Award

QUB/2742/25 Student Recruitment South Asia

QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

Award

24 Jun 2025 at 11:26

Tender

21 Feb 2025 at 16:23

Award

31 Aug 2021 at 10:17

Tender

16 Jun 2021 at 16:30

Summary of the contracting process

Queen's University Belfast has completed a procurement process seeking comprehensive recruitment services targeted at South Asia under the "QUB/2742/25 Student Recruitment South Asia" contract. The procurement was executed via an open procedure, covering the services category, and the project aims to recruit students to both UK and GIFT City, India campuses. This reflects the University's strategic ambitions to expand its presence in South Asia, with the Procuring Authority aiming for outcomes spanning international and domestic student recruitment, and the management of Graduate Jobs India initiative. The contract was awarded on 24th June 2025 to T&A Consulting Private Limited with a value of £8,102,500 GBP, marking a significant commitment to strengthening international collaborations through education. The procurement process was initially announced in February 2025, with the tender period ending by 25th March 2025. Key focus regions include India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, leveraging existing networks and recruitment channels. The buying organisation, Queen's University Belfast, is a renowned Russell Group institution dedicated to fostering global educational links.

This tender presents considerable opportunities for businesses with experience in international student recruitment, especially those familiar with British and Indian higher education sectors. Companies with established networks in South Asia and strong capabilities in providing professional and compliant staffing solutions are particularly well-suited to take advantage of Queen's University's South Asia strategy. The contract offers potential partners a long-term collaboration to support the University's recruitment goals over a projected five-year period. Suppliers will need to demonstrate independence from local universities or agencies, ensuring unbiased recruitment efforts towards Queen's campuses. The collaboration could enhance the supplier's portfolio, offering extensive exposure to cross-border academic initiatives and increasing their footprint in both UK and Indian markets. SMEs with a robust understanding of regional educational landscapes are encouraged to engage with this opportunity to potentially shape the future of international student mobility and education partnerships between the UK and South Asia.

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Notice Title

QUB/2742/25 Student Recruitment South Asia

Notice Description

In January 2025, the University announced its plans to become the first Russell Group University to open a campus in GIFT City, India. Queen's commitment over an initial five-year period cements Queen's position as a leading global university committed to fostering international collaborations.The University has a strong established presence in India and the existing team there also services surrounding countries including Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, within the context of student recruitment primarily. The University is now inviting tenders from Economic Operators who can provide comprehensive services across the three service strands outlined below. For clarity, Economic Operators must demonstrate their ability to deliver all three service strands as part of an integrated solution. Strand 1: Delivery of International Student Recruitment outcomes (to UK campus)Strand 2: Delivery of Domestic Student Recruitment outcomes (to GIFT City campus)Strand 3: Implementation and

Lot Information

Lot 1

In January 2025, the University announced its plans to become the first Russell Group University to open a campus in GIFT City, India. Queen's commitment over an initial five-year period cements Queen's position as a leading global university committed to fostering international collaborations.The University has a strong established presence in India and the existing team there also services surrounding countries including Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, within the context of student recruitment primarily. For information, there are currently circa 800 students enrolled at Queen's from the markets outlined above, across all study levels. The University is now inviting tenders from Economic Operators who can provide comprehensive services across the three service strands outlined below. For clarity, Economic Operators must demonstrate their ability to deliver all three service strands as part of an integrated solution. Further information is provided in sections 3 -5 below. Strand 1: Delivery of International Student Recruitment outcomes (to UK campus)Strand 2: Delivery of Domestic Student Recruitment outcomes (to GIFT City campus)Strand 3: Implementation and Management of Queen's Graduate Jobs India initiativeQueen's University Belfast is seeking to establish a long-term partnership contract management approach where there is a shared ambition to support the delivery of the University's broader South Asia strategy, with a focus on student recruitment outcomes. The successful supplier must be fully independent of, and not affiliated to, any local university or student recruitment agency. The University would like to engage with a supplier who can provide highly qualified and professional staffing solutions, tax, HR and financial services that are fully compliant with local regulations. The successful economic operator must have demonstrable experience of working with a Russell Group or comparable UK Higher Education institution, specifically within the context of international student recruitment, including comprehensive knowledge of the Higher Education sectors, both in the UK and India. The successful economic operator must also possess experience within the Indian market landscape, demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of its corporate and industrial sectors, with a well-established network across key stakeholders.

Options: The contract is for an initial period of 12 months with options to extend by up to a further 53 months

Renewal: The contract will be subject to renewal in 59 months assuming all extension options have been exercised

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-02bcda
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034699-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

79600000 - Recruitment services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,100,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£2,100,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£10,802,500 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Jun 20258 months ago
Submission Deadline
25 Mar 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
26 Aug 20214 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
59 months assuming all extension options have been exercised

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST
Contact Name
Jackie Glackin
Contact Email
procurement@qub.ac.uk
Contact Phone
+44 2890973026

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT7 1NN
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

T&A CONSULTING

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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