Award

Statistical and Scientific Data Analysis Tool

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

24 Oct 2025 at 09:45

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Birmingham has completed a direct award procurement process for a statistical and scientific data analysis tool, GraphPad Prism, from sole supplier GraphPad Software, LLC. This decision, finalised on 24 October 2025, is based on the proprietary nature of the software, which is deeply embedded in the university's teaching and research activities across several colleges. The contract, valued at $166,400 USD, runs from 19 November 2025 to 18 November 2026. The procurement falls under the industry category of industry-specific software packages and is vital for sustaining research standards and academic initiatives at the university. Located in Birmingham, this procurement ensures continuity and access to essential analytical tools and features unique to Prism, thereby minimising disruption to ongoing projects.

Businesses involved in developing or providing analytical and software solutions in the educational and research sectors may find this procurement process illustrative for understanding direct award practices, particularly for proprietary tools. Companies that possess unique, non-replicable software with comprehensive user support and those offering advanced data analysis solutions could benefit from this type of procurement opportunity. By aligning their offerings with specific, indispensable needs of academic institutions, such businesses can establish long-term supply relationships, thereby fostering growth through reliable and potentially repeat business with public sector entities.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Statistical and Scientific Data Analysis Tool

Notice Description

GraphPad Prism is a specialised scientific software platform used extensively across the University of Birmingham since around 2019, particularly within the Colleges of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS), Life and Environmental Sciences (LES) and Medical and Dental Sciences (CMH). It is widely adopted for its powerful capabilities in statistical analysis, curve fitting and scientific graphing, supporting both teaching and research activities. The software combines robust biostatistics tools with publication-quality graphing features, enabling users to perform complex analyses without requiring programming knowledge. Prism supports a range of statistical tests, including t-tests, ANOVA, nonparametric comparisons and survival analysis, and offers intuitive data organisation through its structured data tables and analysis workflows. This renewal will ensure continued access to essential analytical tools, software updates and technical support, allowing researchers and students to maintain high standards of scientific rigour and reproducibility. Given the University's broad and long-standing use of GraphPad Prism, renewing the licence is vital to sustaining research excellence and supporting ongoing academic and scientific initiatives.

Procurement Information

The University of Birmingham has chosen to continue sourcing GraphPad Prism directly from its sole provider, GraphPad Software LLC, due to the proprietary nature of the software and the comprehensive support services offered exclusively by the vendor. GraphPad Prism is a specialised statistical and graphing software platform that is deeply embedded in research and teaching workflows across the Colleges of EPS, CMH and LES. GraphPad Software is the only supplier of Prism licenses and associated support services. Their subscription plans include access to both Windows and Mac versions, automatic updates, online license management and technical support for installation and activation. Enterprise-level plans also offer advanced features such as machine learning techniques (e.g. hierarchical and k-means clustering), Dotmatics Luma integration for unified data workflows and Prism Cloud collaboration tools. Switching to an alternative vendor would not only disrupt ongoing research and teaching activities but also result in the loss of unique analytical capabilities and integrations that are exclusive to Prism. These include one-click regression analysis, automated survival analysis tables and real-time graph updates. All of which are critical to the scientific work conducted at the University. Furthermore, Prism's licensing model supports flexible deployment across individual and group environments, with features such as Single Sign-On (SSO), user provisioning (SCIM) and virtual desktop support for enterprise users. These capabilities are essential for managing software access across large academic teams and cannot be replicated by other providers. Given the University's long-standing investment in GraphPad Prism and its strategic importance to research and education, a direct award is justified to ensure continuity, minimise risk and maintain access to the proprietary features and support services that only GraphPad Software can provide.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d320
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068086-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
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
£166,400 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Oct 20254 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
24 Oct 20254 months ago
Contract Period
19 Nov 2025 - 18 Nov 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

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

GRAPHPAD SOFTWARE

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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