Find a TenderAwarded without competitionTransparency notice
Published 27 May 2025, 15:44 BST

Official UK procurement notice

The Student Room - purchase of

Official notice

Authority: Liverpool John Moores University (Education)

Below threshold - without competitionSME suitable
Awarded value£60,000published award · inc. VAT
Award in standstill Not publishedno call for competition
Award (standstill) to The Student Room

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Student Room is a well-known tool used by prospective students to research Higher Education options. It is a discussion forum in which users can ask peers about universities and delve deeply into the student perspective. It is well-known in the sector and is a strong brand that prospective students are aware of and draw information from. UCAS have found from surveys that online student reviews are consistently one of the top factors when applicants are asked about the most important factors when making decisions about where to study. When enquirers are researching options using a search engine, posts in The Student Room frequently appear and can be positive or negative about the university. Having a paid subscription to the service enables us to respond to posts using official university profiles, enabling us to answer questions from enquirers and to help negate negative comments, thus increasing brand reputation and contributing to student recruitment objectives. Posts on The Student Room are public so it is important to put resources into such a visible forum. Not having a paid subscription would mean that queries from prospective students interested in study at LJMU would be left publicly unanswered or even picked up by competitors, many of whom have a presence on the platform. We work with a range of suppliers in the sector that provide a platform for enquirers to research Higher Education options. Each platform has its own characteristics and The Student Room is unique with its focus on forums and the fact that content posted on The Student Room is public and therefore has a wide reach. The latest statistics received from The Student Room demonstrated that, in the 12 month period up to March 2024, LJMU posts have reached 68.4k people

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Below threshold - without competition
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
27 May 2025, 15:44 BST
Last source update
27 May 2025, 15:44 BST
Authority reference
PRA 250505SRA
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-027820
Latest notice
Transparency notice (UK5)
Delivery area
North East (UKC)North West (UKD)Yorkshire & Humber (UKE)East Midlands (UKF)West Midlands (UKG)East of England (UKH)London (UKI)South East (UKJ)
+1 moreSouth West (UKK)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05273c Find a Tender

Notice history

2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 27 May 2025
  1. Transparency notice published
    27 May 2025, 15:44 BST
    UK5
  2. Contract signature expected
    5 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1some still in standstill
Awarded value (inc. VAT) £60,0001 award inc. VAT; no net value published
Awarded toValueDateStatus
The Student RoomSMEThe Student Room6 Jun 2025 – 6 Jun 2027£60,000 inc. VAT—Standstill

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Liverpool John Moores University

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PVBW-3417-ZCNN · GB-UKPRN: 10003957 Exchange Station, Liverpool, North West, L2 2QPContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • The Student RoomAwarded supplier Floor 6 , Tower Point, 44 North Road, Brighton and Hove, South East, BN1 1YRContact email

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender