Official UK procurement notice
ACE - Provision of Financial Management System
Authority: Academies for Character & Excellence (Central government)·On behalf of: PHP LAW LLP
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis tender opportunity has been issued by Academies for Character and Excellence (the Trust) and Tenderers were invited to tender for the provision of Financial Management System. Full details of all contract requirements are given in document Document 2. Specification of Requirement. The Trust comprises multiple academies operating under a unified governance structure and financial framework. To support effective financial oversight and ensure regulatory compliance, the Trust required a fully integrated Finance System. The system must enable compliant financial management in accordance with the Academies Trust Handbook (ATH), all ESFA reporting obligations, and the Trust's Finance Policy.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 5 Jan 2032, 23:59 GMT.
CPV: Financial analysis and accounting software package · Software package and information systems
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£250,000
- Economic & financial standing
Financial Capacity Assessment: Bidders must demonstrate that their financial position is sufficiently robust to support both the implementation and ongoing delivery of the Finance System. Bidders must provide their audited financial statements for the previous two financial years. Where audited accounts are not available, bidders should provide certified accounts or equivalent financial information. Bidders should disclose any known events that may materially impact their financial position during the contract term (for example, planned sale, refinancing, or restructuring). Minimum Turnover Requirement The bidder’s annual turnover must be at least two times the estimated annual contract value. Net Asset Position Bidders must demonstrate a positive net asset position in their most recent financial statements Liquidity and Access to Financial Resources Bidders must demonstrate access to adequate financial resources to support ongoing business operations and contractual commitments. Revenue Model Stability Bidders must describe their revenue model, including the proportion of income that is recurring, contractually committed, or otherwise predictable. The Trust will assess the economic and financial standing of bidders to ensure that the successful supplier has the financial capacity and resilience required to deliver the contract for its full duration. The Trust is seeking a financially resilient supplier capable of sustaining long-term service delivery. The assessment is designed to ensure resilience rather than favour organisations of a particular size. The assessment will be conducted in accordance with the principles of proportionality, transparency, and equal treatment. Insurance requirements - can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated below a. Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance* = £5m b. Public Liability Insurance = £5m c. Professional Indemnity Insurance = £1m d. Product Liability Insurance = £1m e. Cyber and Data Protection Insurance = £1m
- Technical & professional ability
Relevant experience and contract examples Please provide details of up to three contracts to meet conditions of participation relating to technical ability set out in the relevant notice or procurement documents, in any combination from either the public or private sectors (which may include samples of grant-funded work). The examples must be from the past three years. To constitute a pass, the minimum of two contract examples provided shall be relevant to the complexity of the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. Organisational Standards Please provide details of the organisational standards and certifications your organisation holds that are relevant to the delivery of this contract, including (but not limited to) Quality Management and Information Security standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, or equivalent internationally recognised certifications. You must confirm that the scope of these certifications explicitly covers the services proposed within this procurement. Where equivalent standards are offered, please explain how they meet or exceed the requirements of the specified ISO standards. Bidders must submit the following evidence:
- Copies of current certification issued by an accredited certification body.
- A copy of the certification scope statement demonstrating that the services being procured fall within the accredited scope.
- Confirmation of certification validity dates.
- Details of any non-conformities identified during the most recent audit and the corrective actions taken.
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).
Published sub-criteria (10)
- Implementation & Transition Delivery: 5%
- Quality of People & Support Team: 5.5%
- Customer Retention & Client Success: 4.5%
- Service Support Model & Responsiveness: 3%
- Contract Management & Strategic Partnership: 2%
- Service Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement: 2%
- Innovation, Product Roadmap & Future Fit: 1.5%
- Complaint Resolution & Escalation: 1.5%
- Software Functionality: 40%
- Price: 35%
Published award criteria (10)
- Implementation & Transition Delivery
- Quality of People & Support Team
- Customer Retention & Client Success
- Service Support Model & Responsiveness
- Contract Management & Strategic Partnership
- Service Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement
- Innovation, Product Roadmap & Future Fit
- Complaint Resolution & Escalation
- Software Functionality: Importance of Requirement: High = 25% Medium = 10% Low = 5%
- Price: Whole life contract cost
- Economic & financial standing
Financial Capacity Assessment: Bidders must demonstrate that their financial position is sufficiently robust to support both the implementation and ongoing delivery of the Finance System. Bidders must provide their audited financial statements for the previous two financial years. Where audited accounts are not available, bidders should provide certified accounts or equivalent financial information. Bidders should disclose any known events that may materially impact their financial position during the contract term (for example, planned sale, refinancing, or restructuring). Minimum Turnover Requirement The bidder’s annual turnover must be at least two times the estimated annual contract value. Net Asset Position Bidders must demonstrate a positive net asset position in their most recent financial statements Liquidity and Access to Financial Resources Bidders must demonstrate access to adequate financial resources to support ongoing business operations and contractual commitments. Revenue Model Stability Bidders must describe their revenue model, including the proportion of income that is recurring, contractually committed, or otherwise predictable. The Trust will assess the economic and financial standing of bidders to ensure that the successful supplier has the financial capacity and resilience required to deliver the contract for its full duration. The Trust is seeking a financially resilient supplier capable of sustaining long-term service delivery. The assessment is desig…
- Technical & professional ability
Relevant experience and contract examples Please provide details of up to three contracts to meet conditions of participation relating to technical ability set out in the relevant notice or procurement documents, in any combination from either the public or private sectors (which may include samples of grant-funded work). The examples must be from the past three years. To constitute a pass, the minimum of two contract examples provided shall be relevant to the complexity of the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. Organisational Standards Please provide details of the organisational standards and certifications your organisation holds that are relevant to the delivery of this contract, including (but not limited to) Quality Management and Information Security standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, or equivalent internationally recognised certifications. You must confirm that the scope of these certifications explicitly covers the services proposed within this procurement. Where equivalent standards are offered, please explain how they meet or exceed the requirements of the specified ISO standards. Bidders must submit the following evidence:
- Copies of current certification issued by an accredited certification body.
