Award

Provision of a Similarity Detection System

DN COLLEGES GROUP

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

21 Oct 2025 at 13:12

Summary of the contracting process

The DN Colleges Group, located in Doncaster, United Kingdom, has completed a procurement process for a contract titled "Provision of a Similarity Detection System". This contract falls under the services category and is valued at £30,232.94 inclusive of VAT for a one-year term starting on 6th October 2025 and concluding on 5th October 2026. The project was undertaken under the Procurement Act 2023, utilising a direct method due to the absence of viable competitors and specific technical requirements that suit Turnitin, LLC, the awarded supplier. The system supports academic integrity by integrating plagiarism detection into the group's virtual learning environments, aligning with associated university systems.

This opportunity primarily benefits large businesses, especially those specialising in educational software development services. Although the contract was directly awarded to Turnitin, LLC due to unique technical criteria already embedded within the college's systems, future competitions may present potential for other suppliers. As DN Colleges Group plans a market exercise in early 2026 to consider alternatives ahead of the 2026/27 academic year, businesses that can offer innovative, flexible, or compatible educational technologies may find future opportunities with this buyer.

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Notice Title

Provision of a Similarity Detection System

Notice Description

This contract is for the provision of a similarity detection system to support academic integrity across DN Colleges Group. The service enables originality and plagiarism checking at the point of submission, with full integration into the Group's virtual learning environments and alignment with partner university systems. Following a review, the contract has been directly awarded to Turnitin, LLC under the Procurement Act 2023 due to an absence of competition for technical reasons. Turnitin is fully embedded across DN Colleges Group systems and curriculum delivery, and migration to an alternative provider during the academic year would be disproportionate and disruptive to staff and students. The contract is valued at PS30,232.94 inclusive of VAT for a one-year period (2025/26 academic year). A market exercise will be undertaken in early 2026 to prepare for any future competition ahead of the 2026/27 academic year.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d0c3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067124-2025
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
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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


CPV Codes

72212190 - Educational software development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£30,232 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20254 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
5 Oct 20254 months ago
Contract Period
5 Oct 2025 - 5 Oct 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DN COLLEGES GROUP
Contact Name
Michael Robertson
Contact Email
procurement@dncolleges.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
DONCASTER
Postcode
DN1 2RF
Post Town
Doncaster
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE3 South Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE35 Doncaster
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Doncaster
Electoral Ward
Town
Westminster Constituency
Doncaster Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

TURNITIN

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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