---
title: "Library Resources"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0675c1"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0675c1"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0675c1.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0675c1.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY"
published: "2026-03-26"
---

# Library Resources

Buyer: THE OPEN UNIVERSITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0675c1

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0675c1)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0675c1.json)

## Summary

The procurement process for library resources, particularly eBooks, has been conducted by The Open University, headquartered in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. This tender, identified as "OUPA11664", falls under the services category and is completed with a direct award method. The contract, valued at £274,543.03, is pending as of 26 March 2026, with ProQuest LLC as the supplier. A key date for business consideration is the standstill period, ending on 8 April 2026, and the contract commencement scheduled for 1 May 2026 lasting until 30 April 2031. The industry category is education and training services, serviced in the UKJ12 region, with procurement grounded in exclusive intellectual property rights as per UK legislation.

This tender presents opportunities for businesses specialising in educational and digital content services, although it is restricted due to intellectual property constraints. ProQuest LLC has exclusive rights, making it the sole lawful provider of the eBook platform required. While generally suited to large-scale suppliers with unique intellectual property portfolios, smaller businesses might explore partnering or licensing opportunities with such entities to indirectly engage in comparable contracts. The process highlights the importance of securing proprietary technologies in gaining a competitive edge in the educational services sector.

## Notice

Library Resources relating to Ebooks.

### Procurement Information

Single supplier - intellectual property or exclusive rights. The direct award is justified on the grounds that competition is absent for technical reasons, and the contract concerns the protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights. Ebook Central Academic Complete (UKI Edition) is a proprietary academic ebook platform developed, owned and exclusively licensed by ProQuest (Clarivate). The platform aggregates a unique collection of academic ebook content under licensing agreements held exclusively by ProQuest with individual publishers. No other supplier can lawfully offer or replicate this specific collection, platform functionality, or the associated publisher licensing framework. The University has a continuing requirement to provide its students and staff with access to this resource, which is embedded in academic curricula and research workflows. This justification meets the conditions of Schedule 5 (5)(a-b) and (6)(a-b) of the Procurement Act.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028222-2026 |
| 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 | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 26 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Apr 2026 - 30 Apr 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £274,543 |
| 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 | PROQUEST |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services

## Release History

- 26 Mar 2026 at 20:39 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028222-2026
- 26 Mar 2026 at 17:11 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028184-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028222-2026
  26th March 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028184-2026
  26th March 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://about.proquest.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-0675c1. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0675c1.json.