Online Academic Writing Support

{
  "id": "072217-2025",
  "tag": [
    "awardUpdate",
    "contractUpdate"
  ],
  "date": "2025-11-07T17:37:05Z",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-04172f",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-FTS-1400",
    "name": "University of Ulster"
  },
  "awards": [
    {
      "id": "072217-2025-project_27888-1",
      "status": "active",
      "suppliers": [
        {
          "id": "GB-FTS-166098",
          "name": "Studiosity Ltd"
        }
      ],
      "relatedLots": [
        "1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "tender": {
    "id": "project_27888",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "title": "Online Academic Writing Support",
        "description": "The requirement is for a fully online academic writing and literacy support service. The service should\nbe equitably available to all Ulster University students and will allow students to avail of both\nsynchronous (real-time) and asynchronous academic writing and literacy support",
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2029-07-30T23:59:59+01:00",
          "startDate": "2024-03-01T00:00:00Z"
        }
      }
    ],
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1",
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "UKN"
          }
        ],
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "id": "72000000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "Online Academic Writing Support",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "32014L0024",
      "scheme": "CELEX"
    },
    "reviewDetails": "Any proceedings alleging that the University is in breach of its duties under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 must be started in the High Court of Northern Ireland, in accordance with the time limits set out therein (including the requirement to start proceedings within 30 days beginning with the date when the economic operator first knew or ought to have known that grounds for starting proceedings had arisen). The University will not enter into the modifications proposed herein before the end of a period of at least 30 days beginning with the day after the date on which this notice is published in the Official Journal.",
    "classification": {
      "id": "80000000",
      "scheme": "CPV",
      "description": "Education and training services"
    },
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-1400",
      "name": "University of Ulster",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKN",
        "locality": "Coleraine",
        "postalCode": "BT52 1SA",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Block X Room X031, Cromore Road"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "http://www.ulster.ac.uk"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "NIC100166",
        "legalName": "University of Ulster"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "s.hanson@ulster.ac.uk",
        "telephone": "+44 2870124227"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-166098",
      "name": "Studiosity Ltd",
      "roles": [
        "supplier"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UK",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "EC4A 3TW",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "5 New Street Square, London"
      },
      "details": {
        "scale": "large"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "11065708",
        "legalName": "Studiosity Ltd"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-166099",
      "name": "The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead, any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended.",
      "roles": [
        "reviewBody"
      ],
      "address": {
        "locality": "UK",
        "postalCode": "The UK does not have",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead, any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended."
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead, any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended."
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-166100",
      "name": "The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended",
      "roles": [
        "mediationBody",
        "reviewContactPoint"
      ],
      "address": {
        "locality": "uk",
        "postalCode": "The UK does not have",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead, any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended."
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "contracts": [
    {
      "id": "072217-2025-project_27888-1",
      "items": [
        {
          "id": "1",
          "title": "Online Academic Writing Support",
          "relatedLot": "1",
          "classification": {
            "id": "80000000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Education and training services"
          },
          "deliveryAddresses": [
            {
              "region": "UK"
            }
          ],
          "additionalClassifications": [
            {
              "id": "72000000",
              "scheme": "CPV",
              "description": "IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "value": {
        "amount": 1800000,
        "currency": "GBP"
      },
      "period": {
        "endDate": "2029-07-31T23:59:59+01:00",
        "startDate": "2024-03-01T00:00:00Z"
      },
      "status": "active",
      "awardID": "072217-2025-project_27888-1",
      "amendments": [
        {
          "id": "1",
          "rationale": "Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire: Studiosity provides a platform fully integrated with the University’s virtual learning environment, enabling continuity of academic writing support for students. Changing supplier at this stage would result in loss of service continuity, duplication of cost in system integration and staff training, and potential loss of student data. The modification allows migration to Studiosity’s enhanced service model while maintaining existing commercial arrangements and ensuring uninterrupted support for students.",
          "description": "Ulster University has modified the contract with Studiosity Pty Ltd to migrate part of the service to Studio Plus, which provides AI-augmented academic writing feedback, while retaining human-to-human support through Connect Live. The contract term is to 31 July 2029, exercising the optional three-year extension included in the original tender. The total annual contract value remains £250,000 + VAT.\nThis modification is necessary to maintain service continuity and platform interoperability. All other terms and conditions of the contract remain unchanged."
        }
      ],
      "dateSigned": "2024-03-01T00:00:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "initiationType": "tender"
}