Find a TenderAwardedContract award notice
Published 18 Feb 2026, 11:17 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

SU113(26) Online Learning - Marketing and Student Recruitment Services

Official notice

Authority: Swansea University (Education)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdLight touch regimeSME suitable
Sectors: Education & Training (80) Delivery: UK
Published estimate£4,700,000≈ £1.6m / year · £5,600,000 inc. VAT3.1% below published estimate
Submissions closed 18 Mar 2026awarded 24 Jun 2026
Awarded to Online Education Services
Contract term 3 yrsends 19 Apr 2029 · up to 20 Apr 2031 with extensions · starts 20 Apr 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The University is seeking to award an initial 3-year contract, to commence in Spring 2026 with an option to extend for a further two one-year period (3+1+1) to develop and execute a comprehensive marketing and recruitment strategy for online learning programmes.

Swansea University intends to launch Swansea University Online in September 2026. This ambitious programme of online learning will enhance and diversify the university’s educational portfolio and ensure that it remains relevant and attractive to the needs of all learners.

Swansea University Online will combine the university’s existing expertise in educational innovation with external commercial partnership to market and recruit to high-quality online programmes and courses, at scale and at pace. The intention is to deliver new postgraduate taught programmes for both the UK and international markets from September 2026, with the potential addition of an undergraduate programme within the initial contract period.

This tender is being run as a Light Touch Contract pursuant to section 9 of the Procurement Act 2023.

The Contract Value stated is based on target anticipated student numbers recruited. Should numbers recruited be above the targeted amount then the contract value will be higher based on a fee per student recruited.

In line with Procurement Act 2023 Schedule 5, for any future procurement of additional or repeat goods, services or works we reserve the right to directly award under sch5 para.8 a) and b).

In line with Procurement Act 2023, we reserve the right to vary the Contract.

This tender is being run on eTenderWales portal

etenderwales.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/home.html ↗

  • No preliminary market engagement: Timescales to proceed to publish tender preliminary market engagement exercise has not been taken on this occasion.

CPV: Higher education services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 3 yrsPublished value£4,700,000
Contract period: 20 Apr 2026 – 19 Apr 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 20 Apr 2031 with extensionsValue: £4,700,000 exc. VAT · £5,600,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: UK
Extensions: Two 1 year extension options (3)+1+1

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 were scored
Quality: 70%Price: 30%
Published sub-criteria (6)
  • Case Studies and Expertise: 10%
  • Marketing Approach and Expertise: 20%
  • Recruitment Approach and Expertise: 20%
  • Project Management and Contract Mobilisation: 10%
  • Account Management and Continuous Improvement: 10%
  • Price: 30%
Published award criteria (6)
  • Case Studies and Expertise
  • Marketing Approach and Expertise
  • Recruitment Approach and Expertise
  • Project Management and Contract Mobilisation
  • Account Management and Continuous Improvement
  • Price
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 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
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Light touch regime
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
18 Feb 2026, 11:17 GMT
Last source update
24 Jun 2026, 14:39 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 30 Mar 2026
Authority reference
SU113(26)
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-014662
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Classification (CPV)
Higher education services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0656d9 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Sell2Wales · Who buys & how to bid on Sell2Wales
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN, CY
Access & registration note: Free Wales registration; eTenderWales runs on Jaggaer
Submission deadline
18 Mar 2026, 16:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
18 Mar 2026, 13:00 GMT
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en, cy
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

All Tender documents and tender responses are via eTenderWales portal.

etenderwales.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/home.html ↗

Please ensure that you follow the eTendering portal instructions carefully to ensure that your completed tender is correctly saved and successfully submitted. Should you require assistance, please refer to the online “HELP FOR SUPPLIERS” in the first instance. Any further problems should be directed to the eTendering helpdesk, available Mon-Fri from 8am to 6pm on:

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0800 069 8634

Timeline

18 Feb 2026 → 24 Jun 2026 · 7 dates
  1. Tender notice published246 days ago
    18 Feb 2026, 11:17 GMT
  2. Clarification questions by218 days ago
    18 Mar 2026, 13:00 GMT
  3. Submission deadline218 days ago
    18 Mar 2026, 16:00 GMT
  4. Award decision expected by205 days ago
    30 Mar 2026, 23:59 BST
  5. Contract starts185 days ago
    20 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
  6. Assessment summaries sent120 days ago
    24 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
  7. Latest notice published120 days ago
    24 Jun 2026, 14:39 BST

Notice history

6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Feb 2026
  1. Tender notice published
    18 Feb 2026, 11:17 GMT
    UK4
  2. Tender notice published
    18 Mar 2026, 11:51 GMT
    UK4
  3. Deadline moved to 18 Mar 2026, 16:00 GMT
    18 Mar 2026, 11:51 GMT
    +0 days · was 18 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
  4. Contract award notice published
    24 Jun 2026, 14:39 BST
    UK6
  5. Status changed to complete
    24 Jun 2026, 14:39 BST
  6. Contract signature expected
    6 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
Published amendments (1)

Closing time extended to 16:00

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £4,553,8751 award exc. VAT
Bids received 22 from SMEs
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Online Education Services6 Jul 2026 – 5 Jul 2029 · up to 5 Jul 2031Extensions: Contract is a 3 +1+1 term A 3 year contract with two 12 month extension periods £4,553,87524 Jun 2026Awarded

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
2final-stage tenders · 4 at stage one20—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Swansea University

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central governmentWelsh devolved regulations apply GB-PPON: PTNV-7472-GRTW Procurement, Finance Dept., Swansea, Wales, SA2 8PPContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Online Education Services LimitedAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PNNW-4346-PWDJ Charter Buildings, 9 Ashton Lane, Sale, Greater Manchester , North West, M33 6WTContact email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender