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Student Payment Platform

CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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08 Oct 2026 at 17:08

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Canterbury Christ Church University is procuring a student payment platform and associated service to automate refunds and the return of funds to students. The requirement is a software-enabled payment service supporting the University’s student payment processes. The service is to be delivered across England, covering the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West. The procurement is categorised as a service, with the associated classification describing treasury services. The requirement relates to the University’s existing Aspire platform, which is embedded in its processes and has been used for the past three years. The contract continues this student refund and payment capability rather than introducing a different service purpose.

The procurement is complete and awarded by direct award to John Smith & Son Group Ltd, the incumbent supplier of the Aspire platform. The University chose renewal without a competition because it lacked staff capacity to run a competitive procurement and implement an alternative; it also cited continuity risks and the costs and disruption of specification, evaluation, transition, data migration, process changes and user training. The award is valued at £845,000 excluding VAT (£1,014,000 including VAT). The contract period runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 August 2031, with a scheduled signature date of 1 November 2026. The process comprises one lot. The published outcome identifies no comparative evaluation or award-scoring basis; the stated rationale is continuity with the established platform and a direct award to its incumbent provider.

For suppliers interested in this buyer’s student payment requirement, the award shows demand for a platform that automates student refunds and returns funds, and for continued support of a service embedded in university processes. A credible competitor would need to demonstrate reliable operation of a student payment platform, experience handling refunds and returned payments, and the ability to integrate with institutional processes while protecting continuity of service. The University’s rationale also highlights the practical burden of replacing the incumbent: a supplier proposing an alternative would need the capacity to manage specification and implementation, system transition, data migration, process configuration and user training, as well as a convincing plan to control disruption. The direct award went to an established supplier; evidence of relevant delivery experience and readiness to support a complex institutional transition would therefore be commercially important when this requirement next comes to market.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Student Payment Platform

Notice Description

The University is awarding a contract for a student payment platform/service that automates the process of providing refunds or returning funds to students.

Procurement Information

The University has utilised the Aspire platform for the past three years and is seeking to renew the contract through a direct award to the incumbent supplier. Following a recent organisational restructuring and associated reduction in staffing resources, the University does not currently have the capacity required to undertake a competitive procurement exercise and the subsequent implementation of an alternative solution. Retendering the requirement would necessitate significant internal resource to develop the specification, evaluate bids, manage system transition activities, migrate data, reconfigure processes and deliver user training. Given current resource constraints, undertaking these activities would present a material risk to business continuity and service delivery. The existing Aspire platform is fully implemented, embedded within University processes and continues to meet operational requirements. Renewal with the incumbent supplier therefore represents the most proportionate and low-risk option, ensuring continuity of service while avoiding the significant cost, disruption and resource commitment associated with procuring and implementing a replacement platform at this time.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078437
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095420-2026
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
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

CPV Codes

66600000 - Treasury services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£845,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

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 Nov 2026 - 31 Aug 2031 4-5 years
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
CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH 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
CANTERBURY
Postcode
CT1 1QU
Postcode Area
Canterbury
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ44 East Kent
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Canterbury
Electoral Ward
Barton
Westminster Constituency
Canterbury

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

John Smith & Son Group Ltd

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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