---
title: "Provision of Payment Solution Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06816d"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06816d"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06816d.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06816d.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF KEELE"
published: "2026-05-26"
---

# Provision of Payment Solution Services

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF KEELE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06816d

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## Summary

The University of Keele, located in Keele, Staffordshire, has completed a procurement process for the "Provision of Payment Solution Services" specifically tailored to the education sector. The contract was directly awarded to Flywire Payments Limited, a large supplier based in London, due to their proven expertise and integration capabilities with the University's existing student records system, Tribal SITS. The contract covers integrated payment processing services, including the handling of student payments and outgoing payables, scheduled between 27 April 2026 and 26 April 2031. This direct award was necessary to ensure timely and cost-effective implementation while avoiding disruption to critical services during the University's scheduled Tribal SITS system upgrades in May 2026. The total gross amount of the contract is valued at £552,000 over the contract period.

This particular tender offers growth opportunities for businesses specialising in software packages, information systems, particularly those with proficiency in integrating and managing student record systems like Tribal SITS. Businesses looking to compete in similar opportunities should have strong technical capabilities in software platform integration and a proven track record in the education sector, where speed and cost-effectiveness are paramount. While the direct award limits competition for this contract, the evident demand for niche expertise signifies potential future opportunities for specialist service providers aiming to develop tailored solutions that seamlessly integrate with widely used education systems.

## Notice

Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 13 April 2026, and a Contract Award Notice on 14 April 2026, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Details Notice to announce, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 53 of the Procurement Act 2023, that it has awarded a contract to Flywire Payments Limited for the provision of an integrated payment solution platform, including student payment processing, Tribal SITS integration, outgoing payables, and optional services such as Collections Management, Deposits, and other modules as defined in the contract. This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7 and 25 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. The services require a platform that is fully integrated with the University's Tribal SITS student records system. The University is scheduled to double-upgrade to Tribal SITS V11.0 in May 2026, after which legacy WPM SITS payment pathways will no longer be supported. Flywire has a proven integration with Tribal SITS used by over 20 universities, significantly reducing manual reconciliation. Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to replicate this specific integration and expertise. This would necessitate a substantial duplication of effort and cost, and an unacceptable period of mobilisation, resulting in: 1. Potential material duplication of cost for the University (including new integrations and staff retraining); and 2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical payment processing services, which would disrupt student enrolment and the University's cash flow. The award of this contract to Flywire represents the only viable route to secure the required services in a timely and cost-effective manner, as a competitive procurement process would be objectively unsuitable in these specific circumstances. This justification is supported by precedents from other UK Universities, including the University of Kent (Transparency Notice 2026/S 000-017974).

### Procurement Information

Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 13 April 2026, and a Contract Award Notice on 14 April 2026, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Details Notice to announce, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 53 of the Procurement Act 2023, that it has awarded a contract to Flywire Payments Limited for the provision of an integrated payment solution platform, including student payment processing, Tribal SITS integration, outgoing payables, and optional services such as Collections Management, Deposits, and other modules as defined in the contract. This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7 and 25 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. The services require a platform that is fully integrated with the University's Tribal SITS student records system. The University is scheduled to double-upgrade to Tribal SITS V11.0 in May 2026, after which legacy WPM SITS payment pathways will no longer be supported. Flywire has a proven integration with Tribal SITS used by over 20 universities, significantly reducing manual reconciliation. Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to replicate this specific integration and expertise. This would necessitate a substantial duplication of effort and cost, and an unacceptable period of mobilisation, resulting in: 1. Potential material duplication of cost for the University (including new integrations and staff retraining); and 2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical payment processing services, which would disrupt student enrolment and the University's cash flow. The award of this contract to Flywire represents the only viable route to secure the required services in a timely and cost-effective manner, as a competitive procurement process would be objectively unsuitable in these specific circumstances. This justification is supported by precedents from other UK Universities, including the University of Kent (Transparency Notice 2026/S 000-017974).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049246-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 9 Apr 2026 |
| Contract period | 26 Apr 2026 - 26 Apr 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £460,000 |
| Contracts value | £460,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF KEELE |
| Locality | KEELE, STAFFORDSHIRE, |
| Post town | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Postcode | ST5 5NB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLG24 Staffordshire CC |
| Local authority | Newcastle-under-Lyme |
| Electoral ward | Keele |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle-under-Lyme |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | FLYWIRE PAYMENTS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48000000 - Software package and information systems

## Release History

- 26 May 2026 at 16:42 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049246-2026
- 14 Apr 2026 at 18:42 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033962-2026
- 13 Apr 2026 at 16:57 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033482-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049246-2026
  26th May 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033962-2026
  14th April 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033482-2026
  13th April 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.flywire.com
- http://www.keele.ac.uk
- 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-06816d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06816d.json.