- A copy of the certification scope statement demonstrating that the services being procured fall within the accredited scope.
- Confir…
- Price carries 35 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open 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
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 5 Jan 2032
- First published
- 19 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Last source update
- 17 May 2026, 18:28 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 11 May 2026
- Authority reference
ACE01.76- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-014023- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06093eFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
- The Trust requires the following payment profile: a. Implementation Costs i. 25% invoiced upon Contract Signature ii. 25% invoiced upon completion of the build iii. 25% following completion of testing iv. 25% following go live plus 1 month b. Table B All Inclusive Cost i. Quarterly invoicing, 1st Invoice 2 months in Arrears following Go Live. Where it has been identified, and agreed, that adjustments are required (in respect of service credits, additional works, errors or omissions), these will be taken account of within the next invoice.
- Risks
Key risks in finance system contracts for schools: Financial risks: Higher-than-expected costs, hidden charges, poor value for money. Contract risks: Long, inflexible contracts, high exit fees, supplier lock‑in. Data & cyber risks: GDPR breaches, weak security, system outages. Operational risks: System downtime, poor usability, inadequate support and training. Compliance risks: Failure to meet DfE/LA requirements, weak audit trails. Implementation risks: Poor data migration, ineffective change management. Fraud & control risks: Weak approval controls, segregation of duties, payment errors. Strategic risks: Supplier failure, system becoming outdated or unsupported. Overall impact: Financial loss, non‑compliance, operational disruption, and reputational damage.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 23 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 13 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
19 Jan 2026 → 1 Sept 2026 · 10 dates- Planning notice published282 days ago19 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Market engagement263 days ago6 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_… ↗ This pre-market engagement exercise is intended to help shape the Trust’s detailed requirements, commercial approach, and implementation planning. Suppliers will be offered a 1-hour slot on the 4th or 5th of February for a brief meeting/demo focussed on specific areas of enquiry which will be provided in advance. If you wish to book in a slot, please message the request through the tendering portal EU Supply with your email address with your preferred date and time for the 4th or 5th February. Slots will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Once all slots are booked out we will have to respectfully decline any further requests. However all information from these meetings will be shared within the tender pack, where it has been deemed as not commercially sensitive.
- Next notice expected256 days ago13 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published254 days ago16 Feb 2026, 16:52 GMT
- Clarification questions by229 days ago13 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline219 days ago23 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent182 days ago29 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
- Award decision expected by169 days ago11 May 2026, 23:59 BST
- Latest notice published164 days ago17 May 2026, 18:28 BST
- Contract starts57 days ago1 Sept 2026
Notice history
11 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 19 Jan 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published19 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMTUK2
- Tender notice published16 Feb 2026, 16:52 GMTUK4
- Status changed to active16 Feb 2026, 16:52 GMT
- Procurement method changed16 Feb 2026, 16:52 GMT
- Deadline published: 23 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT16 Feb 2026, 16:52 GMT
- Buyer details updated16 Feb 2026, 16:52 GMT
- Contract award notice published29 Apr 2026, 13:35 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete29 Apr 2026, 13:35 BST
- Buyer details updated29 Apr 2026, 13:35 BST
- Contract signature expected12 May 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published17 May 2026, 18:28 BSTUK7
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2026-01: 1 release · 19 Jan 2026
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPLICIT LIMITED12 May 2026 – 11 May 2030 · up to 11 May 2032Extensions: 4 year term with the option of two further 1 year extensions (4+1+1) · Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. To enable further schools to be added to the contract as they join the Trust and to enable additional modules or services in relation to the software. | £250,000 | 28 Apr 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
ACE - Provision of Financial Management System · IPLICIT LIMITED
- Signed
- 14 May 2026
- Value
- £250,000
- Period
- 14 May 2026 – 13 May 2030 · up to 11 May 2032 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- 4 year term with the option of two further 1 year extensions (4+1+1)
- Options
- The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. To enable further schools to be added to the contract as they join the Trust and to enable additional modules or services in relation to the software.
1 agreed KPI: System Uptime Commitment
- System Uptime Commitment, Target Availability 99.8% of Actual Uptime
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5final-stage tenders · 14 at stage one | 4 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
3 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- PHP LAW LLPProcess contact pointProcuring entityPublic authority - sub-central governmentProcurement Consultant
- THE ACADEMIES FOR CHARACTER AND EXCELLENCEContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- IPLICIT LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details 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