Award

Workflow Automation and Business Process Integration Platform

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

22 May 2025 at 08:41

Summary of the contracting process

The University of Birmingham is undertaking a direct award procurement process for a Workflow Automation and Business Process Integration Platform, specifically renewing its subscription with ServiceNow. This contract, identified as FRAM0543-25, falls under the industry category of IT services, covering consulting, software development, internet, and support. The buyer is the University of Birmingham, a renowned public authority located in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The award was completed on 22 May 2025, with a contract period scheduled from 1 August 2025 to 30 July 2028. The procurement method was direct due to the unique capabilities and extensive integration of the ServiceNow platform across the university's operations since 2011. The total contract value amounts to £2,475,267.37, with key stages such as the award pending status and signature date due by 1 July 2025.

This procurement presents significant business growth opportunities primarily for IT service providers and tech companies specialising in enterprise management software and support services. As the sole supplier, ServiceNow UK Limited stands to benefit from continued engagement with the university, maintaining its strategic partnership and expanding its influence within the United Kingdom. Businesses capable of offering similar solutions or complementary services may look for opportunities to collaborate or provide auxiliary services that enhance the existing platform, benefiting from potential subsequent procurement needs as the university seeks further technological advancements and efficiencies. The existing relationship underscores the importance of reliability, unique service offerings, and strategic alignment when competing for such contracts.

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Notice Title

Workflow Automation and Business Process Integration Platform

Notice Description

The University of Birmingham has been using the ServiceNow platform since 2011, with the technology now profoundly integrated across the university's operations used by IT, HR, Finance, Legal and a multitude of other areas of the University for various request fulfilments and issue troubleshooting. The platform supports multiple business-critical functions through core modules, including IT Service Management (ITSM), IT Operations Management (ITOM), IT Asset Management (ITAM), and Human Resource Service Delivery (HRSD), as well as several bespoke custom applications developed to meet specific organisational needs. This renewal will ensure continuity of services, access to support and updates, and the ability to scale and optimise usage based on future requirements. Given the University of Birmingham's long-standing investment in and integration with the ServiceNow platform, renewing the ServiceNow subscription is crucial to maintaining operational efficiency and supporting ongoing digital transformation initiatives.

Procurement Information

Our decision to exclusively source ServiceNow for the Enterprise Service Management platform is founded on several proven factors. ServiceNow not only provides the software but also offers the necessary support services, establishing them as the sole comprehensive source for our needs. We have been using the ServiceNow platform since 2011, and it is deeply embedded within our professional service areas. Switching to a different vendor would require significant changes and could lead to operational disruptions. ServiceNow is the sole provider of the software and support services essential for operating our Enterprise Service Management platform. This unique position of ServiceNow, as both software provider and support service provider, translates into our sole reliance on them to provide not only the software components but also the essential support services necessary for the platform's operation. Their proprietary knowledge and technical expertise extend to servicing the software and offering invaluable guidance on resolving technical challenges, making them the choice for our Enterprise Service Management needs. ServiceNow holds a unique position in the Enterprise Service Management industry for several reasons, which sets them apart from other companies and makes them the preferred choice for the University of Birmingham: Unique Properties of the ServiceNow Platform: * Unique Capabilities and Features: ServiceNow offers out-of-the-box capabilities and the ability to develop and maintain custom-scoped applications aligned to our unique business processes. It enables customers to report and request IT services, use self-service options like knowledge articles and virtual agents, track and manage IT assets, and utilise workflows and approvals. Reporting and dashboarding features enable informed decision-making based on data. The university's operational teams utilise ServiceNow effectively to manage their service management activities, ensuring adherence to governance. o Digital Education Learning Management System: Custom-scoped applications have been developed to integrate ServiceNow with the university's learning management system (Canvas), enhancing the digital education experience. These integrations enable seamless access to manage courses, manage enrolments and generating reports. o Learning Resources and Accommodation Team portal to order AV/IT equipment and technical support for delivery to teaching and other rooms, to view bookings placed, to delete bookings, or to book a video conference. * Proprietary Technology and Competitive Advantage: ServiceNow leads in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for AI, utilising Now Assist for ITSM with integrated AI and machine learning capabilities. This includes real-time insights, automated key tasks, domain-specific large language models (LLMs), and hundreds of new AI capabilities in recent releases. Sample use cases include AI Search, Virtual Agent, chat summarisation, incident summarisation, resolution note generation, knowledge article generation, and change request summarisation. * Support Services: ServiceNow offers 24/7 support, impact services such as accelerator packages, and direct account management. * Compatibility and Integration: ServiceNow ensures seamless compatibility and integration with our existing systems and infrastructure. * Cost-Effectiveness: Direct purchase of licenses from ServiceNow is the most cost-effective option. Transitioning to a new vendor would incur significant costs and potentially disrupt operations. For example, the costs associated with training, implementation, and potential downtime would far exceed the cost of renewing the contract with ServiceNow. * Risk Mitigation: Engaging a new vendor would require significant business transformation and heavily impact service operations across the organisation. ServiceNow mitigates these risks by consistently meeting our performance standards and providing robust support. Specific examples include the custom integrations and scoped applications that are unique to ServiceNow, which would be challenging and time-consuming to replicate with another vendor. * Compliance and Regulatory Requirements: ServiceNow's platform complies with all relevant regulatory and security standards. This includes successful audits and certifications that demonstrate their commitment to maintaining high standards of compliance. * Strategic Partnership: Over the years, we have developed a strong strategic partnership with ServiceNow, which has benefited the university in terms of innovation, support, and overall service quality. * Financial Investment and Expansion: The university has made significant financial investments to date in building and widening the scope of the ServiceNow solution. With its recent release to three new areas (External Relations Legal, HR and Finance), the platform now requires a period of embedding and stability. At the same time, we are considering further extensions across the University of Birmingham in line with our efficiency and automation ambitions.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-051c9e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024479-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support


CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£2,062,722 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 May 20259 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
22 May 20259 months ago
Contract Period
31 Jul 2025 - 30 Jul 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@bham.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BIRMINGHAM
Postcode
B15 2TT
Post Town
Birmingham
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Edgbaston
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Edgbaston

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SERVICENOW

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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