UY PROC 1240 - University of York - Transforming Online Education

{
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-UKPRN-10007167",
    "name": "University of York"
  },
  "date": "2026-03-17T11:18:28Z",
  "id": "023942-2026",
  "initiationType": "tender",
  "language": "en",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-060a4e",
  "parties": [
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          "id": "PRDQ-5539-WTHX",
          "scheme": "GB-PPON"
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      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "York",
        "postalCode": "YO10 5DD",
        "region": "UKE21",
        "streetAddress": "Heslington"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "procurement@york.ac.uk"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
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            "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE"
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        "url": "http://www.york.ac.uk"
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      "id": "GB-UKPRN-10007167",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "10007167",
        "scheme": "GB-UKPRN"
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      "name": "University of York",
      "roles": [
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  "tender": {
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "awardPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2026-06-10T23:59:59+01:00"
    },
    "contractTerms": {
      "financialTerms": "Payment details as stated in the contract document issued with the Invitation to Tender."
    },
    "coveredBy": [
      "GPA"
    ],
    "description": "The University of York, a world\u2011ranked Russell Group institution, is seeking a high\u2011calibre strategic partner to accelerate the growth and global reach of its York Online portfolio. With a mature and successful postgraduate online degree presence, the University is now entering the next phase of its online strategy, with plans to expand its current degree portfolio and develop new offerings in short courses, stackables and micro-credentials.\nThe University of York\u0027s contract with its current partner for online programme management is due to expire in March 2027 and we are carrying out a procurement process to\nappoint a supplier to support the next phase of our ambitious plans. \nWe are seeking an OfS registered (or in the process of OfS registration), innovative partner with a proven track record of delivering high-impact, data-driven marketing, lead generation and student recruitment at a global level across a diverse portfolio of degrees, micro\u2011credentials and short-courses. \nOur future partner will excel in market insight, conversion management, the delivery of a seamless, high\u2011quality digital experience for learner recruitment, as well as having capabilities in B2B sales and recruitment. The University of York will remain the lead for all current academic pedagogy, teaching, and for the long\u2011term student success and pastoral journey.\nFollowing an initial phase of transition for our existing online programmes, we will be looking to take forward new developments including but not necessarily limited to:\nNew and/or revised online Masters degrees\nUniversity- or partner-developed short courses, with credit-bearing options, that may provide pathways to degrees \n\u0027Stackable\u0027 short courses and awards \nInnovative use of AI to support programme development and delivery (content, assessment and feedback) and to enhance the student experience and progression. \nInitial contract estimated to be June 2026 to June 2031, with potential to renew for a further 5 or 10 years to June 2036 or 2041",
    "documents": [
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        "description": "Not published",
        "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
        "id": "conflictOfInterest"
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        "documentType": "biddingDocuments",
        "id": "future"
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      {
        "datePublished": "2026-03-17T11:18:28Z",
        "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "tenderNotice",
        "format": "text/html",
        "id": "023942-2026",
        "noticeType": "UK4",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023942-2026"
      }
    ],
    "expressionOfInterestDeadline": "2026-03-27T12:00:00Z",
    "id": "UY PROC 1240",
    "items": [
      {
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "description": "Advertising and marketing services",
            "id": "79340000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Higher education services",
            "id": "80300000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          }
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        "deliveryAddresses": [
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            "countryName": "United Kingdom",
            "region": "UKE21"
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        ],
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1"
      }
    ],
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "scheme": "UKPGA",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
    },
    "lots": [
      {
        "awardCriteria": {
          "criteria": [
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              "description": "total income to University on current programmes years 1-5",
              "name": "Total income current programmes",
              "numbers": [
                {
                  "number": 25,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
                }
              ],
              "type": "price"
            },
            {
              "description": "Total income to University on new programme proposals years 1-10",
              "name": "Total income new programme proposals",
              "numbers": [
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                  "number": 10,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "price"
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            {
              "name": "Business plan",
              "numbers": [
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              "type": "quality"
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            {
              "name": "Widening participation",
              "numbers": [
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              "type": "quality"
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            {
              "name": "Marketing plan (degrees)",
              "numbers": [
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                  "number": 3.9,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Recruitment strategy",
              "numbers": [
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                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Recruitment service",
              "numbers": [
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                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Admissions",
              "numbers": [
                {
                  "number": 3.9,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Monitoring quality",
              "numbers": [
                {
                  "number": 3.9,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Organisational capability",
              "numbers": [
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                  "number": 5.85,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Percentage rounded for the notice",
              "name": "Implementation plan (degrees)",
              "numbers": [
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                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Percentage rounded for the notice",
              "name": "Data integration",
              "numbers": [
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                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Percentage rounded for the notice",
              "name": "Short courses proposal",
              "numbers": [
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                  "weight": "percentageExact"
                }
              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Marketing plan (short courses)",
              "numbers": [
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                  "weight": "percentageExact"
                }
              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Percentage rounded for the notice",
              "name": "Implementing (short courses)",
              "numbers": [
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                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Research",
              "numbers": [
                {
                  "number": 3.25,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Contract amendments",
              "numbers": [
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              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "name": "Community benefits",
              "numbers": [
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
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          ]
        },
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2031-06-29T23:59:59+01:00",
          "maxExtentDate": "2041-06-29T23:59:59Z",
          "startDate": "2026-06-30T00:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "hasOptions": true,
        "hasRenewal": true,
        "id": "1",
        "options": {
          "description": "The partner can increase the scale, number or type of courses to the provision. The scope is anticipated to commence with marketing and admissions services but is scoped to include the delivery of new full, part time and short courses and the provision of micro credentials."
        },
        "renewal": {
          "description": "Where the services and commercial offer have evolved or remained similar in scale and or nature, where the requirement continues, where the performance of the services continues to meet our requirements, the University reserves the right to extend this agreement by either one or two consecutive periods of five years."
        },
        "selectionCriteria": {
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              "description": "As provided in the Invitation to Participate documentation provided at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/york/aspx/Home",
              "type": "economic"
            },
            {
              "description": "As provided in the Invitation to Participate documentation provided at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/york/aspx/Home",
              "type": "technical"
            }
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        },
        "status": "active",
        "suitability": {
          "sme": true
        },
        "value": {
          "amount": 100,
          "amountGross": 120,
          "currency": "GBP"
        }
      }
    ],
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
    "procedure": {
      "acceleratedRationale": "Qualifying planned procurement notice",
      "features": "Stage 1 (Participation Stage): Selection of Potential Partners to be invited to tender\nRequests to participate\nRequests to participate in this ITP require the following documents to be returned and signed to the University:\n- B0-A - a download into pdf of the information stored by the Potential Partner in  the Government\u0027s Central Digital Platform ensuring both mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds are completed; i.e. Potential Partners must also upload core Potential Partner information to the Central Digital Platform and confirm to the University that they have done so.\n- B0-B - the \"PSQ\" an additional questionnaire with procurement-specific questions\n- B0-C - the mutual Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA)\nThe submission of the documents cited at 2.1.1 via the University\u0027s procurement portal In-tend by the deadline for requests to participate, will constitute a request to participate.\nWhere a Potential Partner is a consortium, all members of the consortium must complete Parts B0-A, B0-B and B0-C. The part of the PSQ concerning conditions of participation only requires it to be completed by the lead member of the consortium.\nStage 1 Phase 1: Completeness check\nA complete submission is one which has been received by the deadline for submission of tenders, is substantially complete and complies substantially with the requirements of this ITP. Clarification and further information may be sought from Potential Partners in order to determine if a submission is complete. The University may exclude at this stage any submission that is not complete and may reject any tender submission which is submitted late.\nStage 1 Phase 2: Exclusion of excluded and excludable Potential Partners\nThe University will exclude any Potential Partner that is an \"Excluded Supplier\" or an \"Excludable Supplier\" based on its response to the PSQ. The University will identify Excludable Suppliers\" based on the discretionary exclusion grounds identified in paragraph 7 of this Part C. \nStage 1 Phase 3: Application of conditions of participation\nThe University will check that each submission satisfies the conditions of participation set out in this ITP on the basis of the request to participate submitted by the Potential Partner. Clarification and further information may be sought from Potential Partners. The University will exclude at this stage any submission that does not satisfy the conditions of participation set out in paragraph 8 of this Part C. \nStage 1 Phase 4: Selection of Potential Partners to be invited to tender\nAll Potential Partners meeting the University\u0027s conditions of participation will become Potential Partners (the \"Tenderers\") to be invited to tender.\nStage 1 Phase 5: Notification to unsuccessful Bidders \nPotential Partners not selected to be Tenderers at Stage 1 Phase 4 will not be entitled to continue in the procurement process. The University intends to notify such unsuccessful Potential Partners at this stage and provide them with feedback (but does not bind itself to do so). \nStage 2: Tendering and Negotiation\nStage 2 Phase 1: Tender submission and intermediate assessment of tenders\nThe University will issue to Tenderers a bid-ready version of the terms and conditions of contract against which Tenderers must bid when preparing their tender submissions. It is anticipated that this will set out the areas on which the University will not accept tenderer amendments. Tenderers will then submit their tender submissions by the tender submissions deadline (as set out in clause 1.4.8 above). \nSubmissions received will be offers capable of acceptance by the University.\nTenderers are strongly encouraged to provide their most competitive bid in their Stage 2 Phase 1 tender submission, as they may not be given the opportunity later in the negotiation process to improve their bid. \nStage 2 Phase 2: Evaluation of Qualitative Submissions (Scored)\nTenderers are required to complete the scored qualitative questions Part B B1. These qualitative responses will be scored by the University according to the award criteria and scoring methodology set out in paragraph 9 of this Part C. \nTenderers are also required to review the bid-ready terms and conditions at Part D of this ITP and use the template provided at Part B B6 to provide the detail and justifications for any amendments they wish to make to these terms. Any such proposed changes are limited to the sections of the terms of conditions identified as permissible within Part B B6. These responses will be scored by the University according to the scoring methodology set out in paragraph 9.4 of this Part C. Tenderers will be invited to ask questions on the ITP and accompanying documents and the technical, deliverability and commercial aspects of the ITP. \nStage 2 Phase 3: Evaluation of Quantitative Submissions (Scored)\nTenderers are required to complete the pricing template set out in Part B B2. Responses will be scored by the University according to the scoring methodology set out in paragraph 9.2 of this Part C. \nStage 2 Phase 4: Assessment of other Part B documents Part B B3 Part B B4\nThe University will ensure that signed unqualified documents are returned as part of the Tenderers\u0027 submissions\nStage 2 Phase 5: Interviews (Scores potentially adjusted)\nAll Potential Partners meeting the minimum acceptance criteria will be invited to an interview with the University and its project team. The interview will be used to clarify and confirm the tender submission. The scores awarded to Potential Partners may be adjusted in consideration of the interview and clarification questions asked by the evaluation panel. The Potential Partners will be made aware how each question at interview relates to their tender submission. Scores may be adjusted up or down relative to the answers provided and the score criteria.\nStage 3: Negotiations and the Identification of preferred bidder\nThe University will select the preferred bidder from among the Tenderers (the \"Preferred Bidder\"). The University may do so either:\nwithout further submissions, in which case the Preferred Bidder shall be the Tenderer whose submission scored highest at Stage 2 Phase 5 applying the methodology set out in paragraph 9 of this Part C; or\nwith further submissions, by first entering into negotiations with all Tenderers whose tender submissions satisfied the  Requirements throughout the Stage 2 Phases, and then inviting all of those Tenderers to negotiate, prior to identifying a Preferred Bidder. Following this initial negotiation round the Preferred Bidder shall be the Tenderer whose revised submission scored highest at this Stage 3 applying the methodology set out in paragraph 9 of this Part C.\nStage 4: Preferred bidder\nThe Preferred Bidder will be notified that it is the preferred bidder. The University reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the Preferred Bidder in order to finalise the terms of the contracts (e.g. clarifications, specifications, optimisation and other negotiations to confirm financial commitments or other terms contained in the Preferred Bidder\u0027s tender submission and / or BAFO). \nWhere the University decides to enter into the contract without further negotiation and any standstill period has expired without any legal challenge being made, the University shall conclude the contract by issuing a contract award document. In addition, the University will send the Tenderer a legal agreement for signature for its records and in such circumstances the Tenderer shall countersign and return the legal agreement to the University promptly (and no later than 7 days from the date of receipt of such legal agreement).\nStage 5: Standstill to entry into contract(s)\nThe University will issue assessment summaries to the successful and unsuccessful Potential Partners in accordance with regulation 31 of the Regulations. The University will also publish a contract award notice in accordance with regulation 27 of the Regulations.\nOnce the relevant standstill period has ended (being 8 working days from the date of the contract award notice), the University intends to enter into a contract with the successful Potential Partner. \nThe University may ask the Preferred Bidder to provide verification of statements made in its PSQ to confirm that it satisfies the conditions of participation and to confirm it is not an Excluded or Excludable Potential Partner.",
      "isAccelerated": true
    },
    "procurementMethod": "selective",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure",
    "status": "active",
    "submissionMethodDetails": "Submissions are to be uploaded to the University\u0027s procurement portal (In-Tend) at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/york/aspx/Home",
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      "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
      "languages": [
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    },
    "title": "UY PROC 1240 - University of York - Transforming Online Education",
    "value": {
      "amount": 100,
      "amountGross": 120,
      "currency": "GBP"
    }
  }
}