Official UK procurement notice
QS Consultancy and QS Stars
Authority: University of East Anglia (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe QS World University Rankings offer an annual ranking of global universities.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedProcedure 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
- 26 Feb 2026, 09:48 GMT
- Last source update
- 30 Mar 2026, 15:19 BST
- Authority reference
Form no. 829- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-029201- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-065cb7Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights
- Published justification
QS are the only international rankings to offer an additional rating system allowing universities to showcase areas important to students not captured in traditional world rankings. Their unique QS Stars badges allow institutions to globally promote their strengths
- Risks
Known and foreseeable risks which may impact scope, value or duration include stakeholder availability and scheduling constraints affecting delivery timelines, as well as refinement of the scope or depth of workshops, seminars or subject-level analysis should institutional requirements evolve during delivery. Any such risks would be managed in accordance with the contract and applicable modification provisions.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
9 Mar 2026 → 30 Mar 2026 · 2 dates- Standstill ends225 days ago9 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Notice published204 days ago30 Mar 2026, 15:19 BST
Notice history
4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 26 Feb 2026- Transparency notice published26 Feb 2026, 09:48 GMTUK5
- Contract award notice published26 Feb 2026, 16:56 GMTUK6
- Contract signature expected13 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published30 Mar 2026, 15:19 BSTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| QS Quacquarelli Symonds LimitedConsultancy services on HE ranking23 Mar 2026 – 23 Mar 2027 | £231,630 inc. VAT | 26 Feb 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited
- Signed
- 24 Feb 2026
- Value
- £231,630 inc. VAT
- Period
- 23 Mar 2026 – 23 Mar 2027
- Status
- active
No agreed KPIs: Outputs are clearly defined and easily measurable without formal KPIs
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- QS QUACQUARELLI SYMONDS LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
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
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender