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Investment Services - University of Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

22 Sep 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

03 Mar 2026 at 00:00

OJEU - F2 - Contract Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Aberdeen procured investment services for advice and custodianship of its investment portfolios and those of DT SCIO. This is a professional financial-services requirement covering investment advice, portfolio oversight and custodial services for institutional assets. The buying organisation is the University of Aberdeen, based at King’s College in Aberdeen. The service supports the management and safekeeping of university and associated charitable investment holdings. It falls within financial and investment services, including securities and fund management activities. The requirement was structured as one service package rather than separate lots, so a provider would need to address both the advisory and custodial aspects together. The work is connected with the University’s investment governance and portfolio-management arrangements in Aberdeen.

The procurement has been completed and awarded following an open procedure. One lot was evaluated on technical quality at 80% and price at 20%; variants were not allowed. The submission deadline and bid opening were 10 April 2026 at 12:00. Six electronic bids were received. Mercer was selected, and the contract was signed on 15 July 2026. The contract value is £2,052,000. The initial five-year term starts on 5 July 2026, with a stated duration of 1,800 days. The University may extend the arrangement by up to two further two-year periods, either singly or in phases, subject to satisfactory annual review and mutual agreement. Electronic payment and ordering apply, and electronic invoicing is allowed.

This award demonstrates demand from a Scottish university for a combined investment-advice and custodianship service covering institutional and charitable portfolios. A credible future competitor would need to provide robust investment expertise alongside secure, reliable custody and administration of assets. The high weighting given to technical quality indicates that service capability, governance, reporting, risk management and the quality of the proposed delivery model are more important than price alone. Suppliers should be able to manage institutional investment relationships, support an investment committee and work within annual performance reviews. The six bids received show that the requirement attracts established competition, while the absence of SME bids and the selection of a large provider indicate that scale, specialist resources and proven operational capacity are likely to matter.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Investment Services - University of Aberdeen

Notice Description

Award of contract for for investment advice and custodianship services of the University and DT SCIO investment Portfolios.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Award of contract for for investment advice and custodianship services of the University and DT SCIO investment Portfolios.

Renewal: An initial term of 5 years from 5 July 2026. The Investment Committee will have the option of extending the contract (either singly or in phases) for up to two additional periods of 2 years, subject to satisfactory annual review and mutual agreement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000825410
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565015
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

CPV Codes

66122000 - Corporate finance and venture capital services

66171000 - Financial consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£2,052,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
10 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
University of Aberdeen
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
ABERDEEN
Postcode
AB24 3FX
Postcode Area
Aberdeen
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM5 North Eastern Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Delivery Location
TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Local Authority
Aberdeen City
Electoral Ward
Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen
Westminster Constituency
Aberdeen North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Mercer Limited

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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