---
title: "Flexible Lifelong Learning"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06c826"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c826"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c826.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c826.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "CARDIFF UNIVERSITY"
published: "2026-07-10"
---

# Flexible Lifelong Learning

Buyer: CARDIFF UNIVERSITY  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06c826

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c826)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c826.json)

## Summary

Cardiff University is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for the supply of Online Programme Management (OPM) services on a pay-per-service basis, under the title "Flexible Lifelong Learning". This initiative is part of a broader strategic framework aimed at advancing the university’s fully online postgraduate taught portfolio, with an anticipated launch in September 2027. A pre-market engagement session is scheduled for 12 August 2026, from 11:00 to 12:00, to gauge supplier interest and provide insights into the university's needs and expectations. Interested suppliers must register by 4th August 2026 at noon to attend. The procurement falls under the industry category of education and training services with supplementary focus areas such as administrative educational services and advertising and marketing services, set to occur within the UK, specifically the region identified as UKL22.

This tender offers considerable opportunities for businesses that can provide comprehensive online programme management solutions either on a modular or pay-per-service basis. It is particularly well-suited for suppliers with proven capabilities in supporting online educational growth, innovative programme design, and comprehensive student lifecycle services including recruitment, marketing, and retention strategies. While the call is open to various market players, it notes that the procurement may be more favourable to larger entities rather than SMEs due to the scope and scale of the services required. Participating in the engagement event and subsequent stages could allow businesses to align closely with Cardiff University's strategic digital learning objectives and expand their footprint in the education sector.

## Notice

Cardiff University is commencing the procurement for the supply of Online Programme Management (OPM) services on a pay per service basis. The University is currently undertaking a programme of work to provide the necessary insights and lay the groundwork for a strategic approach to fully online post graduate taught portfolio development and delivery, with a proposed start date for the first phase of the portfolio being September 2027.

### Planning Information

Cardiff University is commencing early market engagement to inform the development of its upcoming procurement for the supply of Online Programme Management (OPM) services on a pay per service basis.
The University is currently undertaking a programme of work to provide the necessary insights and lay the groundwork for a strategic approach to fully online post graduate taught portfolio development and delivery, with a proposed start date for the first phase of the portfolio being September 2027.
The pre-market engagement exercise will seek to:
• To establish the level of interest in the tender opportunity
• Provide suppliers with insights into the proposal for Cardiff University to launch a fully online portfolio.
• To gain an understanding of your experience of similar contracts, incorporating any lessons learnt to drive improvements.
• Gain insight into the current OPM marketplace and emerging trends.
• Understand the range of services available on a modular or pay-per-service basis.
• Explore different commercial and contractual arrangements, including alternatives to traditional revenue-share models.
• Understand supplier capability and capacity to support online postgraduate portfolio growth.
• Understand approaches to student recruitment, marketing, retention, learner support and analytics.
• Explore innovative approaches to programme design, development and delivery.
• Inform the design, scope and structure of a future procurement exercise.
• Ensure that any forthcoming procurement exercise is suitably aligned to institutional priorities and supplier expectations.
The pre-market engagement event will be held at 11:00 – 12:00 on Wednesday, 12 August. This will be a presentation delivered by Cardiff University to potential suppliers to provide background to Cardiff University and our expectation of this need.
Suppliers interested in attending the pre-market engagement event must complete and return the registration form via the correspondence function on the Universities e-tender portal In-Tend. 
https://in-tendhost.co.uk/cardiffuniversity/
Suppliers will be limited to 2 attendees. The session will be anonymised so that attendees will remain unknown to other participants. The deadline for registering attendance at the event is 12 noon on Tuesday 4th August 2026. Teams invitations will be issued once this deadline has passed. The University reserves the right to reject an application to attend sent after this time.
All presentation documentation, questions and answers will be published on the e-tendering portal following the pre-market engagement event. 
Following this presentation, a questionnaire will be published on the tendering portal to gain insights from suppliers. The deadline for returning this questionnaire is Friday 21st August 2026. The University reserves the right to reject an application to attend sent after this time.
This stage does not formally commence a procurement process. Participation in this pre-market engagement is voluntary and will not provide any advantage or disadvantage in any subsequent tender process.
The University anticipates refining the scope, service levels, data requirements, performance metrics, and commercial structure following this Pre Market Engagement.
Insights gained will inform the final tender documentation.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065056-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 10 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 15 Sep 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 22 Mar 2027 - 21 Mar 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £5,000,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | CARDIFF UNIVERSITY |
| Locality | CARDIFF |
| Post town | Cardiff |
| Postcode | CF24 4HQ |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan |
| Local authority | Cardiff |
| Electoral ward | Cathays |
| Westminster constituency | Cardiff South and Penarth |
| Delivery location | TLL22 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 75 - Administration, defence and social security services
- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 75121000 - Administrative educational services
- 79340000 - Advertising and marketing services
- 80000000 - Education and training services

## Release History

- 10 Jul 2026 at 10:13 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065056-2026
- 10 Jul 2026 at 08:52 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064991-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065056-2026
  10th July 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064991-2026
  10th July 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/business/why-work-with-us/for-suppliers
- https://in-tendhost.co.uk/cardiffuniversity/
- 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-06c826. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c826.json.