Award

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Provision and Support

UNIVERSITY OF YORK

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

20 Oct 2021 at 10:57

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of York has successfully completed the procurement process for the provision and support of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) aimed at university students, classified under educational software packages. This procurement, conducted through a limited negotiated method without prior publication of a contract notice due to extenuating circumstances surrounding the COVID pandemic, was awarded to Blackboard International B.V. The tender is valued at £1,664,000, with the contract signed on 18th October 2021. The awarded service is set to commence on 1st July 2022, providing a five-year commitment to ensure a stable VLE solution is maintained during significant strategic changes within the university.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly those involved in educational technology, software development, and IT support services. Firms with experience in providing VLE solutions or those capable of integrating educational software into existing infrastructures would be well-suited to compete in future tenders. The successful implementation of a well-managed VLE plays a crucial role in enhancing educational outcomes, which aligns with the ongoing strategic transformation at the University of York, creating pathways for innovation and collaboration in the education sector.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Provision and Support

Notice Description

Provision and support of a VLE for university students

Lot Information

Lot 1

Provision and support of a VLE for university students for a five year period commencing 1st July 2022

Procurement Information

A previously published VEAT notice (2019-OJS 149-367112) stated an intention to enter an open procurement activity prior to the end of the current extended contract. The impact of the COVID pandemic has prevented the University from being able to undertake this activity with enough time remaining to complete a procurement and an implementation activity without significant risk of project delay. The University is currently undergoing an ambitious strategic change programme. This is affecting all staff involved in teaching and learning activities and any significant changes to the enabling VLE platform are considered too disruptive at this time. The University must have a solution to its current self-hosted BlackBoard infrastructure going out of support. It is therefore the intention to migrate to BlackBoard's cloud hosted infrastructure without undertaking a competitive tender. By not undertaking a competitive tender, the University will increase the lead time available to start implementation; thereby significantly reducing the risk of missing a critical summer migration deadline. Furthermore, there has been significant investment in process, staff skills and capabilities over the last 5 years that can be utilised, removing the need for organisation wide retraining and detailed process review. The strategic change activities currently underway at the University are expected to take between 3 and 5 years to deliver and become embedded within the University. The provision of a stable, well managed and understood VLE plays a significant role in enabling the success of these changes. The continuation of service throughout this 5 year period is therefore a critical success factor and any change to the VLE supplier during this period would neither be advantageous nor sustainable. As a consequence, the University will be seeking a 5 year commitment during which time we will consider competitive options for a new, longer-term solution.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-02edf0
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026243-2021
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
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
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£1,664,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Oct 20214 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
17 Oct 20214 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNIVERSITY OF YORK
Contact Name
Rob Hunt
Contact Email
procurement@york.ac.uk
Contact Phone
+44 1904328201

Buyer Location

Locality
YORK
Postcode
YO10 5DD
Post Town
York
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE2 North Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE21 York
Delivery Location
TLE21 York
Local Authority
York
Electoral Ward
Hull Road
Westminster Constituency
York Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BLACKBOARD INTERNATIONAL

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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