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Business Source Ultimate

University Of Bedfordshire

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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06 Oct 2026 at 14:21

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Bedfordshire is procuring Business Source Ultimate, a subscription service for business information. The service is for the university and is delivered in the United Kingdom. The procurement is categorised as services and consists of one lot. The named requirement is Business Source Ultimate; the published description does not give further detail on the subscription’s contents or intended users.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to EBSCO International Inc. The university used a direct award below the applicable threshold, without competition. The award is valued at £45,150 excluding VAT (£54,180 including VAT). The contract period runs from 1 November 2026 to 30 October 2027. The award is recorded as pending, with signature scheduled by 15 October 2026. The procurement is one lot, marked as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. No evaluation criteria are stated.

For suppliers of business information subscriptions, this award demonstrates demand from the University of Bedfordshire for Business Source Ultimate as a subscription service. A credible future competitor would need to provide the same named product or a demonstrably suitable alternative, and support delivery to a university in the UK. The purchase was made by direct award without competition, so a supplier seeking to compete on a future requirement should be prepared to establish a clear fit with the university’s needs and to engage with its procurement route. The one-lot purchase indicates a single service requirement rather than separate lots. The opportunity was identified as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises, making the buyer’s assessment of supplier suitability relevant to businesses in those groups. No specialist qualifications or capacity requirements are described.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Business Source Ultimate

Notice Description

Business Source Ultimate-UoB

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0781c8
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094310-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

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
£45,150 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 Oct 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Nov 2026 - 30 Oct 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
University Of Bedfordshire
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LUTON
Postcode
LU1 3JU
Postcode Area
Luton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH21 Luton
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Luton
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Luton South and South Bedfordshire

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

EBSCO INTERNATIONAL INC.

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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.

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