This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

23 Jul 2025 at 14:02

Award

11 Feb 2025 at 16:06

Summary of the contracting process

APUC Limited, based in Stirling, UK, facilitated a procurement process for SHEDL eBook Collections, specifically targeting education and training services. The contract was awarded directly to Springer Nature under a limited procurement method without prior publication, justifying that the service was unique to the supplier due to sector-specific requirements. The contract, valued at £2,500,000, provides Scottish Higher Education Digital Library members with access to Springer Nature’s online offerings, free from digital rights management, for a duration of up to four years. This procurement process reached its completion phase on 23 July 2025, with all management information submissions required quarterly.

This tender presents opportunities for growth in the educational resources sector, particularly for institutions seeking DRM-free digital content offerings. Businesses equipped with capabilities to facilitate digital library resources, especially ones catering to higher education or library sectors, would find themselves well-placed to compete for similar opportunities in the future. The focus on an exclusive contract underscores the importance of unique service provisions, encouraging suppliers with niche capabilities to engage in direct award procedures.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

SHEDL eBook Collections - Springer Nature

Notice Description

APUC is seeking to enter into an agreement with Springer Nature to offer Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL) members institutions access to Springer Nature online books, free of digital rights management (DRM), for up to 4 years. APUC will not use the content but will facilitate the purchase on behalf of the HE institutions in Scotland and the National Library of Scotland. The Contract value is estimated based on potential participation by its members

Lot Information

Lot 1

APUC is seeking to enter into an agreement with Springer Nature to offer Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL) members institutions access to Springer Nature online books, free of digital rights management (DRM), for up to 4 years. Additional information: The contract value is an estimate based on the potential aggregated subscription values over the possible term of 48 months. APUC will not use or make payments under this contract but will facilitate the agreement on behalf of the Scottish HE Institutions and the National Library of Scotland.

Procurement Information

The publishing service is unique to the supplier and sector. The agreement falls within the derogation contained within Regulation 33(b)(i)of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, permitting APUC to enter into the direct award.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04ddd9
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042386-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

22 - Printed matter and related products

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

22113000 - Library books

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Jul 20251 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
11 Feb 20251 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
APUC Limited
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
STIRLING
Postcode
FK8 2DZ
Postcode Area
Falkirk and Stirling
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM0 Eastern Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM02 Perth and Kinross, and Stirling
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland

Local Authority
Stirling
Electoral Ward
Stirling East
Westminster Constituency
Stirling and Strathallan

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

Springer Nature

Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...