Scope
Reference
2025UoS-1520
Description
The University of Southampton's Residences team are looking to procure a cloud hosted, user friendly, future-facing student accommodation management system. The system will actively support enabling modern flexible integration options, resulting in an improved student experience.
The primary object of the system will be to manage end to end, pre and post arrival transactions and data relating to student residential services.
The student accommodation management system must be cloud hosted. Completion of migration to a new cloud hosted solution must complete no later than November 2026. For the purposes of this procurement, completion of migration is defined as:
• Full implementation of the new cloud‑hosted system;
• Completion of all acceptance testing with outcomes approved by the University;
• Completion of all data migration activities, with all data successfully transferred, validated and operational within the new system before 'go live';
• The system is fully in place, live and ready for use with no dependency on the legacy solution.
PLEASE NOTE: The University of Southampton is not a 'body governed by public law' and is therefore not considered a contracting authority for the purposes of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015), the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) or the Procurement Regulations 2024 and/or any replacement legislation. This procurement process is not regulated by UK (or EU) public procurement law.
For the purposes of this advertisement;
"Regulations": means the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015), the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) or the Procurement Regulations 2024.
Where the University advertises contracts, through any public sector tender portal, it does so on a voluntary basis by way of transparency and to encourage open competition, but it is not required to comply with the procurement legislation and this does not bind the University to publish additional notices in the future. For the purpose of procuring this Project, the University is acting in accordance with its internal financial regulations and the procedure detailed in the tender documents.
Nothing which is done during the procurement process (including the publication of the contract notice, use of the SQ and use of terminology which may be defined by the Regulations) should be taken to imply that the University is voluntarily complying with the Regulations or intends to do so. Some of the stages, documentation and terminology adopted in the University's procurement process may have similarities to ones regulated by and defined under the Regulations, but they will not be regulated by the Regulations during this process and should not be taken as references to those things as defined by the Regulations. Interested parties are invited to express their interest and submit their proposals in accordance with the instructions provided in the tender documentation. The University aims to ensure a fair, transparent, and competitive procurement process to select the most suitable partner for this significant project.
Total value (estimated)
- £540,000 excluding VAT
- £648,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 17 April 2026 to 16 October 2028
- Possible extension to 16 October 2031
- 5 years, 6 months
Description of possible extension:
The University proposes to enter into a Contract for five years and six months. This will be the maximum contract period, including any potential extensions with the successful tenderer(s).
This will comprise of a six month implementation period followed by an initial contract period of two years. There will then be the option to extend the contract by an optional two‑year extension period, and subsequently a further optional one‑year extension period, subject to satisfactory performance and at the discretion of the University.
The breakdown of the initial contract term and extension periods has been detailed below.
Initial term (inclusive of implementation):
17/04/2026 - 16/10/2028
Extension period 1:
17/10/2028 - 16/10/2030
Extension period 2:
17/10/2030 - 16/10/2031
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
- 50324100 - System maintenance services
Contract locations
- UKJ - South East (England)
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
To support the financial assessment, the University will obtain a Business Risk Report for all Tenderers, and every organisation that is being relied on to meet this procurement, using an independent company called CreditSafe.
The University reserves the right to exclude a Tenderer or request provision of further assurances such as parent company/bank guarantee or performance bonds where a Tenderer's Business Risk Score is: "Moderate Risk"; "High Risk"; "Very High Risk"; or "Not Rated", based on the rating provided by CreditSafe.
Where a Business Risk Score from our external system is not available, then an alternative method of assessing financial standing will be used. This method is detailed within the Invitation to Tender document set.
Tenderers are advised that a requirement of this procurement is to have in place, or commit to obtain prior to the commencement of the contract, the following minimum insurance levels:
Public Liability - £5 million
Employers' Liability - £5 million
Professional Indemnity - £2.5 million
Cyber Insurance - £2.5 million
Full details of the selection criteria can be found in the tender documents.
