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Bursary services

Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS)

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

24 Aug 2026 at 13:32

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS) is exploring a framework for bursary services across the United Kingdom. The intended scope covers three potential service areas: making bursary and hardship payments to qualifying individuals on behalf of member organisations; providing credit-based support for education-related purchases such as books, equipment and technology; and assessing applicants against member organisations’ bursary policies. The framework could be used by members of UKUPC’s regional consortia, including higher education institutions, schools, colleges, government departments, local authorities, charities, housing associations and NHS trusts. The work is classed as services and may include payment handling, education support, administration and bursary eligibility assessment. Suppliers would operate across the UK.

This process is at the preliminary market engagement and planning stage; it is not an invitation to tender. SUMS is assessing whether a framework agreement is viable, with three potential service lots currently under consideration. The indicative framework period is 1 August 2027 to 31 July 2029, with the potential to extend to 31 July 2031. The estimated total value is £100,000,000 gross, and the procurement is above the relevant threshold. The buyer expects the next notice to be published on 1 April 2027. The planned market engagement includes a briefing, supplier survey and draft specification, with supplier comments and clarification queries expected by 30 November 2026. The procurement is intended to cover all UKUPC consortium members.

This will suit providers already delivering outsourced bursary, hardship-fund or student-support services, particularly those able to manage payments securely, operate credit or voucher-style purchasing schemes, or assess eligibility against varied organisational policies. Relevant capabilities include handling sensitive applicant information, applying consistent eligibility and compliance checks, supporting beneficiaries and administering payments or spending balances at scale. Suppliers offering education-related goods or technology through a controlled credit service may fit the potential credit bursary lot. The arrangement is being considered as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises. Businesses can prepare by reviewing the draft specification, considering which service area best matches their operation, and shaping requirements through the planned market engagement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Bursary services

Notice Description

The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) procedure is to assess the viability of a framework agreement for bursary services. Initial thinking includes three potential Lots as follows: Lot 1: Bursary payment services - Where the supplier handles payments to qualifying individuals on behalf of the member organisation. This Lot is likely to have applications to the wider public sector membership, where bursary and hardship payments are made. Lot 2: Credit bursary services - Where the supplier offers a wide range of products that support education (eg. books, equipment, tech) and qualifying individuals are credited with an amount to spend as they require. Lot 3: Bursary management services - Where the supplier offers a service to assess whether or not individuals qualify for bursary payments in line with the policies of member organisations. The expectation is that a resulting framework agreement would be available to all members of the regional consortia that comprise UKUPC (APUC, HEPCW, LUPC, NEUPC, NWUPC, SUPC, TEC, and TUCO). Members sit across the public sector and include Higher Education Institutions, Schools and Colleges, Government Departments, Local Authorities, Charities, Housing Associations, NHS Trusts, and others.

Planning Information

Suppliers are invited to visit the PME via our tendering portal, Mercell: https://uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=108491&TID=100113553&B= This includes the following: 1. PME briefing document (which includes a link to a supplier engagement survey) 2. PDF version of the supplier engagement survey (for reference only) 3. Draft specification, which suppliers are invited to review. Suppliers are welcome to annotate these and return them to SUPC via the Mercell messaging function. Suppliers may also raise clarification queries, which should also be submitted via the Mercell messaging function

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ea8e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080358-2026
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, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

22 - Printed matter and related products

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

80 - Education and training services

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

22100000 - Printed books, brochures and leaflets

75100000 - Administration services

80000000 - Education and training services

80300000 - Higher education services

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£100,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Aug 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Apr 20278 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Aug 2027 - 31 Jul 2029 2-3 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
Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS)
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
READING
Postcode
RG6 6BU
Postcode Area
Reading
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ16 Berkshire West
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Wokingham
Electoral Ward
Hillside
Westminster Constituency
Earley and Woodley

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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