Find a TenderClosedTender notice
Published 1 May 2026, 14:51 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Student Counselling Services · UK public procurement notice

Official notice

Authority: Ulster University (Education)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitable
Published estimate£1,200,000≈ £600k / year · £1,200,000 inc. VAT · 1 value update
Submissions closed 27 Oct 2026
Next notice expected 1 Jul 2026
Contract term 2 yrsends 31 Dec 2028 · up to 31 Dec 2030 with extensions · starts 1 Jan 2027
Notice summaryFrom the published notice

Ulster University is seeking tender responses for a contract to procure an external student counselling provider to supplement existing sources of internal wellbeing, mental health, disability and financial support to students through our Student Wellbeing teams across our campuses. Ulster University’s Student Wellbeing team does not provide therapeutic counselling ‘in-house’ so has engaged an external counselling provider to facilitate this part of the service offering since 2013. Access to the counselling service shall be seamless for UU students. When a UU student accesses Student Wellbeing for counselling, staff will triage the student to identify if this is the most appropriate intervention; if this is identified as the most appropriate intervention, a seamless referral system for Student Wellbeing staff shall form part of this contract.

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Ulster University is seeking tender responses for a contract to  procure an external student counselling provider to supplement existing sources of internal wellbeing, mental health, disability and financial support to students through our Student Wellbeing teams across our campuses.

Ulster University’s Student Wellbeing team does not provide therapeutic counselling ‘in-house’ so has engaged an external counselling provider to facilitate this part of the service offering since 2013. While delivered by an external provider, the University requires the counselling service as part of the suite of services that students can avail of to enhance their mental health and wellbeing. Access to the counselling service shall be seamless for UU students. When a UU student accesses Student Wellbeing for counselling, staff will triage the student to identify if this is the most appropriate intervention; if this is identified as the most appropriate intervention, a seamless referral system for Student Wellbeing staff shall form part of this contract.

Ulster University has almost 30,000 registered students across a broad demographic of ‘Home fee paying’ students from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as students from Great Britain, other EU countries, and international students.

  • The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Jul 2028, 23:59 BST.

CPV: Counselling services · Guidance and counselling services

Open work like this

This notice no longer takes bids · live search, filters set

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Renewal 2 yrsSMEPublished value£1,200,000
Contract period: 1 Jan 2027 – 31 Dec 2028 (2 yrs) · up to 31 Dec 2030 with extensionsValue: £1,200,000 exc. VAT · £1,200,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: Northern IrelandEligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: Following the initial contract period (2 years), there are options to extend up to a further 24 months. Optional extension periods will be subject to review and satisfactory performance assessment by the University.

What it takes to win
i

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 60%Price: 40%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Quality Submission - Questions QS-01 - QS-05: 60%
  • Commercial Submission: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Quality Submission - Questions QS-01 - QS-05
  • Commercial Submission
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

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
Closed
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
Yes · next expected 1 Jul 2028
First published
1 May 2026, 14:51 BST
Last source update
23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 25 Nov 2026
Authority reference
CfT_6722895
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-090076
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Counselling servicesGuidance and counselling services
Delivery area
Northern Ireland (UKN)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06907f Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: eTendersNI · Who buys & how to bid on eTendersNI
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free Northern Ireland registration
Submission deadline
27 Oct 2026, 15:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
19 Oct 2026, 15:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

etendersni.gov.uk ↗ (CfT_6722895)

Timeline

1 May 2026 → 1 Jan 2027 · 8 dates
  1. Planning notice published195 days ago
    1 May 2026, 14:51 BST
  2. Market engagement168 days ago
    28 May 2026, 23:59 BST

    The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement Notice (PME) and Request for Information (RFI) is to invite potential Service Providers to express an interest and provide information to assist with the procurement and development of a specification for Counselling Services at Ulster University.

    The procurement route, duration and type of contract(s) shall be determined following this preliminary market consultation and engagement with market participants. It is this PME which will help to inform the University's strategy for this contract.

    It is important to note that this PME/RFI is not a call for competition, a pre-qualification questionnaire, part of any pre-qualification/selection process or a current tender opportunity. Potential providers will need to express an interest in any future tender opportunity once a Tender Notice is published.

    This RFI is intended as an awareness, communication, and information gathering exercise. An

    expression of interest is no indication of a commitment to participate in the RFI process, nor

    does it infer any preferential or special status on those individuals and organisations who

    express an interest in the RFI exercise.

    The RFI Questionnaire can be accessed by registering with eTendersNI (www.etendersni.gov.uk ↗) and searching for the relevant CfT_6522356.

  3. Next notice expected134 days ago
    1 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
  4. Tender notice published50 days ago
    23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
  5. Clarification questions by24 days ago
    19 Oct 2026, 15:00 BST
  6. Submission deadline16 days ago
    27 Oct 2026, 15:00 GMT
  7. Today
    13 Nov 2026
  8. Award decision expected byin 12 days
    25 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
  9. Contract startsin 48 days
    1 Jan 2027

Notice history

6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 1 May 2026
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    1 May 2026, 14:51 BST
    UK2
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    1 May 2026, 15:07 BST
    UK2
  3. Tender notice published
    23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
    UK4
  4. Status changed to active
    23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
  5. Procurement method changed
    23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
  6. Deadline published: 27 Oct 2026, 15:00 GMT
    23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Ulster University

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central governmentNorthern Irish devolved regulations apply GB-COH: RC000726 Cromore Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, BT521SAContact email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure