---
title: "T1142 - Finance System 2025 Direct Award"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05017c"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05017c"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05017c.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05017c.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX"
published: "2025-05-21"
---

# T1142 - Finance System 2025 Direct Award

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05017c

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## Summary

The University of Essex, a sub-central government authority based in Colchester, has completed the procurement process for a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution by awarding a direct contract to Unit4 Business Software Limited. This direct award, valued at £1,440,000 GBP for a 41-month term with options for two 12-month extensions, is made under the emergency provisions of Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. The urgency stems from Unit4's decision to cease support for the university's existing on-premises software by the end of 2026, necessitating swift continuity planning. The contract, effective from 1st March 2026 to 31st July 2029, covers financial management services vital for the university’s operations, including budget and inventory management, and reports. This direct award ensures the university retains uninterrupted access to essential financial services, with support and maintenance remaining under Unit4's cloud hosting.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses in the software and cloud services sector, particularly for those specialising in enterprise solutions and financial management systems. Companies adept in delivering comprehensive SaaS models and cloud migration services could benefit from similar urgent procurement processes that might arise in the public sector. As the demand for seamless and reliable cloud transition expands, there is potential for growth, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that can offer specialised software solutions and robust technical support. The integration of such solutions in institutional frameworks highlights a lucrative market for providers who can swiftly respond to critical and large-scale digital transformations.

## Notice

Contract for Unit4 Business Software Limited for the provision of a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning Solution. The proposed contract term is 41 Months + 12 + 12 Months. The current on premise Unit 4 finance software is a business-critical application used by the University and its subsidiaries for the management of their finances. The University considers that the award of the contract is permitted under section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. Section 41 allows contracting authorities to award a public contract to a non excluded supplier directly. Section 41 (5) (d) permits the award of a public contract for reasons of extreme and unavoidable urgency, the time limits for the open or competitive flexible procedures in addition to the integration and implementation services cannot be complied with. Due to Unit4's unforeseeable decision to remove support for the University's on-premises solution after 31st December 2026, the University does not consider that there is sufficient time to implement a new financial system. This would have involved gathering a full set of requirements and specification, conducting market tests, completing a full procurement exercise and integration of existing interfaces before the given deadline by Unit4. The award of a contract pursuant to section 41 (5) (d) is therefore strictly necessary, for reasons of extreme urgency, to ensure business continuity for the University of Essex from 31st December 2026. The cloud based Unit4 Enterprise Resource Planning solution provides a full suite of financial management functions. It enables budget management, expenses, purchase to pay, sales to cash, inventory management, general ledger reporting and commitment accounting. Unit4 also provides support and maintenance of the software on its cloud under this contract.

### Procurement Information

The University considers that the award of the contract is permitted under section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. Section 41 allows contracting authorities to award a public contract to a non excluded supplier directly. Section 41 (5) (d) permits the award of a public contract for reasons of extreme and unavoidable urgency, the time limits for the open or competitive flexible procedures in addition to the integration and implementation services cannot be complied with. Due to Unit4's unforeseeable decision to remove support for the University's on-premises solution after 31st December 2026, the University does not consider that there is sufficient time to implement a new financial system. This would have involved gathering a full set of requirements and specification, conducting market tests, completing a full procurement exercise and integration of existing interfaces before the given deadline by Unit4. The award of a contract pursuant to section 41 (5) (d) is therefore strictly necessary, for reasons of extreme urgency, to ensure business continuity for the University of Essex from 31st December 2026.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023521-2025 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 May 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 10 Apr 2025 |
| Contract period | 1 Mar 2026 - 31 Jul 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,440,000 |
| Contracts value | £1,440,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX |
| Locality | COLCHESTER |
| Post town | Colchester |
| Postcode | CO4 3SQ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway |
| Local authority | Colchester |
| Electoral ward | Wivenhoe |
| Westminster constituency | Harwich and North Essex |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | UNIT4 BUSINESS SOFTWARE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 72211000 - Programming services of systems and user software

## Release History

- 21 May 2025 at 07:11 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023521-2025
- 11 Apr 2025 at 12:32 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014621-2025
- 11 Apr 2025 at 12:25 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014612-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023521-2025
  21st May 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014621-2025
  11th April 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014612-2025
  11th April 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.essex.ac.uk
- http://www.unit4.com
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-05017c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05017c.json.