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Provision of IP Management Tool

National Oceanography Centre

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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31 Jul 2026 at 09:01

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The National Oceanography Centre bought a commercial cloud-hosted intellectual property and innovation management software service. The system is intended to manage the Centre’s intellectual property portfolio, invention disclosures, patents, licensing, technology transfer and innovation pipeline, with associated reporting. Required capabilities include lifecycle tracking, workflow and portfolio management, stakeholder collaboration, analytics, document management, notifications, audit trails, user access controls and integration with existing organisational systems. The requirement also covers software licensing, implementation, configuration, data migration, user training, support, maintenance and software updates, delivered as a fully managed SaaS platform through standard web browsers and agreed service levels. The service is delivered for the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, with activity taking place in the United Kingdom.

The procurement is complete following a below-threshold limited competition. One lot was awarded to WELLSPRING EMEA LIMITED, and the contract is active. The contract was signed on 1 July 2026 and runs from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029. The authority may extend it, potentially to 30 June 2031, for a cumulative maximum extension of up to five years, subject to operational requirements, performance, funding, value for money and continuing suitability. The contract value is £60,381.67 excluding VAT, or £72,458 gross. Optional purchases may include additional user licences, system capacity, modules, functionality and professional services. The award concerned application service provider services and was evaluated through the limited competition route.

This opportunity indicates demand for suppliers able to provide specialist intellectual property and innovation management SaaS to a research organisation. Credible competitors would need a secure, browser-based platform that can manage patents, invention disclosures, licensing, technology transfer and innovation pipelines throughout their lifecycle. Strong capability in configurable workflows, portfolio management, reporting and analytics, document control, notifications, audit trails, role-based access and systems integration would be important. Suppliers should also be able to deliver the wider service rather than software alone: implementation, configuration, data migration, training, user support, maintenance, updates and professional consultancy. The requirement favours established providers with the capacity to support changing user numbers, extra functionality and ongoing operational needs, while demonstrating dependable service levels and continuing value for money.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of IP Management Tool

Notice Description

Provision of a commercial Intellectual Property (IP) Management and Innovation Management Software (SaaS) solution to support the management of the National Oceanography Centre's intellectual property portfolio, invention disclosures, patents, licensing activities, technology transfer, innovation pipeline and associated reporting requirements. The solution shall provide a secure, cloud-hosted platform for recording, tracking, managing and reporting on intellectual property assets and innovation activities throughout their lifecycle. Required functionality includes workflow management, portfolio management, stakeholder collaboration, reporting and analytics, document management, notifications, audit trails, user access controls, and integration capabilities with existing organisational systems where required. The contract includes software licensing, implementation, configuration, data migration, user training, support and maintenance services, and ongoing software updates. The service shall be supplied as a fully managed SaaS solution accessible via standard web browsers and supported in accordance with agreed service levels. Estimated value includes all licences, implementation, support, maintenance, optional extensions and associated professional services for the duration of the contract.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d843
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/072466-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

72416000 - Application service providers

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£60,381 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
31 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jul 2026 - 30 Jun 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
National Oceanography Centre
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
SOUTHAMPTON
Postcode
SO14 3ZH
Postcode Area
Southampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ32 Southampton
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Southampton
Electoral Ward
Bargate
Westminster Constituency
Southampton Itchen

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

IP Pragmatics Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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