Find a TenderOpen for tender Tender notice
Published 1 Oct 2026, 15:31 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Neurodiversity screening assessments for apprentices

Authority: University of Salford (Charity / VCSE)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitable
Published estimate£918≈ £306 / year · £918 inc. VAT
Submission deadline 29 Oct 202612:00 GMT · 27d 20h left
Clarification cut-off 22 Oct 202612:00 BST · questions to the authority
Contract term 3 yrsup to 5 yrs with extensions · starts 1 Jan 2027
Bids per lot · this authority 7CPV 8030 · n=3 · competition analysis ↓

What is being bought

Published requirement description

This is an Invitation to tender for Neurodiversity screening assessments for apprentices to identify indicators of neurodivergence, including specific learning difficulties and differences in attention, processing and communication, across academic and workplace settings. Assessments should

identify strengths, barriers and support needs to inform reasonable adjustments, support planning and, where appropriate, liaison with relevant University and employer contacts.

  • No preliminary market engagement: We planned to tender 8 different services in Lots. This wasn't sufficient so we have now decided to procure all services individually.

CPV: Health and social work services · Higher education services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Lot 1Renewal 3 yrsSMEPublished value£918
Contract period: 1 Jan 2027 — 31 Dec 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 5 yrs with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: North WestTurnover guideline: ~£611/yr≈ 2× annual value
Value
£918 exc. VAT · £918 inc. VAT
Extensions
The Contract shall commence on the date to be advised by the Authority in the Contract Award Document issued to the Contractor in due course (the "Commencement Date") and (subject to clauses 5.3 and 5.4 below) is intended to continue for an initial period of 3 years from the Commencement Date (the "Initial Term"). The Contract may be extended beyond the Initial Term on a maximum of 2 [two] occasions, for a period of more…up to 1 (one) year on each occasion (each a "Renewal Period") at the Authority's sole discretion, by the Authority giving the Contractor not less than 1 (one) months' notice prior to the expiry of the Initial Term or the Renewal Period (as applicable).
80300000 Higher education services85000000 Health and social work services

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

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 are scored
Quality: 70%Price: 20%Environmental: 10%
Published sub-criteria (4)
  • Technical — 60%
  • Community Benefits — 10%
  • Commercial — 20%
  • Sustainability — 10%
Published award criteria (4)
  • Technical — Subcriteria Experience of delivering similar services within the Higher Education sector Capability and service delivery

No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

How University of Salford buys Higher education services (CPV 8030) — and who usually turns up

University of Salford’s own published record, next to the North West England market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Higher education services (CPV 8030) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Left: this authority. Right: the market where the work is delivered. Bids and award-vs-estimate pairs are per lot, from contested contracts only — direct awards (including PA 2023 transparency notices) report one bid by definition and are left out. On Procurement Act 2023 notices the count is the tenders assessed at the final stage, not every submission received; pairs compare like with like (VAT-exclusive, or VAT-inclusive on both sides). Empty means nothing was published, not filled in from elsewhere.

This authority

University of Salford

contract notices in 36 months: 4 in CPV 8030 · 7 in division 80 · 58 in all categories (1 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 3 lots. All 3 lots are from Procurement Act 2023 notices, which count bids assessed.

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

7CPV 8030 · 36m · n=3 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 3 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

0%CPV 8030 · 36m · n=3 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 3 pairs.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

8% aboveCPV 8030 · 36m · n=3 pairs
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 3 notices.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

14dCPV 8030 · 36m · n=3 notices
Notice updates
i

How often this buyer changes a notice after publishing it.

Middle number of amendments per notice. Deadline extensions and corrections both count.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in all categories, last 24 months: 128 notices.

Last 24 months.

0all categories · 24m · n=128 notices
Awarded without competition
i

How often this buyer awards without a competition.

Direct or limited awards as a share of its notices that say which procedure was used. These routes are legal in defined cases. This is just the record.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 4 notices.

Last 36 months.

0%CPV 8030 · 36m · n=4 notices
Bids per lot moderate · n=3
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 3 lots on 3 contested notices · CPV 8030, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 0%
  • 2–3 33%
  • 4–6 0%
  • 7+ 67%

Middle value 7 · 3 lots on 3 contested notices · CPV 8030.

Winning award vs estimate moderate · n=3
i

How often winners come in below, near or above the estimate.

Each lot with both an estimate and an award is placed by how far the award sat from the estimate.

