Northern Ireland Extends Fujitsu Contract Without Competition
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The Education Authority will add £15 million to a deal with the Japanese supplier despite its role in the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Northern Ireland's Education Authority is increasing the ceiling of its EA One contract with Fujitsu by £15 million without opening the deal to new competition, as first reported by The Register.
The authority plans to utilize five one-year extension options to keep the Japanese supplier in place until March 31, 2032. This move raises the total contract value from £40.4 million to £55.4 million. The current term was scheduled to end in March 2027.
The Education Authority stated the extension is necessary to ensure continuity of service while it works to replace the customized Oracle-based payroll, HR, and finance system via the EnAble Programme. Officials argued that switching suppliers before a replacement is ready would lead to duplication of costs and significant technical disruption. The authority further noted that Fujitsu continues to meet contractual performance targets.
This procurement comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Fujitsu following its role in the Post Office Horizon scandal, which resulted in the wrongful conviction of hundreds of subpostmasters between 1999 and 2015. While Fujitsu has voluntarily paused bidding for new UK government contracts pending public inquiry reports, The Register reports that the company continues to pursue extensions for existing contracts and procurements that were already in progress. This includes a deal with Northern Ireland's Department of Finance valued at £125 million, which the company won in April 2025.