Award

Finance System Cloud Migration

CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

19 Dec 2025 at 15:35

Award

28 Nov 2025 at 09:13

Award

26 Nov 2025 at 12:02

Summary of the contracting process

Cardiff Metropolitan University, located in Cardiff, United Kingdom, has awarded a contract to Unit4 Business Software Ltd for the migration of its finance system software to a cloud-based solution. This procurement, identified under the title "Finance System Cloud Migration," falls within the goods category, specifically financial systems software packages. The procurement process has been finalised under the direct award method, as per the Procurement Act 2023, due to technical difficulties and extreme urgency associated with the end-of-life support of the current on-premise system set by Unit4. The contract, valued at £865,000, is set to commence on 1 January 2026 and conclude by the end of 2031. This migration is essential to maintain the University's financial operations without disruption, adhering to the required deadlines for cloud implementation by December 2026.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in the provision or support of cloud-based financial software solutions. While the direct award was necessitated by urgent and unavoidable circumstances, it highlights the demand for adaptable and prompt service providers who can ensure seamless transitions for clients facing tight deadlines. Businesses capable of offering robust migration support services or innovative cloud solutions would significantly benefit from aligning their offerings to meet such critical needs. Companies with expertise in financial systems integration, cloud technology, and software implementation are particularly well-positioned to address this sector's growing demand for agile and secure digital transformations.

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Notice Title

Finance System Cloud Migration

Notice Description

Award of a contract to Unit4 for the cloud migration of the University's Finance system software.

Procurement Information

In October 2023, Unit4 announced the end-of-life for on-premise support with effect from 31 December 2024 for all its customers globally as part of its Software as a Service [SAAS] product strategy. The December 2024 deadline was extended for the University until December 2025 at which point we are required to commit to upgrade and migrate to a fully cloud-based solution by December 2026 or purchase a new ERP/Finance system. The Unit4 software is core to the financial operations of the University having been originally procured in 1999. It is fully embedded throughout the organisational infrastructure for the management and operation of the University's finances and is currently supported on premise. The announcement to end on-premise support from Unit 4 was completely unforeseeable by the University and as a consequence of this the University does not have enough time to fully procure a brand-new ERP/Finance System and undertake a fully competitive procurement process, test and implement new software from an alternative provider and train the workforce in the timeframes outlined by Unit 4. Changing providers in this timeframe would cause the University immense technical difficulties, introduce new complexities and have additional financial implications. It is the University's opinion therefore that a direct award to Unit4 is compliant with the Procurement Act 2023 as outlined in section 41 (5) (d). The justifications for this, are twofold 1) technical difficulties as outlined in Schedule 5 section 7b 2) extreme and unavoidable urgency as outlined in Schedule 5 section 13

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e90e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085039-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems


CPV Codes

48441000 - Financial analysis software package

48442000 - Financial systems software package

48443000 - Accounting software package

48444000 - Accounting system

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£865,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£865,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Dec 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
26 Nov 20252 months ago
Contract Period
1 Jan 2026 - 31 Dec 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Contact Name
Andrea Brooksbank
Contact Email
tenders@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Contact Phone
+44 000000002920417310

Buyer Location

Locality
CARDIFF
Postcode
CF5 2YB
Post Town
Cardiff
Country
Wales

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Cardiff
Electoral Ward
Llandaff
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

UNIT4 BUSINESS 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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