Official UK procurement notice
The Student Room - purchase of
Authority: Liverpool John Moores University (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe 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 publishedLot #1Awarded
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
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05273cFind a Tender
Notice history
2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 27 May 2025- Transparency notice published27 May 2025, 15:44 BSTUK5
- Contract signature expected5 Jun 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Student RoomSMEThe Student Room6 Jun 2025 – 6 Jun 2027 | £60,000 inc. VAT | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- The Student RoomAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender