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BMJ Read and Publish 2027

Jisc

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

09 Sep 2026 at 16:11

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

09 Sep 2026 at 10:27

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Jisc is procuring access to BMJ Publishing Group’s online journals for Jisc member institutions. The service combines journal subscriptions at preferential rates with the ability to publish open access articles in BMJ journals. Participating members can choose between open-access publishing and read-only subscription options. This is a subscription and information service covering periodicals, online information systems and database access, with associated education and training relevance. Delivery covers the United Kingdom. The arrangement is for use by Jisc members rather than for Jisc’s own requirements. Eligible users include higher and further education institutions, research organisations, education institutes, specialist colleges, multi-academy trusts and other organisations supporting education or research across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded by direct award to BMJ Publishing Group Limited, whose intellectual property rights make it the sole supplier of this unique resource. The award date is 9 September 2026 and the awarded gross value is £1,664,635. The contract period runs from 1 January to 31 December 2027. A standstill period ends on 19 September 2026, with signature scheduled by 20 September 2026. The arrangement is an open framework, and the single lot is complete. The selected supplier is BMJ Publishing Group Limited. The award is recorded as pending, reflecting the contract-finalisation stage, while the procurement outcome has been decided.

This opportunity indicates recurring institutional demand for bundled scholarly publishing access: a supplier would need strong capability in academic journal subscriptions, online content platforms, database services and open-access publishing workflows. Credibility would depend on controlling, licensing or distributing the relevant publishing content, supporting reliable access for multiple education and research organisations, and handling both read-only and publish-and-read models. Suppliers targeting comparable requirements should understand higher and further education purchasing arrangements and the needs of research-intensive institutions, consortia and specialist education bodies. The direct award rationale shows that exclusive intellectual property rights and a unique content resource were decisive here, so future competitors would need a clearly differentiated publishing portfolio or an equivalent rights-based proposition rather than a general library technology service.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

BMJ Read and Publish 2027

Notice Description

Jisc Services Limited is entering into a contract with BMJ Publishing Group Limited to give Jisc member institutions the right to subscribe to BMJ Publishing Group Limited's online journals at preferential rates and publish open access articles in said journals. Members will be able to choose from OA publishing and read only options. The contract will be with Jisc Services Limited as a subsidiary of Jisc. 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.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f549
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085525-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

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
£1,664,635 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Sep 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

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
Postcode Area
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

BMJ Publishing Group Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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