---
title: "Award Notice for Books, E-books E-textbooks, and Associated Services"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-752306ca-f01e-490e-9385-99b9bb89aedf"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-752306ca-f01e-490e-9385-99b9bb89aedf"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-752306ca-f01e-490e-9385-99b9bb89aedf.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-752306ca-f01e-490e-9385-99b9bb89aedf.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER"
published: "2025-12-24"
---

# Award Notice for Books, E-books E-textbooks, and Associated Services

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-752306ca-f01e-490e-9385-99b9bb89aedf

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## Summary

The University of Chester has completed the award process for a contract relating to "Books, E-books, E-textbooks, and Associated Services" under two separate lots. The award notice, dated 24th December 2025, details a direct award to EBSCO International Ltd for Lot 4 and Browns Books (A.T. Little & Sons Limited) for Lot 1. This contract, valued at £360,000, falls within the industry category of Textbooks with additional classification in Electronic information services. The procurement process was conducted selectively through a call-off from a framework agreement. The contract commences on 4th January 2026 and concludes on 3rd January 2030, covering the North West region of England.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly those specialising in publishing or digital content aggregation, given its focus on both print and electronic formats. SMEs and VCSEs are suitable to participate given the framework's suitability criteria. Businesses that can offer competitive services in the provision and management of library stock and E-book aggregation will find this contract appealing, especially those capable of delivering tailored solutions to academic institutions. This procurement not only promises direct engagement with a major educational entity but also encourages growth through long-term collaboration within the educational services sector.

## Notice

This Award Notice follows the University of Chester placing a direct award with EBSCO International Ltd under Lot 1: Print publications: standard suppliers for library stock and EBSCO International Ltd and Browns Books (A.T. Little & Sons Limited) under Lot 4: E-book aggregator: title-by-title perpetual access purchase of the Books, E-books, E-textbooks, and Associated Services framework agreement. The University can access this agreement as a member of NWUPC. In line with the guidance provided by SUPC this direct award is made under the framework Terms and Conditions. All values in this award notice have been rounded up and the contract end date includes the optional extension periods.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/bcb5e861-0823-444a-aed5-a077a11acbcd |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 24 Dec 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 18 Dec 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 19 Dec 2025 |
| Contract period | 4 Jan 2026 - 3 Jan 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £360,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £180,000 |
| 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 | UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER |
| Locality | CHESTER |
| Post town | Chester |
| Postcode | CH1 4BJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD6 Cheshire |
| ITL 3 | TLD63 Cheshire West and Chester |
| Local authority | Cheshire West and Chester |
| Electoral ward | Chester City & the Garden Quarter |
| Westminster constituency | Chester North and Neston |
| Delivery location | TLD North West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 2 |
| Supplier names | BROWNS BOOKS (A.T. LITTLE & SONS; EBSCO INTERNATIONAL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 22 - Printed matter and related products
- 64 - Postal and telecommunications services

### Codes

- 22112000 - Textbooks
- 64216200 - Electronic information services

## Release History

- 24 Dec 2025 at 14:40 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/bcb5e861-0823-444a-aed5-a077a11acbcd

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/bcb5e861-0823-444a-aed5-a077a11acbcd
  24th December 2025 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Notice URLs

- http://www.chester.ac.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-b5fd17-752306ca-f01e-490e-9385-99b9bb89aedf. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-752306ca-f01e-490e-9385-99b9bb89aedf.json.