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Understanding the cost of undergraduate provision and qualifications in the HE sector in England_con_27513

Department for Education

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

16 Oct 2026 at 11:30

Award Notice
AwardUpdate

23 Apr 2025 at 12:37

Award Notice
Award

23 Apr 2025 at 11:41

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education commissioned research into the cost of undergraduate provision and qualifications across England’s higher education sector. The work compares costs across higher education providers, subjects and regions, and across different levels and modes of undergraduate study. It also examines providers’ cost returns in detail, challenging the figures to distinguish the costs of provision from spending choices made by institutions. The findings are intended to inform and support policy development on higher education funding. This is research and related consultancy work, with delivery specified across the United Kingdom and other international locations. The opportunity is relevant to research consultancies able to analyse higher education provision and its costs.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to KPMG LLP on 10 April 2025. It was a selective call-off from a framework agreement. The tender deadline was 24 February 2025. The award value is £250,000; the tender’s stated estimated value was £290,197.50. The contract period runs from 11 April 2025 to 8 January 2026. The procurement covered the research requirement as a single item, with no lots recorded. The stated suitability includes small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises. The published scope describes the research objectives, but gives no evaluation weighting or award criteria to report.

For suppliers considering comparable future work for the Department for Education, this award demonstrates demand for evidence to support higher education funding policy, rather than general education research. A credible competitor would need to compare costs across providers, subjects, regions and modes and levels of undergraduate study, and to examine cost returns closely enough to test how institutional spending choices affect reported costs. The work therefore favours teams able to handle detailed financial and sector data and explain findings in a form useful to policy development. The contract was delivered through a framework call-off, so relevant framework access and the ability to undertake a defined research project at this scale would also matter. SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises were considered suitable.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Understanding the cost of undergraduate provision and qualifications in the HE sector in England_con_27513

Notice Description

This research will again compare the costs of provision across providers, subjects, and regions, and for different levels and modes of undergraduate study. In addition, this research aims to gain more forensic insights into the actual costs of provision by scrutinising and challenging providers costings returns to understand the extent to which costs of provision are influenced by the spending decisions that HE providers choose to take. The findings from this research will be used to inform and support policy development relating to HE funding.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-5134e27c-b67c-449d-89e7-92e3a879c33b
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/e642afe0-ff1c-4498-99b5-8ca08d4f1c64
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Call-off from a framework agreement
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£290,197 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£250,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
10 Apr 20251 years ago
Contract Period
11 Apr 2025 - 8 Jan 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Department for Education
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON,
Postcode
SW1P 3BT
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

KPMG LLP

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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