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iRIS Connect

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

08 Oct 2026 at 15:50

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Open University procured the iRIS Connect online education management and practice-learning platform for its PGCE Partnership Team. The system supports the management, monitoring and assessment of student teachers’ school-based practice learning. This is a software and information-systems requirement, centred on an education platform rather than general IT supply. The buyer is The Open University, based at Walton Hall in Milton Keynes. The procurement covers delivery in the United Kingdom; no more specific delivery location is stated. The requirement is focused on enabling the university’s teacher-training partnership to oversee trainees’ practical learning in schools, track progress and assess their performance.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to IRIS Connect Ltd. The university signed the contract on 28 July 2026. The contract runs from 1 October 2026 to 1 October 2027. Its value is £27,075 excluding VAT (£32,490 including VAT). The procurement was below the applicable threshold, and the published procedure detail describes the method as unknown. It was organised as one lot, with no separate lot awards. The stated requirement is the iRIS Connect platform for managing, monitoring and assessing school-based practice learning by student teachers on the PGCE partnership. No specific evaluation criteria or eligibility requirements are recorded in the process information.

This award demonstrates a defined demand at The Open University for a specialist platform supporting school-based teacher training: the system must help a partnership team manage placements or practice learning, monitor student teachers’ progress and assess their performance. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need an education-focused platform that brings these functions together and can support the university’s PGCE partnership model. Suppliers should be able to show relevant experience delivering learning-management or teacher-practice tools for higher education and school settings, together with the capacity to support users across those environments. The selected supplier is an SME, showing that a business of this scale was able to deliver the requirement; the award does not evidence a need for a large general-purpose IT provider.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

iRIS Connect

Notice Description

Online education management and practice learning platform used by the PGCE Partnership Team to support the management, monitoring and assessment of student teachers' school-based practice learning.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078415
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095353-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - unknown
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£27,075 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 1 Oct 2027 1-2 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
THE OPEN 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
MILTON KEYNES
Postcode
MK7 6AA
Postcode Area
Milton Keynes
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ12 Milton Keynes
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Milton Keynes
Electoral Ward
Monkston
Westminster Constituency
Milton Keynes Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

IRIS Connect

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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