Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Flexible Lifelong Learning

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

10 Jul 2026 at 10:13

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

10 Jul 2026 at 08:52

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Cardiff University is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for the supply of Online Programme Management (OPM) services on a pay-per-service basis, under the title "Flexible Lifelong Learning". This initiative is part of a broader strategic framework aimed at advancing the university’s fully online postgraduate taught portfolio, with an anticipated launch in September 2027. A pre-market engagement session is scheduled for 12 August 2026, from 11:00 to 12:00, to gauge supplier interest and provide insights into the university's needs and expectations. Interested suppliers must register by 4th August 2026 at noon to attend. The procurement falls under the industry category of education and training services with supplementary focus areas such as administrative educational services and advertising and marketing services, set to occur within the UK, specifically the region identified as UKL22.

This tender offers considerable opportunities for businesses that can provide comprehensive online programme management solutions either on a modular or pay-per-service basis. It is particularly well-suited for suppliers with proven capabilities in supporting online educational growth, innovative programme design, and comprehensive student lifecycle services including recruitment, marketing, and retention strategies. While the call is open to various market players, it notes that the procurement may be more favourable to larger entities rather than SMEs due to the scope and scale of the services required. Participating in the engagement event and subsequent stages could allow businesses to align closely with Cardiff University's strategic digital learning objectives and expand their footprint in the education sector.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Flexible Lifelong Learning

Notice Description

Cardiff University is commencing the procurement for the supply of Online Programme Management (OPM) services on a pay per service basis. The University is currently undertaking a programme of work to provide the necessary insights and lay the groundwork for a strategic approach to fully online post graduate taught portfolio development and delivery, with a proposed start date for the first phase of the portfolio being September 2027.

Planning Information

Cardiff University is commencing early market engagement to inform the development of its upcoming procurement for the supply of Online Programme Management (OPM) services on a pay per service basis. The University is currently undertaking a programme of work to provide the necessary insights and lay the groundwork for a strategic approach to fully online post graduate taught portfolio development and delivery, with a proposed start date for the first phase of the portfolio being September 2027. The pre-market engagement exercise will seek to: • To establish the level of interest in the tender opportunity • Provide suppliers with insights into the proposal for Cardiff University to launch a fully online portfolio. • To gain an understanding of your experience of similar contracts, incorporating any lessons learnt to drive improvements. • Gain insight into the current OPM marketplace and emerging trends. • Understand the range of services available on a modular or pay-per-service basis. • Explore different commercial and contractual arrangements, including alternatives to traditional revenue-share models. • Understand supplier capability and capacity to support online postgraduate portfolio growth. • Understand approaches to student recruitment, marketing, retention, learner support and analytics. • Explore innovative approaches to programme design, development and delivery. • Inform the design, scope and structure of a future procurement exercise. • Ensure that any forthcoming procurement exercise is suitably aligned to institutional priorities and supplier expectations. The pre-market engagement event will be held at 11:00 – 12:00 on Wednesday, 12 August. This will be a presentation delivered by Cardiff University to potential suppliers to provide background to Cardiff University and our expectation of this need. Suppliers interested in attending the pre-market engagement event must complete and return the registration form via the correspondence function on the Universities e-tender portal In-Tend. https://in-tendhost.co.uk/cardiffuniversity/ Suppliers will be limited to 2 attendees. The session will be anonymised so that attendees will remain unknown to other participants. The deadline for registering attendance at the event is 12 noon on Tuesday 4th August 2026. Teams invitations will be issued once this deadline has passed. The University reserves the right to reject an application to attend sent after this time. All presentation documentation, questions and answers will be published on the e-tendering portal following the pre-market engagement event. Following this presentation, a questionnaire will be published on the tendering portal to gain insights from suppliers. The deadline for returning this questionnaire is Friday 21st August 2026. The University reserves the right to reject an application to attend sent after this time. This stage does not formally commence a procurement process. Participation in this pre-market engagement is voluntary and will not provide any advantage or disadvantage in any subsequent tender process. The University anticipates refining the scope, service levels, data requirements, performance metrics, and commercial structure following this Pre Market Engagement. Insights gained will inform the final tender documentation.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c826
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065056-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

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

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

75121000 - Administrative educational services

79340000 - Advertising and marketing services

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£5,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Jul 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
15 Sep 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
22 Mar 2027 - 21 Mar 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CARDIFF 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
CARDIFF
Postcode
CF24 4HQ
Post Town
Cardiff
Country
Wales
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Delivery Location
TLL22 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Local Authority
Cardiff
Electoral Ward
Cathays
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff South and Penarth

