This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

29 Jul 2026 at 14:55

Award

03 Jun 2026 at 15:18

Award

03 Jun 2026 at 14:37

Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process described involves Jisc Services Limited entering into a contract with Portico, a division of ITHAKA, to provide Jisc member institutions access to Portico eBooks and eJournals from 2026 to 2029. This direct award contract was initiated as the supplier holds exclusive intellectual property rights to the content. The procurement method employed was a direct award without competition due to the uniqueness of the product. The buying organisation, Jisc, is a sub-central government public authority based in Bristol, UK. The procurement falls under the services category with classifications relevant to education, training, and subscription services, and the total contract value is USD 780,000. The contract is active as of 14 July 2026 and will end on 30 June 2029.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly within the education and digital content sectors. Companies specialising in or holding exclusive rights to educational materials or subscription-based content can leverage such contracts to form strategic partnerships with large entities like Jisc. SMEs in the tech and publishing sectors may particularly benefit by aligning with similar frameworks or consortium memberships, thus gaining increased visibility and access within the wider educational network across the United Kingdom. The nature of this procurement highlights a need for intellectual property holders and content providers to maintain exclusive resources that can be marketed under exclusive arrangements.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Portico eBooks and eJournals 2026-2029

Notice Description

Jisc Services Limited has entered into a contract with Portico, a part of ITHAKA, to give Jisc member institutions the opportunity to subscribe to Portico eBooks and eJournals at preferential rates. Portico provides a permanent archive that makes content accessible to participating libraries if it becomes unavailable from the publisher or other sources. This contract is for use by Jisc Members only and not for Jisc's own use.

Procurement Information

The supplier is the rightsholder to the IP of the content and the sole supplier of this unique resource.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06acb6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071843-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

22 - Printed matter and related products

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

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

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

22212000 - Periodicals

48000000 - Software package and information systems

72320000 - Database services

79980000 - Subscription services

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£780,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£780,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
2 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
13 Jul 2026 - 30 Jun 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
JISC
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS1 6NB
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK51 Bristol, City of
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Bristol, City of
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Bristol Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ITHAKA HARBORS INC. D/B/A "JSTOR"; "PORTICO

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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