Award

Provision of Payment Solution Services

UNIVERSITY OF KEELE

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

14 Apr 2026 at 18:42

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

13 Apr 2026 at 16:57

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Keele, located in Keele, Staffordshire, UK, is proceeding with its procurement process titled "Provision of Payment Solution Services" within the industry category of software packages and information systems. The process, currently in the award stage, involves a direct award to Flywire Payments Limited for the implementation of an integrated payment solution platform. The platform is required to integrate with the University's Tribal SITS student records system. The contract will commence on 27 April 2026 and conclude on 26 April 2031, with a mandatory standstill period ending on 24 April 2026, as per the Procurement Act 2023. This procurement is justified due to Flywire's existing integration capabilities and expertise, which are crucial for avoiding delays in payment processing critical to student enrolment and cash flow management.

This tender presents significant opportunities for large businesses specialising in payment solution platforms, particularly those with proven integration capabilities with university systems. Flywire's ongoing contract with the University of Keele demonstrates the high demand for efficient and reliable payment solutions in the education sector. Firms that can offer similar bespoke solutions with seamless integration to systems like Tribal SITS will find avenues for growth, as universities prioritise cost-effective and time-efficient service delivery methods. Businesses well-versed in developing innovative payment processing services are well-suited to compete in this dynamic market.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Payment Solution Services

Notice Description

Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 13 April 2026, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Award Notice to announce its intention in accordance with its statutory obligations, to award a contract directly to Flywire for the provision of an integrated payment solution platform, including student payment processing, Tribal SITS integration, outgoing payables, and optional services such as Collections Management, Deposits, and other modules as defined in the contract. This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7 and 25 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. The services require a platform that is fully integrated with the University's Tribal SITS student records system. The University is scheduled to double-upgrade to Tribal SITS V11.0 in May 2026, after which legacy WPM SITS payment pathways will no longer be supported. Flywire has a proven integration with Tribal SITS used by over 20 universities, significantly reducing manual reconciliation. Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to replicate this specific integration and expertise. This would necessitate a substantial duplication of effort and cost, and an unacceptable period of mobilisation, resulting in: 1. Potential material duplication of cost for the University (including new integrations and staff retraining); and 2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical payment processing services, which would disrupt student enrolment and the University's cash flow. The award of this contract to Flywire represents the only viable route to secure the required services in a timely and cost-effective manner, as a competitive procurement process would be objectively unsuitable in these specific circumstances. This justification is supported by precedents from other UK Universities, including the University of Kent (Transparency Notice 2026/S 000-017974). Disclaimer This Contract Award Notice is published by the University of Keele, a contracting authority, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 50 of the Procurement Act 2023 to notify its intention to award a contract. This notice does not itself constitute an offer, an award of contract, or give rise to any implied contract. The publication of the subsequent Contract Award Notice will initiate the mandatory 8-working-day standstill period, as required by Section 51(1) of the Act. The University will not, and cannot lawfully, enter into a contract for the required services until the 8-working-day standstill period has been successfully completed. Any contract award will be confirmed through the subsequent publication of a Contract Details Notice.

Procurement Information

University of Keele is publishing this transparency notice to announce its intention, in accordance with its statutory obligations, to award a contract directly to Flywire for the provision of an integrated payment solution platform, including student payment processing, Tribal SITS integration, outgoing payables, and optional services such as Collections Management, Deposits, and other modules as defined in the contract. This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7 and 25 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. The services require a platform that is fully integrated with the University's Tribal SITS student records system. The University is scheduled to double-upgrade to Tribal SITS V11.0 in May 2026, after which legacy WPM SITS payment pathways will no longer be supported. Flywire has a proven integration with Tribal SITS used by over 20 universities, significantly reducing manual reconciliation. Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to replicate this specific integration and expertise. This would necessitate a substantial duplication of effort and cost, and an unacceptable period of mobilisation, resulting in: 1. Potential material duplication of cost for the University (including new integrations and staff retraining); and 2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical payment processing services, which would disrupt student enrolment and the University's cash flow. The award of this contract to Flywire represents the only viable route to secure the required services in a timely and cost-effective manner, as a competitive procurement process would be objectively unsuitable in these specific circumstances. This justification is supported by precedents from other UK Universities, including the University of Kent (Transparency Notice 2026/S 000-017974). This Transparency Notice is published by the University of Keele, a contracting authority, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 44 of the Procurement Act 2023 to notify its intention to award a contract directly. Disclaimer This notice does not itself constitute an offer, an award of contract, or give rise to any implied contract. The publication of the subsequent Contract Award Notice will initiate the mandatory 8-working-day standstill period, as required by Section 51(1) of the Act. The University will not, and cannot lawfully, enter into a contract for the required services until the 8-working-day standstill period has been successfully completed. Any contract award will be confirmed through the subsequent publication of a Contract Details Notice.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06816d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033962-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£460,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Apr 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Apr 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
26 Apr 2026 - 26 Apr 2031 Over 5 years
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
UNIVERSITY OF KEELE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
KEELE, STAFFORDSHIRE,
Postcode
ST5 5NB
Post Town
Stoke-on-Trent
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG24 Staffordshire CC
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Electoral Ward
Keele
Westminster Constituency
Newcastle-under-Lyme

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FLYWIRE PAYMENTS

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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