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-06c826-2026-07-10T11:13:41+01:00",
    "date": "2026-07-10T11:13:41+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06c826",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PHVT-4343-HWYR",
            "name": "Cardiff University",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PHVT-4343-HWYR"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Procurement Services",
                "locality": "Cardiff",
                "postalCode": "CF24 4HQ",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKL22"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "daviesg74@cardiff.ac.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/business/why-work-with-us/for-suppliers",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    },
                    {
                        "id": "GB-WLS",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS",
                        "description": "Welsh devolved regulations apply"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PHVT-4343-HWYR",
        "name": "Cardiff University"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "Cardiff University is commencing early market engagement to inform the development of its upcoming procurement for the supply of Online Programme Management (OPM) services on a pay per service basis. The University is currently undertaking a programme of work to provide the necessary insights and lay the groundwork for a strategic approach to fully online post graduate taught portfolio development and delivery, with a proposed start date for the first phase of the portfolio being September 2027. The pre-market engagement exercise will seek to: * To establish the level of interest in the tender opportunity * Provide suppliers with insights into the proposal for Cardiff University to launch a fully online portfolio. * To gain an understanding of your experience of similar contracts, incorporating any lessons learnt to drive improvements. * Gain insight into the current OPM marketplace and emerging trends. * Understand the range of services available on a modular or pay-per-service basis. * Explore different commercial and contractual arrangements, including alternatives to traditional revenue-share models. * Understand supplier capability and capacity to support online postgraduate portfolio growth. * Understand approaches to student recruitment, marketing, retention, learner support and analytics. * Explore innovative approaches to programme design, development and delivery. * Inform the design, scope and structure of a future procurement exercise. * Ensure that any forthcoming procurement exercise is suitably aligned to institutional priorities and supplier expectations. The pre-market engagement event will be held at 11:00 - 12:00 on Wednesday, 12 August. This will be a presentation delivered by Cardiff University to potential suppliers to provide background to Cardiff University and our expectation of this need. Suppliers interested in attending the pre-market engagement event must complete and return the registration form via the correspondence function on the Universities e-tender portal In-Tend. https://in-tendhost.co.uk/cardiffuniversity/ Suppliers will be limited to 2 attendees. The session will be anonymised so that attendees will remain unknown to other participants. The deadline for registering attendance at the event is 12 noon on Tuesday 4th August 2026. Teams invitations will be issued once this deadline has passed. The University reserves the right to reject an application to attend sent after this time. All presentation documentation, questions and answers will be published on the e-tendering portal following the pre-market engagement event. Following this presentation, a questionnaire will be published on the tendering portal to gain insights from suppliers. The deadline for returning this questionnaire is Friday 21st August 2026. The University reserves the right to reject an application to attend sent after this time. This stage does not formally commence a procurement process. Participation in this pre-market engagement is voluntary and will not provide any advantage or disadvantage in any subsequent tender process. The University anticipates refining the scope, service levels, data requirements, performance metrics, and commercial structure following this Pre Market Engagement. Insights gained will inform the final tender documentation.",
                "dueDate": "2026-08-21T23:59:59+01:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "064991-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064991-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-07-10T09:52:31+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            },
            {
                "id": "065056-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065056-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-07-10T11:13:41+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "CU.2071.GD",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Flexible Lifelong Learning",
        "description": "Cardiff University is commencing the procurement for the supply of Online Programme Management (OPM) services on a pay per service basis. The University is currently undertaking a programme of work to provide the necessary insights and lay the groundwork for a strategic approach to fully online post graduate taught portfolio development and delivery, with a proposed start date for the first phase of the portfolio being September 2027.",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80000000",
                        "description": "Education and training services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "75121000",
                        "description": "Administrative educational services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "79340000",
                        "description": "Advertising and marketing services"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKL22",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKL22",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 6000000,
            "amount": 5000000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "techniques": {
            "hasFrameworkAgreement": true
        },
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2027-03-22T00:00:00+00:00",
                    "endDate": "2030-03-21T23:59:59+00:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2031-03-21T23:59:59+00:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "planning"
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2026-09-15T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "status": "planning",
        "amendments": [
            {
                "id": "065056-2026",
                "description": "May be more suitable to suppliers who aren't necessarily SMEs."
            }
        ]
    },
    "language": "en"
}