Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice

Published 20 May 2025, 11:15 BST

Official UK procurement notice

International Student Recruitment - Overseas Offices Framework

Official notice

Authority: University of Exeter (Central government)·Consortium: 2 public authorities

Framework agreementServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitable

Sectors: Education & Training (80) Delivery listed: India (IN)UKUnited States (US)

Framework ceiling (notional)£4,000,000initial estimate £1,000,000 · framework ceiling, not attributable revenue · 1 value update

Submissions closed 23 Jun 2025awarded 16 Jul 2025

Awarded to Grok Global Services Inc +2 more

Framework period 3 yrsends 1 Sept 2028 · up to 1 Sept 2029 with extensions · starts 1 Sept 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The University of Exeter currently employs third party consultants to act on behalf of the University in selected overseas regions. These regions have been identified as strategically important for international student recruitment and partnership activity. These consultants are managed by the third party entity and work exclusively with the respective regional manager or main contact within the University of Exeter International Office. These consultants will then be seen as official representatives within carrying out extensive operations for the institution as well as acting as a point of contact for key stakeholders across the stated region. The current international student recruitment landscape is challenging with increasing competition both at home and in other overseas study abroad destinations and having the option to offer a consistent presence in market is seen as a key objective to remain competitive.

CPV: Education and training services · Higher education services

How this framework works

From the published notice

Type: Closed framework
Call-offs: call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
Places: up to 50 suppliers · 9 bids received (0.2 per place) · 3 appointed
Framework period: 3 yrs · up to 4 yrs from 1 Sept 2025

Published description of the framework

Requirements will be sourced through the framework. This may be via direct award or further competition. In both cases, suppliers will be asked to provide a brief proposal and pricing for the specific requirements. Suppliers will either adhere to our T&C's or their own T&C's at the University's discretion, for each requirement.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published

Lot #1AwardedRenewal 3 yrsSMEPublished value£4,000,000

Contract period: 1 Sept 2025 – 1 Sept 2028 (3 yrs) · up to 1 Sept 2029 with extensionsValue: £4,000,000 exc. VAT · £4,800,000 inc. VAT

Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligible

Extensions: This contract can be extended for one period of up to 12 months.

80000000 Education and training services 80300000 Higher education services

What it takes to win
i
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 more

How bids were scored

Quality: 100%

Published award criteria (1)

Quality

What this means for your bid

“International Student Recruitment - Overseas Offices Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 50 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

Procedure method: Open procedure
Legal basis: UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category: Services
Notice status: Awarded
Procurement threshold: Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime: Standard
Commercial structure: Framework agreement
Who may use this agreement: Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type: Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered: Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 20 May 2025, 11:15 BST
Last source update: 25 Sept 2025, 15:00 BST
Award evaluation window: Submission end – 12 Jul 2025
Authority reference: UOE/2025/019/LLM
FTS notice number: 2025/S 000-023105
Latest notice: Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV): Education and training servicesHigher education services
Delivery area in notice: India (IN)UKUnited States (US)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-051857 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice

Run through: EU-Supply (CTM) · Who buys & how to bid on EU-Supply

Public notice page · account needed to bidElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN

Access & registration note: Free · 5–10 minutes

Appointment period ends: 23 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline: 23 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
Submission channel: Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission: Allowed
Accepted languages: en

Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_… ↗

Timeline

20 May 2025 → 25 Sept 2025 · 8 dates

Tender notice published
20 May 2025, 11:15 BST
Clarification questions by
23 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown
23 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
Award decision expected by
12 Jul 2025, 00:59 BST
Assessment summaries sent
17 Jul 2025, 00:00 BST
Standstill ends
1 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
Contract starts
1 Sept 2025
Latest notice published390 days ago
25 Sept 2025, 15:00 BST

Notice history

9 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 May 2025

Tender notice published
20 May 2025, 11:15 BST
UK4
Tender notice published
20 May 2025, 11:24 BST
UK4
Published value updated to £4,000,000
20 May 2025, 11:24 BST
was £1,000,000
Contract award notice published
23 Jul 2025, 10:20 BST
UK6
Status changed to complete
23 Jul 2025, 10:20 BST
Buyer details updated
23 Jul 2025, 10:20 BST
Contract signature expected
2 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
scheduled
Contract details notice published
25 Sept 2025, 15:00 BST
UK7
Buyer details updated
25 Sept 2025, 15:00 BST

Routine re-releases (4)

2025-05: 1 release · 20 May 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Suppliers appointed 3admitted to the panel · see the list ↓

Bids received 95 from SMEs

Contracts signed 3latest 31 Jul 2025

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
Grok Global Services IncSME, OneStep Global Ingress Private LimitedSME, Sannam S4 LtdSME3 Aug 2025 – 2 Aug 2029	£4,000,000	16 Jul 2025	Awarded

2 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.

Contracts

All 3 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £4,800,000, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.

Acumen part of Sannam S4 · Grok Global Services IncSME, OneStep Global Ingress Private LimitedSME, Sannam S4 LtdSME
Signed
31 Jul 2025
Value
ceiling above
Period
1 Aug 2025 – 1 Aug 2029
Status
active
Grok Global Services Inc
Signed
31 Jul 2025
Value
ceiling above
Period
1 Aug 2025 – 1 Aug 2029
Status
active
OneStep Global Ingress Private Limited
Signed
31 Jul 2025
Value
ceiling above
Period
1 Aug 2025 – 1 Aug 2029
Status
active

Bid statistics published by the authority

Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
9final-stage tenders · 10 at stage one	5	5	—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

2 public bodies on the notice

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central governmentPublic undertaking GB-COH: RC000653 · GB-PPON: PZYG-2396-XCRZ Northcote House, Queens Drive, Exeter, South West, EX4 4QJContact email

Framework contractors & participating bidders

4 commercial parties on the notice

Acumen part of Sannam S4Framework contractorGB-PPON: PLWC-8369-RVYR 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London, London, EC2Y 5AUContact email, phone
Grok Global Services, Inc.Framework contractorGB-PPON: PCBH-1337-WDXX 535 Dean Street, Suite 916, Brooklyn, US, 11217, USContact email, phone
OneStep Global Ingress Private LimitedFramework contractorGB-PPON: PDVN-2738-CCMN 703 MAGNUM TOWERS, GURGAON, IN, GURGAON, INContact email, phone
SANNAM S4 LIMITEDFramework contractorGB-COH: 09002645GB-PPON: PLWC-8369-RVYR 6th Floor 2 London Wall Place, London, London, EC2Y 5AUContact email

Official documents & specifications (6)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender25 Sept 2025, 15:00 BST
Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender25 Sept 2025, 15:00 BST
Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender25 Sept 2025, 15:00 BST
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender23 Jul 2025, 10:20 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender20 May 2025, 11:24 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender20 May 2025, 11:15 BST