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Explorance

University Of Worcester

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

11 Sep 2026 at 12:35

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Worcester procured an educational software package, specifically Blue (Explorance), under the SRLA Lot 4 framework agreement. The requirement is for the supply of the software rather than construction or consultancy services. Delivery is associated with the university’s site at Henwick Grove, Worcester, England. The buying organisation is the University of Worcester, which is also the user of the software. The procurement falls within the goods category and concerns a specialist education technology product for institutional use. The selected supplier, Academia, is a large organisation based in Hemel Hempstead. The requirement is therefore most relevant to established educational software providers, framework suppliers and organisations able to support a university-wide software deployment.

The procurement has been completed and awarded through a selective direct call-off from the SRLA Lot 4 framework agreement. The award was made to Academia on 19 June 2026 for £157,820. The contract runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 May 2031. The tender submission deadline was 19 June 2026 at 12:00. The published requirement stated that the contract was not suitable for SMEs or voluntary, community and social enterprises. The award concerns one requirement rather than multiple separately described lots. The outcome reflects a framework-based procurement route, so competition was limited to suppliers eligible to participate through the relevant framework arrangement. No separate price-versus-quality weighting or other evaluation criteria are stated in the procurement information.

For a supplier that did not win this procurement, the award demonstrates sustained demand from the University of Worcester for a specialist student and educational experience software platform. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need to provide Blue (Explorance), or an equivalent platform capable of supporting institutional education processes, together with the implementation, configuration, maintenance and user support expected for a university environment. The route to market is important: the buyer used the SRLA Lot 4 framework, so framework appointment or access to an equivalent compliant purchasing route would be central to competing. The incumbent’s profile also indicates that the buyer selected an established, large-scale supplier rather than a small or voluntary-sector organisation.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Explorance

Notice Description

Direct award under the SRLA Lot 4 framework agreement for Blue (Explorance).

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-e4e19a7e-173e-4772-8110-3c8f7e349605
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/23bb39fa-a1ed-453e-82db-c9ad39c29bdb
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Call-off from a framework agreement
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

CPV Codes

48190000 - Educational software package

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£157,820 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£157,820 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Sep 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
1 Aug 2026 - 31 May 2031 4-5 years
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
University Of Worcester
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
WORCESTER
Postcode
WR2 6AJ
Postcode Area
Worcester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG1 Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG12 Worcestershire CC
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Worcester
Electoral Ward
St Clement
Westminster Constituency
Worcester

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Academia Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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