---
title: "UK SBS IT18171 UK Research and Innovation REF Website Migration and Hosting for Research England"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-31a8a008-ff00-4329-a227-ceee26eaa213"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-31a8a008-ff00-4329-a227-ceee26eaa213"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-31a8a008-ff00-4329-a227-ceee26eaa213.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-31a8a008-ff00-4329-a227-ceee26eaa213.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED"
published: "2018-09-07"
---

# UK SBS IT18171 UK Research and Innovation REF Website Migration and Hosting for Research England

Buyer: UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-31a8a008-ff00-4329-a227-ceee26eaa213

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## Summary

The procurement process, initiated by UK Shared Business Services Limited, pertains to the contract titled "UK Research and Innovation REF Website Migration and Hosting for Research England." This opportunity falls within the IT services industry category, specifically focusing on consulting, software development, and Internet support. The procurement is currently at the award stage, with the contract period set to commence on 10th September 2018 and concluding on 9th September 2020. The final date for submitting bids was 21st August 2018, and proposals must have been submitted via the CCS eSourcing Suite due to the open procurement method employed.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), that specialise in IT services including web hosting and content management system development. Given the contract's focus on migrating and hosting a high-traffic academic website, suppliers with experience in high-level digital solutions and proficient support capabilities will be particularly well-positioned to compete. The involvement of UK Shared Business Services as the contracting authority emphasizes the commitment to improving public sector efficiency, which presents a conducive environment for competitive IT service providers.

## Notice

The final date and time for the submission of bids is 21/08/2018 at 14:00. DO NOT apply directly to the buyer. Brief Description of Requirement: The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 established Research England as a Council of UK Research and Innovation and alongside the other existing Councils (the seven Research Councils and Innovate UK). Research England is responsible for funding, engaging with and understanding English higher education institutions (HEIs). As autonomous and diverse organisations, HEIs play a distinctive role in the research and innovation system, justifying a Council which challenges them to deliver to national agendas and supports them in achieving that. The diversity of individual university strategies, shaped by their many partners, will complement the level of strategic direction provided by UK Research and Innovation. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system for assessing research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). It was first conducted in 2014, and replaced the previous Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008). The REF is undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies. In 2008 and 2014, the funding body for England was the Higher Education Funding Council England, who managed the REF on behalf of the other funding bodies: the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE). Under the current service level agreement, the REF team receive support from the Office for Students and the REF website continues to be hosted on the HEFCE server. The current contract for the CMS expires at the end of September. The server on which the site is run will also be decommissioned by the end of September. The REF team therefore requires a third party to host the REF website. It also requires a content management system that offers a high degree of control of the REF 2021 site to make regular updates to it. The initial contract period will be for two years with the option to extend for an additional two years. The aim of this sourcing activity is to find a supplier who can: - migrate the content of the existing REF 2021 website to a new content management system by 28 September 2018; - provide a content management system for the REF 2021 website from end September 2018; - host the website. Please ensure you review all attached information to ensure a full understanding of this requirement. All attachments can be found via the RFx attachments tab within the Emptoris System. This contract will be awarded based on the evaluation criteria set out in the ITQ document. How to Apply: As part of the strategic alliance between UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) and Crown Commercial Service (CCS), UK SBS will be using the CCS eSourcing Suite for this procurement. To register on the CCS eSourcing portal please follow the details contained within the Additional Information section. Additional information: DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO BUYER - Please disregard any content in this notice that requests your organisation "to apply directly to the buyer" as this unfortunately a system generated error, that is outside of the Contracting Authorities control. Responses must be received by the date in the tender documentation; responses received outside of the deadline or not sent via the eSourcing portal will not be accepted or considered further for this opportunity. How to Register on the CCS eSourcing Suite If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Suite, this can be done online at https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk by following the link 'Register for CCS eSourcing'. Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Once you have registered on the eSourcing Suite, a registered user can express an interest for a specific procurement. This is done by emailing expressionofinterest@crowncommercial.gov.uk. Your email must clearly state: * name and reference for the procurement you wish to register for; * name of the registered Bidder; * name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email. Crown Commercial Service will process the email and then enable the Bidder to access the procurement online via the e-Sourcing Suite. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done. The Sourcing documents can then be accessed on the eSourcing Suite at: https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk using the instructions detailed in the Specification documents within Contracts Finder. As a user of the e-Sourcing Suite you will have access to Emptoris email messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific RFX event. Please note it is your responsibility to access these emails on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information. For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite please contact Crown Commercial Service Helpdesk: Telephone: 0345 010 3503 Training documents to support Bidders to utilise Emptoris CCS eSourcing are available in the Contracts Finder Tender documents section. About UK Shared Business Services UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) brings a commercial attitude to the public sector; helping our contracting authorities to improve efficiency, generate savings and modernise. Where UK SBS is not named as the Contracting Authority within the documentation, UK SBS will be acting as an agent on behalf of the Contracting Authority.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a7fdcd43-ca28-4347-a210-02f2f18dc42e |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure (below threshold) |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 7 Sep 2018 |
| Submission deadline | 21 Aug 2018 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 6 Sep 2018 |
| Contract period | 9 Sep 2018 - 9 Sep 2020 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £47,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £38,610 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FF |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CONNECT INTERNET SOLUTIONS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

### Codes

- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

## Release History

- 7 Sep 2018 at 14:46 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a7fdcd43-ca28-4347-a210-02f2f18dc42e
- 14 Aug 2018 at 13:28 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/27b4c9ad-3c96-4ad0-821f-46deb84862f6
- 3 Aug 2018 at 11:23 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/27b4c9ad-3c96-4ad0-821f-46deb84862f6

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a7fdcd43-ca28-4347-a210-02f2f18dc42e
  7th September 2018 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/27b4c9ad-3c96-4ad0-821f-46deb84862f6
  14th August 2018 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/980191ea-aebe-46f7-9ef4-23144b60642d
  Bidder Logging into Emptoris for the first time
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/ca6e57a2-38d3-4027-8ead-b1d77957bc66
  Bidder Training
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/f6f5434a-e875-45c3-b19a-4e052248ad52
  IT18171 ITQ Invitation to Quote
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/b6f2729e-a743-4084-b7ab-432e1261f687
  IT18171 AW5.2 Price Schedule
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/efb6def4-8517-40bd-af7a-ee8a6647b3b9
  IT18171 S1 - Services Purchasing Contract
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/381e00e8-2aba-46b7-843b-ac3331bb0721
  Cyber Essentials Questionnaire - Clause C7-16
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/5fcdc990-97d8-4926-ad43-9f9cdbc35031
  IT18171 ITQ Invitation to Quote Questions
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/8d721946-c4c7-45c2-a1e0-3ec8df4cb33b
  IT18171 ITQ Invitation to Quote questions
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/41222446-288f-42ce-8349-9cf5a7606131
  IT18171 ITQ Invitation to Quote 030818 (1)

## Notice URLs

- https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-31a8a008-ff00-4329-a227-ceee26eaa213. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-31a8a008-ff00-4329-a227-ceee26eaa213.json.