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260094 Contract for Staff Payment & Management Services in Sub Saharan Africa

Queen's University Belfast

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

07 Aug 2026 at 14:40

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

15 Jul 2026 at 15:43

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

01 Jun 2026 at 14:43

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Queen’s University Belfast procured staff payment and management services in Sub-Saharan Africa. The requirement is to facilitate the employment of the University’s In-Country Regional Manager and provide payroll services through a company legally registered in Nigeria. The service supports the University’s local market presence, engagement with educational agents, high schools and its INTO joint venture partner, and the application journey for prospective students. It sits within business and recruitment services, including recruitment services (CPV 79600000). Work is centred on Sub-Saharan Africa, with the Nigerian legal and operational context central to delivery. The buyer is Queen’s University Belfast, based in Belfast. The awarded supplier is AFARAED LTD, a small and medium-sized enterprise, with Commercium Africa Ltd identified for subcontracted delivery in Lagos, Nigeria.

This procurement has been awarded and the contract is active. Queen’s University Belfast used an open procedure for one lot. AFARAED LTD was awarded the contract on 10 July 2026 for £360,000 excluding VAT (£432,000 gross); the contract was signed on 30 July 2026. The initial contract period runs from 2 August 2026 to 1 August 2028, with an option to extend by up to 48 months, subject to satisfactory annual review, taking the maximum end date to 1 August 2032. Additional purchases are permitted during the term. Evaluation was based on technical quality at 40% and price at 60%. Technical assessment covered operational management, credibility assurance, data and security management, and responsible procurement, each weighted at 10%.

For a supplier targeting a future requirement from Queen’s University Belfast, this award demonstrates demand for outsourced employment administration and payroll capability supporting international student recruitment operations. A credible competitor would need a legally registered Nigerian delivery capability, or a dependable local partner, together with experience employing and managing staff across Sub-Saharan Africa. Core strengths would include compliant payroll processing, knowledge of local employment and regulatory requirements, reliable operational management, and the ability to support a university’s regional representative. The evaluation also shows that buyers will examine credibility assurance, data and security management, responsible procurement, technical delivery and price. Suppliers should therefore be able to evidence secure handling of personal and payroll data, local regulatory compliance, clear governance, dependable service controls and effective management of subcontractors.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

260094 Contract for Staff Payment & Management Services in Sub Saharan Africa

Notice Description

Queen's profile in the wider Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region continues to grow and the University has developed meaningful engagement with a number of key strategic recruitment partners. The SSA student population at Queen's has grown over the past 5 years, with the University first investing in a local presence in 2021 to engage with educational agents, high schools and our INTO Joint Venture partner locally and, critically, to support prospective students in their application journey. Through our In-Country Regional Manager, Queen's has maintained a market presence in Africa for a number of years. To continue to support this arrangement, Queen's requires a supplier to continue to facilitate the employment of our Regional Manager and provide payroll services through a legally registered company in Nigeria. This will enable Queen's to maintain a visible market presence in Sub-Saharan Africa market, supporting the University's wider student recruitment and international engagement objectives.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The Contract shall be for an initial period of 2 years, with the option to extend the contract by up to a further 48 Months subject to satisfactory annual review.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06aa73
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075362-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

79600000 - Recruitment services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£360,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£360,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£360,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£360,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Aug 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
26 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
10 Jul 20262 months ago
Contract Period
2 Aug 2026 - 1 Aug 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
2032-05-01

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Queen's University Belfast
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT7 1NN
Postcode Area
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

AfaraEd

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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