Official UK procurement notice
Student Fee Payment Processing for The University of Birmingham Dubai Campus
Authority: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe University of Birmingham intends to enter into a temporary contract with RAK Bank (United Arab Emirates) to provide an online student fee payment solution for its Dubai campus. This service will enable students to make tuition payments via card through RAK Bank's online payment platform, Skiply.
The contract is expected to run for a period sufficient to cover the interim period until a full competitive tender process is completed and a new long-term provider is appointed. The estimated annual value of the contract is approximately £260,000, based on a conservative assumption that 75% of students will use this payment method.
This temporary arrangement will ensure continuity of service for students and the University's finance operations while the University prepares to go to market for a comprehensive online payment solution covering both UK and Dubai campuses. The full tender is anticipated to be issued later in 2025 or early 2026, with a new contract in place by July 2026.
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
- 10 Jul 2025, 13:33 BST
- Last source update
- 10 Jul 2025, 13:33 BST
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-038951- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Delivery area in notice
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-055cefFind a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Switching Direct Award
- Published justification
TheUniversity requires an immediate and reliable solution to support student fee payments for the upcoming academic year. Following a competitive market engagement within the UAE,and receiving presentations from 5 potential suppliers, RAK Bank's Skiply platform has been identified as a suitable local payment solution that can be implemented on a 9 month interim basis, without delay, providing the University with an open link for student payments and allowing for the import and export of data detailing outstanding student fee balances and payments received without having to build integrations with our existing finance and student registration systems.
This is a short-term, transitional arrangement designed to bridge the gap until a full procurement process is completed. The University is committed to running a ,competitive tender for its global online payment pathways, The direct award to RAK Bank is therefore a pragmatic and proportionate response to an immediate operational need.
Notice history
2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 10 Jul 2025- Transparency notice published10 Jul 2025, 13:33 BSTUK5
- Contract signature expected25 Jul 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Bank of Ras Al Khaima P.S.C1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 | £260,000 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- National Bank of Ras Al Khaima P.S.CAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender