Planning

UOW957PME - International Applicant Management System

UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

04 Apr 2025 at 16:04

Summary of the contracting process

The University of Worcester, located in Worcester, United Kingdom, is in the planning stage for the procurement of an International Applicant Management System under the tender title UOW957PME. This procurement falls within the industry category of industry-specific software packages. The initial milestone involves a market engagement questionnaire due on 7th May 2025. The aim is to gather insights into available solutions and prepare the tender documents accordingly. The procurement process is driven by the need to enhance the application process for international students, ensuring compliance with UKVI regulations and integrating seamlessly with the existing student record system (SITS).

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities for software providers, particularly those specialising in educational technology and compliance systems. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are encouraged to participate, as the University is seeking off-the-shelf solutions that can support multiple stakeholders, including applicants, agents, and university staff. Companies that offer systems with robust data analytics, automation for compliance checks, and seamless integration capabilities are well-suited for this tender. Winning this bid could establish the supplier as a key partner in the higher education sector, providing long-term benefits and potential future renewals.

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Notice Title

UOW957PME - International Applicant Management System

Notice Description

The University of Worcester is inviting interested suppliers to take part in a Preliminary Market Engagement exercise for an International Applicant Management System to enhance the application process of international applicants. The University of Worcester is seeking an online solution to support and enhance the application process of international applicants. The solution should be an off-the-shelf solution and already fully developed. Suppliers should provide a solution, such as an online portal, that all stakeholders (applicants, agents and University staff) can access in order to monitor and progress an international applicant from the point of a conditional offer being made, through to the student arriving in the UK. Applicants should be able to upload documents to meet entry criteria as well as input data to complete their application. Applicants should be able to use the solution to communicate with University staff and see the progress of their application and respond to requests for additional information. Staff should be able to review information submitted by applicants with the option to reject or ask for further information if required. Staff should be able to request additional documents if required. Agents should be able to monitor their applicant's progress and communicate with University staff if necessary. University staff should clearly see applicant progress and be able to communicate with applicants if necessary. The system should facilitate use by multiple teams across the University to be able to review applicant information to help judge when to issue a CAS, and flag areas of risk. The solution should integrate with the existing student records system (SITS) to avoid duplication of data entry. Compliance The supplier's solution should support the University's need to ensure compliance with UKVI regulations with regard to international applicants. This includes supporting the assessment of English language, assessing student authenticity, the ability to pay fees, and understand if an applicant is bringing dependants. The solution should allow additional documents to be uploaded for the purposes of compliance checks, this could include financial documents, evidence of employment, income, payslips and CV's. The supplier's solution should have the capability to automate parts of credibility interviews. This might involve using AI for identity verification and detecting deepfakes. Staff would then be responsible for evaluating answers, assessing English proficiency, and identifying any attempts at cheating, such as reading responses. The supplier's solution should integrate these compliance checks as part of the normal progress of the application and should be easy to use for both staff and applicants. The system should provide an easy-to-use solution to assist with the scheduling and booking of assessments and ideally offer time saving solutions to reduce staff hours. The system should provide a database of compliance documents and procedures suitable for efficient access in the case of a UKVI visit or inspection. Management Information The supplier's solution should include system analytics which visualises and summarises data from the platform so it can be easily consumed by senior management. Analytics should include overviews of volume and progress of applications and should have the ability to be segmented by country, agent, course, status etc. Analytics should also help support the evaluation of application progress, for example including turnaround times and UKVI progress. The supplier's solution should also help the University understand broader sector trends as well as provide sector or institution comparisons for performance. The supplier should provide a named account manager who not only address concerns raised by the University but who can also facilitate regular online meetings with key stakeholders and in-person meetings at the University.

Planning Information

A questionnaire is provided on the University's tender portal (https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofworcester). This will provide the University with information on information on the market and products and help the University structure tender documents.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04fdab
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013230-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems


CPV Codes

48100000 - Industry specific software package

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Apr 20251 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
7 May 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Mar 2026 - 28 Feb 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

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
Post Town
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
TLG12 Worcestershire CC

Local Authority
Worcester
Electoral Ward
St Clement
Westminster Constituency
Worcester

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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