no reasonable alternative or
substitute exists. The supplier owns copyright and the IPR in all the software. The absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2025/S 000-035932
Section V: Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
05/08/2025
V.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Vix Technology UK Limited
03039051
Bracknell
UK
NUTS: UKJ1
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Department for Transport
Great Minster House,
London
SW1P 4DR
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
05/08/2025