Official UK procurement notice
Library Management System · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Cardiff University (Education)·On behalf of: University of South Wales
Sectors: Software Packages & ERP (48) Delivery: Wales (UKL)
Awarded value£18,324,434published award · inc. VAT
Award in standstill 30 Jun 2025no call for competition
Award (standstill) to Ex Libris UK Ltd.
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum (WHELF) represents all higher education
institutions in Wales. These institutions, together with the National Library of Wales and the
NHS Libraries in Wales, have procured a cloud-hosted next generation library management
system.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 11 Jun 2025, 16:23 BST
- Last source update
- 9 Jul 2025, 12:31 BST
- Authority reference
CU.1484- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-038565- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-054700Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Additional Repeat Further Following Competitive Procedure
- Published justification
A change of supplier would oblige the contracting authority to acquire supplies having different technical characteristics which would result in incompatibility or disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
9 Jul 2025 → 21 Jul 2025 · 2 dates- Notice published9 Jul 2025, 12:31 BST
- Standstill ends21 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
Notice history
3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 11 Jun 2025- Transparency notice published11 Jun 2025, 16:23 BSTUK5
- Contract award notice published9 Jul 2025, 12:31 BSTUK6
- Contract signature expected22 Jul 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecastAwards 1
Awarded value (inc. VAT) £18,324,4341 award inc. VAT; no net value published
| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ex Libris UK Ltd.LMS16 Dec 2026 – 15 Dec 2033 · up to 15 Dec 2039Extensions: Extension Option to continue with the agreement | £18,324,434 inc. VAT | 30 Jun 2025standstill to 21 Jul 2025 | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
11 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- University of South WalesBeneficiary authority
- BANGOR UNIVERSITYProcuring entityWHELF Member
- CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITYProcuring entityWHELF Member
- NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALESProcuring entityWHELF Member
- OPEN UNIVERSITY(THE)Procuring entityWHELF Member
- PRIFYSGOL ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITYProcuring entityWHELF Member
- SWANSEA UNIVERSITYProcuring entityWHELF Member
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES - Including RWCMDProcuring entityWHELF member
- UNIVERSITY OF WALES:TRINITY SAINT DAVIDProcuring entityWHELF Member
- Wrexham UniversityProcuring entityWHELF Member
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Ex Libris (UK) LtdAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender