---
title: "CORE Development Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0558b7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0558b7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0558b7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0558b7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY"
published: "2025-07-07"
---

# CORE Development Services

Buyer: THE OPEN UNIVERSITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0558b7

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0558b7)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0558b7.json)

## Summary

The Open University has awarded a contract titled "CORE Development Services" within the industry category of custom software development services. This contract aims to enhance the service development capacity necessary for the university's CORE project, which hosts the world's largest collection of open access research outputs. The procurement process was a direct award to Qubit Labs, and the project is valued at £450,000 net, with a gross value of £540,000. The development is set in the United Kingdom, specifically the UKJ1 region, and it is scheduled to commence on 8th August 2025, concluding on 31st July 2026. The award was published on 7th July 2025, and the contract is currently in the standstill period, ending on 17th July 2025.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in bespoke software development and associated services, particularly those with the capability to manage large codebases and support complex digital infrastructures. Companies with existing expertise in open access research platforms or similar domains could find this tender especially appealing. As the procurement was conducted through a direct award, businesses that can demonstrate unique technical capabilities and specialist knowledge in the relevant fields are well-suited to compete in similar future opportunities facilitated by large public authorities like The Open University.

## Notice

Service development capacity, in the form of software development and associated activities, to support the CORE project: CORE hosts the world's largest collection of open access research outputs, which are used and referenced by people globally, including researchers, libraries, software developers, funders

### Procurement Information

The Open University (OU) intends to award a one (1) year agreement to Qubit Labs to provide software development and associated activities, to support the CORE OU project. The CORE code base contains more than 250k lines of code Qubit personnel have the required training, expertise and specialist knowledge to operate and develop the CORE infrastructure. The cost and time to upskill another company to the level required precludes the award of the contract to a company other than Qubit.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/037972-2025 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award 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 | 7 Jul 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 4 Jul 2025 |
| Contract period | 7 Aug 2025 - 31 Jul 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £450,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | THE OPEN UNIVERSITY |
| Locality | MILTON KEYNES |
| Post town | Milton Keynes |
| Postcode | MK7 6AA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ12 Milton Keynes |
| Local authority | Milton Keynes |
| Electoral ward | Monkston |
| Westminster constituency | Milton Keynes Central |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | QUBIT LABS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 72230000 - Custom software development services

## Release History

- 7 Jul 2025 at 15:02 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/037972-2025
- 4 Jul 2025 at 07:56 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/037279-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/037972-2025
  7th July 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/037279-2025
  4th July 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://qubit-labs.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-0558b7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0558b7.json.