Based on 3 lot pairs · CPV 8030, last 36 months.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

  • Below estimate 33%
  • Within ±2% 0%
  • Above estimate 67%

3 lot pairs · CPV 8030.

The market · delivery region

North West England · Higher education services (CPV 8030)

contract notices delivered in North West England in 36 months: 16 in CPV 8030 (13 competed, 3 route not published) · 300 in division 80 (218 competed, 57 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 6 lots. 5 lots are from Procurement Act 2023 notices (bids assessed, middle 5) and 1 from older notices (bids received, middle 3).

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

4.5CPV 8030 · 36m · n=6 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 6 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

0%CPV 8030 · 36m · n=6 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 6 pairs.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

at estimateCPV 8030 · 36m · n=6 pairs
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 5 notices.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

17dCPV 8030 · 36m · n=5 notices
SME bidders
i

How much of this market goes to small and medium firms.

SME bidders where buyers published the split, otherwise SME winners.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 5 lots.

Last 36 months.

82%CPV 8030 · 36m · n=5 lots
Winners based in the region
i

How much work like this goes to companies based in the delivery region.

Awards in this category delivered here where the winner’s registered address is in the region.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8030), last 36 months: 8 awards.

Registered address, so a national firm with a local branch counts as outside.

Last 36 months.

75%CPV 8030 · 36m · n=8 awards
Bids per lot robust · n=6
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 6 lots on 6 contested notices · CPV 8030, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 0%
  • 2–3 33%
  • 4–6 33%
  • 7+ 33%

Middle value 4.5 · 6 lots on 6 contested notices · CPV 8030.

Winning award vs estimate robust · n=6
i

How often winners come in below, near or above the estimate.

Each lot with both an estimate and an award is placed by how far the award sat from the estimate.

Based on 6 lot pairs · CPV 8030, last 36 months.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

  • Below estimate 33%
  • Within ±2% 33%
  • Above estimate 33%

6 lot pairs · CPV 8030.

moderate · n=3
i

Where this tender’s estimate would land if the usual pattern repeats.

We apply the buyer’s usual movement between estimate and award (or the region’s) to the estimate on this notice.

Based on 3 lots, so only the direction is shown, not a pound figure.

A benchmark, not a price to bid.

The middle award in University of Salford (CPV 8030, n=3 pairs) lands 8% above. Too few pairs to turn into a pound figure with any confidence — read the percentage as a rough direction, not this notice’s estimate converted.
Coverage and what to read with care
  • Each tile explains itself. The on a figure says what it is, how it is counted and which scope this notice’s own record came from (class, division, all categories, or the authority’s 24-month row). The two columns are never blended and nothing is filled from a UK-wide figure; an empty tile means the source published nothing usable. Long form: Methodology.
  • Coverage. Roughly 40 % of notices publish a bid count; about half publish an ITL1 delivery location, so the market column reads the authority’s registered region when the notice has none (labelled). About 30 % of award-vs-estimate pairs are exact matches — the buyer published the award at the estimate. n is on every figure; a thin sample is muted, never hidden.
  • “Match” and “relevance” are model scores from the nightly matcher, not published facts. Find a Tender does not publish who is bidding. Never shown: contact details, payment behaviour, or a recommended price.

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
Open for tender
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
1 Oct 2026, 15:31 BST
Last source update
1 Oct 2026, 15:31 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end — 17 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Health and social work servicesHigher education services
Delivery area
North West (UKD3)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077ee3 Find a Tender

How to participate & submission route

Official notice Submit via In-tend
Submission portal named on this notice: In-tend · Who buys & how to bid on In-tend
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account per buying organisation's portal · reCAPTCHA on signup
Expression of interest (EOI)
—
Tender submission deadline
29 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
22 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
Published estimate £918 excludes VAT (£918 including VAT).

Timeline

5 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Tender notice publishedjust passed
    1 Oct 2026, 15:31 BST
  2. Clarification questions byin 21 days
    22 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Submission deadlinein 28 days
    29 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
  4. Award decision expected byin 47 days
    17 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
  5. Contract startsin 91 days
    1 Jan 2027, 00:00 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender
  1. Tender notice published
    1 Oct 2026, 15:31 BSTUK4

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

University of Salford

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-CHC: RC000666 · GB-PPON: PDHR-3751-QPQR 43 The Crescent, Salford, North West, M5 4WT [email protected]

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Conflict of interest declarationtenderConflict of interest declarationNot published

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender