---
title: "Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Provision and Support"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-02edf0"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02edf0"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02edf0.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02edf0.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF YORK"
published: "2021-10-20"
---

# Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Provision and Support

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF YORK  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-02edf0

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## Summary

The University of York has successfully completed the procurement process for the provision and support of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) aimed at university students, classified under educational software packages. This procurement, conducted through a limited negotiated method without prior publication of a contract notice due to extenuating circumstances surrounding the COVID pandemic, was awarded to Blackboard International B.V. The tender is valued at £1,664,000, with the contract signed on 18th October 2021. The awarded service is set to commence on 1st July 2022, providing a five-year commitment to ensure a stable VLE solution is maintained during significant strategic changes within the university. 

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly those involved in educational technology, software development, and IT support services. Firms with experience in providing VLE solutions or those capable of integrating educational software into existing infrastructures would be well-suited to compete in future tenders. The successful implementation of a well-managed VLE plays a crucial role in enhancing educational outcomes, which aligns with the ongoing strategic transformation at the University of York, creating pathways for innovation and collaboration in the education sector.

## Notice

Provision and support of a VLE for university students

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Provision and support of a VLE for university students for a five year period commencing 1st July 2022

### Procurement Information

A previously published VEAT notice (2019-OJS 149-367112) stated an intention to enter an open procurement activity prior to the end of the current extended contract. The impact of the COVID pandemic has prevented the University from being able to undertake this activity with enough time remaining to complete a procurement and an implementation activity without significant risk of project delay. The University is currently undergoing an ambitious strategic change programme. This is affecting all staff involved in teaching and learning activities and any significant changes to the enabling VLE platform are considered too disruptive at this time. The University must have a solution to its current self-hosted BlackBoard infrastructure going out of support. It is therefore the intention to migrate to BlackBoard's cloud hosted infrastructure without undertaking a competitive tender. By not undertaking a competitive tender, the University will increase the lead time available to start implementation; thereby significantly reducing the risk of missing a critical summer migration deadline. Furthermore, there has been significant investment in process, staff skills and capabilities over the last 5 years that can be utilised, removing the need for organisation wide retraining and detailed process review. The strategic change activities currently underway at the University are expected to take between 3 and 5 years to deliver and become embedded within the University. The provision of a stable, well managed and understood VLE plays a significant role in enabling the success of these changes. The continuation of service throughout this 5 year period is therefore a critical success factor and any change to the VLE supplier during this period would neither be advantageous nor sustainable. As a consequence, the University will be seeking a 5 year commitment during which time we will consider competitive options for a new, longer-term solution.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026243-2021 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Negotiated without publication of a contract notice |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Oct 2021 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 17 Oct 2021 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £1,664,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF YORK |
| Locality | YORK |
| Post town | York |
| Postcode | YO10 5DD |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber |
| ITL 2 | TLE2 North Yorkshire |
| ITL 3 | TLE21 York |
| Local authority | York |
| Electoral ward | Hull Road |
| Westminster constituency | York Central |
| Delivery location | TLE21 York |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | BLACKBOARD INTERNATIONAL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48190000 - Educational software package

## Release History

- 20 Oct 2021 at 10:57 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026243-2021

## Notice URLs

- https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:367112-2019:TEXT:EN:HTML
- https://www.york.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-h6vhtk-02edf0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02edf0.json.