---
title: "GOFCoE Innovation Platform"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH"
published: "2021-11-03"
---

# GOFCoE Innovation Platform

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533.json)

## Summary

The University of Edinburgh has successfully completed a procurement process for an innovative platform software, titled "GOFCoE Innovation Platform," aimed at enhancing customer onboarding, engagement, and reporting. This contract, valued at £80,000, was officially signed on 29 October 2021 following an open tender procedure. The initiative falls within the education sector and is located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The award was granted to Xpand Group Ltd, a supplier based in Belfast, and is part of the contracting authority’s ongoing commitment to improve customer interactions through technology. The procurement method used was an open procedure under the Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016, specifically citing that the negotiation was conducted without prior publication of a contract notice due to technical reasons. 

This procurement opportunity represents a significant growth prospect for SMEs specialising in software development, particularly those with expertise in customer engagement and onboarding solutions for educational institutions or the financial services sector. Businesses that can provide flexible and integrated technological solutions that enhance user experiences will find themselves well-placed to compete in future tenders. As Xpand Group Ltd is set to incorporate additional features including Open Finance data analysis, this contract also opens doors for companies interested in leveraging open banking integrations for business development. The potential for ongoing enhancements and the development of a robust database of funding resources further illustrates the opportunity for businesses looking to innovate and expand their service offerings within this sector.

## Notice

Customer on boarding, engagement and reporting platform software

### Lot Information

Lot 1

In the months leading up to this procurement process, GOFCoE executed an exercise to determine what tools/technology would be required to support the facilitation of the customer onboarding and engagement process. This included; (1) the development of a detailed onboarding and engagement process which was evaluated by key resources from all GOFCoE propositions, (2) a detailed requirements gathering activity to evaluate proposition needs as it related to tools / technology required to facilitate this process, (3) a Market Research and Vendor Analysis exercise to understand players in the market that may be able to meet GOFCoE's needs. While many technologies exist to support various stages / activities in the onboarding and engagement process required by GOFCoE, Xpand was the most comprehensive solution; an integrated experience to simplify implementation and support in the creation of a seamless user experience. In addition, Xpand is a rapidly growing SME based in Northern Ireland and Scotland with a specific focus on developing networks within the financial services and open banking sector. Through further discussions, requirements gathering, and evaluation of Xpand's offering, a document was developed defining, in more detail, how Xpand's services are well aligned with GOFCoE's needs and also specifying why Xpand's offering is unique in the market. Xpand offers a flexible solution that will be catered to support the end-to-end user experience for GOFCoE customers. The solution will be integrated with GOFCoE's website and other existing software as needed and has the capability to scale up to meet our needs over time. While the existing features / functionality of the application meet GOFCoE's basic customer onboarding and engagement needs, further functionality development is currently underway. Xpand has a robust roadmap of feature developments taking place over the next several quarters. The team has offered to prioritize the development of specific functionality on the roadmap to meet the needs of GOFCoE along the timelines we require based on our own proposition development plans. This flexibility and customizability ensure that the user experience is mature in advance of significant customer demand. Two additional elements were determined to be particularly unique were: - Database of available resources: The application has an updated database of available funding, support, programmes and events which is maintained by the Xpand team which can be added to any programme delivered by the team. The application will provide notifications to businesses and relevant sources of funding on an ongoing basis. This is sourced automatically and requested sources can be added / maintained using scripts which have been developed by the Xpand team. This feature may be used by GOFCoE customers to help propel the development of their service offerings and businesses overall. - Open Banking Integration (December 2021): From the end of 2021, the application will incorporate Open Finance data for analysis. Helping to support the automation of decision making, applications and analysis for businesses. This will also enable new and flexible funding mechanisms to be developed. This is a feature that GOFCoE will explore using in an effort to provide additional value and business development opportunities to customers using GOFCoE services.. Awarded under Reg 6(1)(b)(ii) of the Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016 (Competition is absent for technical reasons)

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=NOV431988 |
| Notice type | PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 3 Nov 2021 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Oct 2021 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £80,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH1 1HT |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | City Centre |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh East and Musselburgh |
| Delivery location | TLM75 City of Edinburgh |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | XPAND GROUP |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48100000 - Industry specific software package

## Release History

- 3 Nov 2021 at 00:00 - Award - PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=NOV431988

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=NOV431988
  GOFCoE Innovation Platform - Customer on boarding, engagement and reporting platform software

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/procurement/supplying
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533

## 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-r6ebe6-0000672533. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000672533.json.