Technical ability conditions of participation
The selection criteria is as stated in the tender documents.
Tenderers attention is drawn to the MANDATORY requirements of the award criteria:
- Grounds for mandatory exclusion - File 6 sections 2 & 3
- Grounds for discretionary exclusion - File 6 section 4
- Economic & Financial Standing - File 6 section 5
- Insurance - File 6 section 7.1
- Data Protection - File 6 section 7.2
- Health & Safety - File 6 section 7.3
- Prompt Payments - File 6 section 7.4
- University's use of the Selection Questionnaire - File 6 section 7.5
- Compliance with the Conditions of Contract - File 6 section 8.1
- Functional Requirements (Mandatory) - File 7 section 1
- Non-Functional Requirements (Mandatory) - File 7 section 3
Full details of the selection criteria can be found in the tender documents.
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
2 February 2026, 12:00pm
Tender submission deadline
23 February 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
E-Tendering Portal: The University is utilising an electronic tendering tool, In-Tend (https://intendhost.co.uk/ universityofsouthampton) to manage this procurement and to communicate with potential tenderers.
All documentation in relation to this tender can be downloaded from In-Tend.
Potential tenderers are advised that there will be no hard copy documents issued and all communications with the University, including the submission of Invitation to Tender responses, will be conducted via In-Tend.
Regular monitoring of the portal is the responsibility of the potential tenderer.
If you are not already registered as a supplier with the University of Southampton, you will need to register in In-Tend in order to access the procurement documentation.
Once you have logged in as a supplier: click on 'Tenders'; locate the relevant project; and click 'View Details'. Once you are in the project screen, you will be able to register your organisation against the project and access all documentation by clicking 'Express Interest'.
Potential tenderers are advised that formal expressions of interest in the project must be by way of completion and return of the relevant documents via In-Tend.
Further instructions for the submission of responses are below:
To submit your return:
1. Log in
2. Click 'Tenders'
3. Locate the relevant project
4. View details
5. Click on the tab relating to the relevant project stage (e.g. 'Invitation to Tender')
6. Click on the 'Attach Documents' button and upload your return.
7. Check ALL your response documents are uploaded and displayed in the 'My Tender Return' panel. The system will only permit your organisation to make one return.
8. Click the red 'Submit Return' button.
Please note, to preserve the integrity of the procurement, all communications with the University must be made via the correspondence function within In-Tend.
The University may publish details of its contract(s), including the contract values and the identities of its suppliers on its website without consulting the provider of that information. By submitting a response, potential tenderers are consenting to publication of this information unless otherwise agreed in advance with the University.
Costs and Expenses: Potential tenderers are solely responsible for their costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of responses and participation in this and all future stages of this procurement. Under no circumstances will the University be liable for any costs or expenses borne by potential tenderers or any of their supply chain, partners or advisers in this procurement process.
The University is not liable for any costs in the event of the cancellation of this procurement process.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
31 March 2026
Recurring procurement
Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 16 October 2030
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Requirements | The functional requirements have been split into ten categories below: 1. System Functionality and Core Features 2. Student Experience and Self-Service Capabilities 3. Integration 4. Room and Contract... |
Quality | 65% |
| Commercial Requirements | The commercials will form 30% of the award criteria. The evaluation of commercial responses (i.e. pricing) will be determined by a mathematical formula on the following basis: The Tenderer who delivers... |
Cost | 30% |
| Non-Functional Requirements (Highly Desirable) | Where the University's requirement is not mandatory but would enhance the service solution's capability and user experience to a high degree, the weighting of "highly desirable" has been utilised.... |
Quality | 5% |
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Contracting authority
University of Southampton
- UK Register of Learning Providers (UKPRN number): 10007158
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PLJL-3977-CCGG
University Road, Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
Contact name: Hannah Nash
Telephone: +442380595000
Email: procurement@soton.ac.uk
Website: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/
Region: UKJ32 - Southampton
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government