This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

04 Jun 2026 at 19:43

Summary of the contracting process

The Open University, located in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, has completed a procurement process for the purchase of the Cinahl Ultimate database for journals and publications from EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC. This procurement falls under the services category, specifically subscription services, as classified by the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) code 79980000. The contract is scheduled to commence on 1st July 2026 and conclude on 30th June 2029, with a total contract value of £73,542. The process has reached the award stage and was completed under a procurement method described as "Below threshold - unknown". Key stakeholders include The Open University as the buyer and EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC. as the supplier.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, particularly for companies in the subscription service industry or those involved in providing academic and research publications. Large-scale enterprises such as EBSCO are well-suited to compete in this area due to their capability in supplying comprehensive databases and services across geographical boundaries. The contract's nature offers a steady stream of business over three years, allowing companies to expand their client base within the education sector, particularly targeting public authority and sub-central government organisations like The Open University. Businesses equipped with digital database solutions stand to benefit greatly from engaging in such procurement opportunities.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Cinahl publications database

Notice Description

Purchase of Cinahl Ultimate database for journals and publications from EBSCO.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ae29
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053089-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - unknown
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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


CPV Codes

79980000 - Subscription services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£73,542 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Jun 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
21 Jan 20265 months ago
Contract Period
30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
MILTON KEYNES
Postcode
MK7 6AA
Post Town
Milton Keynes
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ12 Milton Keynes
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Milton Keynes
Electoral Ward
Monkston
Westminster Constituency
Milton Keynes Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

EBSCO INTERNATIONAL

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06ae29-2026-06-04T20:43:30+01:00",
    "date": "2026-06-04T20:43:30+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06ae29",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-CHC-RC000391",
            "name": "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-CHC",
                "id": "RC000391"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PYNW-6296-ZJQQ"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Walton Hall",
                "locality": "Milton Keynes",
                "postalCode": "MK7 6AA",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ12"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "finance-tenders@open.ac.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-FC016134",
            "name": "EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC.",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "FC016134"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PHHL-9383-NLJL"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "6th Floor Civic Centre, Silver Street",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "EN1 3XA",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI54"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "Mailuk@ebsco.com"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.ebsco.com",
                "scale": "large",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-CHC-RC000391",
        "name": "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "OUPA11702",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Cinahl publications database",
        "description": "Purchase of Cinahl Ultimate database for journals and publications from EBSCO.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Below threshold - unknown",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-FC016134",
                    "name": "EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC."
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "79980000",
                            "description": "Subscription services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKJ12",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "awardID": "1",
            "title": "Cinahl Publications Database",
            "status": "active",
            "period": {
                "startDate": "2026-07-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2029-06-30T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 73542,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "dateSigned": "2026-01-21T00:00:00Z",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "053089-2026",
                    "documentType": "contractNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK7",
                    "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053089-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-06-04T20:43:30+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}