Award

Office for Students: Provision of Support Services for TRAC

OFFICE FOR STUDENTS

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

03 Nov 2025 at 16:05

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

15 Aug 2025 at 15:05

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

29 Jul 2025 at 09:05

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Office for Students has completed a procurement process for the provision of support services for the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) system, ensuring technical helpdesk support for UK higher education institutions. The contract was directly awarded to KPMG LLP, a large-scale supplier, reflecting the need for specialised expertise in the TRAC system. This contract, related to the 'services' category, includes maintaining TRAC guidance and assisting UK regulators and funders. It was signed on 12th September 2025 and spans from 15th September 2025 to 14th September 2026, with KPMG providing support from offices in London. The buying organisation, the Office for Students, is a central public authority based in Bristol, operating under the legal framework outlined in the UK Public General Act 2023/54.

This contract offers significant opportunities for businesses experienced in technical support services, consulting, and project management within the higher education sector. Companies able to provide continuous and expert support and those familiar with governmental and educational reporting standards would be well-suited to engage with similar future opportunities. The ability to engage with complex methodologies such as TRAC positions a business preferentially for other specialised educational and government contracts, driving future growth and sector expertise.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Office for Students: Provision of Support Services for TRAC

Notice Description

Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) is an activity-based costing system developed for the UK higher education sector and implemented in UK publicly funded higher education institutions. This contract is for the Provision of TRAC technical helpdesk support to UK HE institutions required to submit TRAC returns. Maintaining and updating the TRAC guidance and reporting requirements, including taking account of changes to financial accounting standards and meeting stakeholder needs. Carrying out reviews of the TRAC methodology to improve data quality and utility and meet multiple stakeholder requirements. Supporting the TRAC Development Group in its oversight of the TRAC system. Supporting the UK Regulators and Funders, including the use of the TRAC system to inform funding policy for teaching and research, and for informing pricing of research grants and contracts. To view this notice, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=991633956

Procurement Information

The TRAC support service is a specialist contract requiring expertise in the TRAC system, understanding of methodology, and capacity to provide support across the UK HE sector, to OfS, SFC, Medr, DFE(NI) and UKRI to support use of TRAC data for informing funding policy, for use by UKRI for funding research grants and contracts, and to inform government policy for DfE and the devolved administrations. The OfS is currently implementing changes to its data platform and arrangements for collecting data from institutions (including change to the TRAC return template). Therefore, continuity of helpdesk support to the sector during the next TRAC return will be essential to avoid disproportionate burden for HE institutions during this transition period. Additionally, continuity is required in order that important developments in the TRAC system which involve implementation of complex technical changes to the TRAC requirements that have been developed and recently piloted under the current service contract can be implemented successfully and without disruption in the helpdesk support.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0567ad
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070568-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details 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

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

CPV Codes

79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£530,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£530,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
3 Nov 20253 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
29 Jul 20256 months ago
Contract Period
14 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
OFFICE FOR STUDENTS
Contact Name
Sarah Phillips
Contact Email
procurement@officeforstudents.org.uk
Contact Phone
+44 1179317317

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8SR
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Gifford
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

KPMG

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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