University of Keele is publishing this transparency notice to announce its intention, in accordance with its statutory obligations, to award a contract directly to Flywire 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).
This Transparency Notice is published by the University of Keele, a contracting authority, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 44 of the Procurement Act 2023 to notify its intention to award a contract directly.
Disclaimer
This notice does not itself constitute an offer, an award of contract, or give rise to any implied contract. The publication of the subsequent Contract Award Notice will initiate the mandatory 8-working-day standstill period, as required by Section 51(1) of the Act.
The University will not, and cannot lawfully, enter into a contract for the required services until the 8-working-day standstill period has been successfully completed. Any contract award will be confirmed through the subsequent publication of a Contract Details Notice.
Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 13 April 2026, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Award Notice to announce its intention in accordance with its statutory obligations, to award a contract directly to Flywire 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).
Disclaimer
This Contract Award Notice is published by the University of Keele, a contracting authority, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 50 of the Procurement Act 2023 to notify its intention to award a contract.
This notice does not itself constitute an offer, an award of contract, or give rise to any implied contract. The publication of the subsequent Contract Award Notice will initiate the mandatory 8-working-day standstill period, as required by Section 51(1) of the Act.
The University will not, and cannot lawfully, enter into a contract for the required services until the 8-working-day standstill period has been successfully completed. Any contract award will be confirmed through the subsequent publication of a Contract Details Notice.
Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 13 April 2026, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Award Notice to announce its intention, in accordance with its statutory obligations, to award a contract to Worktribe Ltd for the provision of a consolidated, end-to-end research management system.
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 existing technical estate (including HR and Finance systems), workflows, and processes. Since first procuring Worktribe in 2022, the University has made a substantial investment in system integrations, customisations, and staff training. These are now embedded in the University's research support operations.
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 data migration, new integrations, and staff retraining); and
2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of critical research support services, which would disrupt the University's research activities and prevent it from achieving its operational and financial objectives.
The award of this contract to Worktribe Ltd represents the only viable route to secure the required goods and 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 Birmingham, the University of Greenwich, and Nottingham Trent University.
Disclaimer
This Contract Award Notice is published by the University of Keele, a contracting authority, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 50 of the Procurement Act 2023 to notify its intention to award a contract.
This notice does not itself constitute an offer, an award of contract, or give rise to any implied contract. The publication of this Contract Award Notice by University of Keele will initiate the mandatory 8 working day standstill period, as required by Section 51(1) of the Act.
The University will not, and cannot lawfully, enter into a contract for the required goods and services until the 8-working-day standstill period has been successfully completed. Any contract award will be confirmed through the subsequent publication of a Contract Details Notice.
Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 23 December 2025 and a Contract Award Notice on 13 January 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 Osborne Clarke LLP for the provision of specialist legal advice relating to complex land and property transactions.
This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7, 13 and 14 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.
The services require a strategic review of, and advice on, highly complex and long standing legal and financial structures. The successful delivery of these services is contingent upon a deep and specific understanding of a unique transactional history, comprising multi-layered agreements and involving multiple specific parties and intricate relationships.
Osborne Clarke LLP was previously engaged by the University to conduct an initial high level scoping review of this specific matter. As a result, they now possess pre-existing, supplier-specific expertise and a demonstrated understanding of the transaction's particularities. This includes a detailed, phased methodology for the work, developed during the initial engagement.
Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to acquire this specific expertise and experience. 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; and
2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical advice, which would prevent the University from achieving its immediate and lasting operational and financial objectives.
The award of this contract to Osborne Clarke LLP 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.
University of Keele is publishing this transparency notice to announce its intention, in accordance with its statutory obligations, to award a contract directly to Worktribe Ltd for the provision of a consolidated, end-to-end research management system.
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 existing technical estate (including HR and Finance systems), workflows, and processes. Since first procuring Worktribe in 2022, the University has made a substantial investment in system integrations, customisations, and staff training. These are now embedded in the University's research support operations.
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 data migration, new integrations, and staff retraining); and
2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of critical research support services, which would disrupt the University's research activities and prevent it from achieving its operational and financial objectives.
The award of this contract to Worktribe Ltd represents the only viable route to secure the required goods and 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 Birmingham, the University of Greenwich, and Nottingham Trent University.
This Transparency Notice is published by the University of Keele, a contracting authority, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 44 of the Procurement Act 2023 to notify its intention to award a contract directly.
Disclaimer
This notice does not itself constitute an offer, an award of contract, or give rise to any implied contract. The publication of the subsequent Contract Award Notice will initiate the mandatory 8-working-day standstill period, as required by Section 51(1) of the Act.
The University will not, and cannot lawfully, enter into a contract for the required goods and services until the 8-working-day standstill period has been successfully completed. Any contract award will be confirmed through the subsequent publication of a Contract Details Notice.
Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 23 December 2025, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Award Notice to announce its intention, in accordance with its statutory obligations, to award a contract to Osborne Clarke LLP for the provision of specialist legal advice relating to complex land and property transactions.
This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7, 13 and 14 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.
The services require a strategic review of, and advice on, highly complex and long standing legal and financial structures. The successful delivery of these services is contingent upon a deep and specific understanding of a unique transactional history, comprising multi-layered agreements and involving multiple specific parties and intricate relationships.
Osborne Clarke LLP was previously engaged by the University to conduct an initial high level scoping review of this specific matter. As a result, they now possess pre-existing, supplier-specific expertise and a demonstrated understanding of the transaction's particularities. This includes a detailed, phased methodology for the work, developed during the initial engagement.
Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to acquire this specific expertise and experience. 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; and
2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical advice, which would prevent the University from achieving its immediate and lasting operational and financial objectives.
The award of this contract to Osborne Clarke LLP 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.
Disclaimer
This Contract Award Notice is published by the University of Keele, a contracting authority, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 50 of the Procurement Act 2023 to notify its intention to award a contract.
This notice does not in itself constitute an offer, an award of contract, or give rise to any implied contract. The publication of this Contract Award Notice by University of Keele will initiate the mandatory 8 working day standstill period, as required by Section 51(1) of the Act.
The University will not, and cannot lawfully, enter into a contract for the required services until the 8 working day standstill period has been successfully completed. Any contract award will be confirmed through the subsequent publication of a Contract Details Notice.
Intention to award a Public Services contract under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for the provision of higher education specific research, best practice and
subject specific market insights consultancy. The services works will be delivered on a 36 month contract.
The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication is being followed and is justified under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii).
Tenders are invited from interested parties for the Contract for Chemical Disinfection and Inspection of Water Systems at Keele University in accordance with the Tender Specification Documents in Section 2 of the Invitation to Tender (ITT).
The Tender Specification Documents are listed in Section 2 of the ITT and are attached as separate documents.
The services required are fully described in the Tender Specification Documents.
All Tenderers are required to submit a compliant tender response in accordance with the tender requirements as set out in the Tender Specification Documents.
All tender responses will be subject to the Tender Evaluation Methodology as set out in the ITT.
Main reasons for the decision not to sub-divide the contract into lots: Given the need for one Service Provider to co-ordinate the delivery of all of the services required, the contract has not been subdivided into lots.
Intention to award a Public Services contract under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for the HyDEX Project for the provision of process-engineering consultancy to carry out a feasibility study with initial design, delivery requirements plan, safety assessment and operational support leading to the full execution phase of the project covering:
Option a: A hydrogen facility consisting of an on-site, 500kW ITM prototype electrolyser and a gas mixing facility to incorporate a vehicle fuelling capability for a range of vehicles, and a heating boiler supplying an adjacent building, and
Option b: A fully integrated vehicle fuelling station incorporating a new electrolyser based on campus and include for a full campus assessment to provide an options appraisal for alternative locations for any packaged fuelling systems for option b.
The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication is being followed and is justified under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii).
Intention to award a Public Services contract under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for the provision of higher education specific research, best practice and
subject specific market insights consultancy. The services works will be delivered on a 36 month contract.
The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication is being followed and is justified under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii).
Intention to award a 12-month extension to an existing public services contract for the provision of Prospective Student Engagement and Conversion Services for the University of Keele.
The contract extension will cover the period 1st October 2024 to 30th September 2025.
Intention to award a Public Services contract under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for the HyDEX Project for the design, supply, installation and maintenance of equipment for the provision of a Hydrogen Refuelling Station (HRS), including onsite production of hydrogen via electrolysis and the dispensing of hydrogen fuel for the University of Keele.
The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication is being followed and is justified under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii).
1. VEAT Notice Intention to award a public services contract for the provision of an outsourced diagnostic imaging teaching and technology related services to support our Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) Year 4 & 5 students for the 2024/25 academic year, with the option to cover the 2025/26 & 2026/27 academic years, at Harper and Keele Veterinary School HKVS ("HKVS")
2. The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication is being followed and is justified under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("PCR 2015").
Tenders are invited from interested parties for the Contract for the provision of a Prospective Student Engagement and Conversion Service for Keele University in accordance with the Tender Specification in Section 2 of the Invitation to Tender (ITT).
The services required are fully described in the Tender Specification.
All Tenderers are required to submit a compliant tender response in accordance with the tender requirements as set out in the Tender Specification.
All tender responses will be subject to the Tender Evaluation Methodology as set out in the ITT.
University of Keele is publishing this transparency notice to announce its intention, in accordance with its statutory obligations, to award a contract directly to Osborne Clarke LLP for the provision of specialist legal advice relating to complex land and property transactions.
This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7, 13 and 14 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.
The services require a strategic review of, and advice on, highly complex and long-standing legal and financial structures. The successful delivery of these services is contingent upon a deep and specific understanding of a unique transactional history, comprising multi-layered agreements and involving multiple specific parties and intricate relationships.
Osborne Clarke LLP was previously engaged by the University to conduct an initial high-level scoping review of this specific matter. As a result, they now possess pre-existing, supplier-specific expertise and a demonstrated understanding of the transaction's particularities. This includes a detailed, phased methodology for the work, developed during the initial engagement.
Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to acquire this specific expertise and experience. 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; and
2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical advice, which would prevent the University from achieving its immediate and lasting operational and financial objectives.
The award of this contract to Osborne Clarke LLP 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.
Disclaimer
This Transparency Notice is published by the University of Keele, a contracting authority, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 44 of the Procurement Act 2023 to notify its intention to award a contract directly.
This notice does not itself constitute an offer, an award of contract, or give rise to any implied contract. The publication of the subsequent Contract Award Notice on 12th January 2026 by University of Keele will initiate the mandatory 8 working day standstill period, as required by Section 51(1) of the Act.
The University will not, and cannot lawfully, enter into a contract for the required services until the 8 working day standstill period has been successfully completed. Any contract award will be confirmed through the subsequent publication of a Contract Details Notice.
VEAT Notice Intention to award public services contracts for the provision of a managed service for student recruitment operations in India and Pakistan for the University of Keele.