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Investment Services - University of Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

22 Sep 2026 at 13:33

Award Notice
Tender

03 Mar 2026 at 15:09

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Aberdeen procured investment advice and custodianship services for its investment portfolios and those of DT SCIO. This is a financial consultancy and investment-management requirement, covering corporate finance and venture capital-related services. The work is for the University’s investment arrangements in Aberdeen. The buyer is the University of Aberdeen, an education-sector public body. The requirement was structured as a single lot and relates to managing and safeguarding investment portfolios rather than supplying physical goods or construction works. Suppliers with experience advising institutional investors, overseeing investment portfolios and providing custody arrangements would be the most relevant comparators for this requirement.

The procurement has been awarded and the contract is active. Mercer was selected following an open procedure. The award decision period began on 10 April 2026, bids were opened on that date, and submissions closed at 12:00 on 10 April 2026. Six electronic bids were received; none came from SMEs. The contract was signed on 15 July 2026 for £2,052,000. Its initial term is five years from 5 July 2026, with an option to extend by up to two further two-year periods, either separately or in phases, subject to satisfactory annual review and mutual agreement. Evaluation weighted technical quality at 80% and price at 20%. English was the submission language and variants were not allowed.

This award demonstrates demand from a university for a substantial, multi-year investment-services relationship combining investment advice with custodianship. A credible future competitor would need to show strong institutional investment expertise, robust portfolio oversight and secure custody processes, supported by clear technical evidence. The evaluation’s strong emphasis on technical quality indicates that service capability, governance, investment approach, risk management and operational resilience are likely to matter more than price alone. Suppliers should also be able to manage electronic procurement and ordering processes, provide dependable reporting for investment governance, and work constructively through annual performance reviews. The six-bid field, with all bids submitted electronically and none from SMEs, suggests competition came from established larger or specialist providers rather than smaller generalist consultancies.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Investment Services - University of Aberdeen

Notice Description

Award of contract for for investment advice and custodianship services of the University and DT SCIO investment Portfolios.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Award of contract for for investment advice and custodianship services of the University and DT SCIO investment Portfolios.

Renewal: An initial term of 5 years from 5 July 2026. The Investment Committee will have the option of extending the contract (either singly or in phases) for up to two additional periods of 2 years, subject to satisfactory annual review and mutual agreement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066131
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089637-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

CPV Codes

66122000 - Corporate finance and venture capital services

66171000 - Financial consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£2,052,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
10 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
University of Aberdeen
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
ABERDEEN
Postcode
AB24 3FX
Postcode Area
Aberdeen
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM5 North Eastern Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Delivery Location
TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Local Authority
Aberdeen City
Electoral Ward
Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen
Westminster Constituency
Aberdeen North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Mercer Limited

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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