Scope
Description
The University of Leicester is seeking to engage a software supplier for a content management software solution to understand the market offerings.
The University's digital presence, through le.ac.uk and its current content management system (CMS), is key in engaging with prospective students, research funders, and stakeholders.
It is interested in understanding at a high-level what existing solutions in the market may be able to offer in the space of a modern, cloud-managed, headless CMS which powers the University's digital content. Its website is primarily in scope, but the University has aspirations to expand the scope. Examples of this include: digital screens, apps, and separate websites hosted on non-le.ac.uk domains.
To view this notice, please click here:
https://universityofleicester.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=951339777
Total value (estimated)
- £1,500,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 January 2026 to 1 January 2028
- Possible extension to 1 January 2035
- 9 years, 1 day
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
Engagement
Engagement deadline
4 June 2025
Engagement process description
The University of Leicester is seeking to engage a software supplier for a content management software solution to understand the market offerings.
The University's digital presence, through le.ac.uk and its current content management system (CMS), is key in engaging with prospective students, research funders, and stakeholders.
It is interested in understanding at a high-level what existing solutions in the market may be able to offer in the space of a modern, cloud-managed, headless CMS which powers the University's digital content. Its website is primarily in scope, but the University has aspirations to expand the scope. Examples of this include: digital screens, apps, and separate websites hosted on non-le.ac.uk domains.
It should be understood that by participating in this market engagement suppliers are not guaranteed to be shortlisted as part of a The Procurement Act 2023 compliant procurement process as the tender will be advertised in line with the requirements and all bidders will be treated equally.
Early discussions have indicated that key features should include:
Support for personalised content delivery and omnichannel engagement.
Integration with systems including Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365).
An intuitive, user-friendly interface to empower content creators and streamline updates.
Multi-language functionality to enhance accessibility and global audience engagement.
The approach to scalable cloud-managed headless CMS implementation.
To ensure integration with the University's existing digital ecosystem, suppliers should outline how their proposed headless CMS solution would connect to and interact with the University's in-house built presentation layer - this is yet to be developed. This should include details on the API capabilities, data delivery mechanisms, and any specific integration tools or approaches that would facilitate efficient content retrieval and rendering within the University's front-end environment.
The University expects suppliers to provide a brief overview of their system addressing the above and engage in a Q&A session; suppliers should be aware that if they bid and are shortlisted, they would be expected to give a fuller demo with specific user journeys demonstrated.
Pricing/Cost Profile
We are seeking a detailed cost breakdown for your solution to enhance our understanding of the market landscape. Please include:
Standard product pricing: Clearly outline the base costs associated with your solution.
Additional consultancy, modules or features: Specify any optional add-ons or bolt-ons, along with their respective costs.
Contract duration: Provide pricing details for a proposed term of 3 years (optional extensions of 7 x 12 month periods)
If you offer tiered or usage-based pricing structures, please include these options as well.
Invitation to Conduct a System Demonstration
Demonstration Details:
Duration: Each demonstration will be allocated a one-hour time slot.
Purpose: This session aims to provide an opportunity for you to showcase a test environment of your system. Please be advised that this is not a sales pitch, and participation does not guarantee any future work or contracts with our organisation.
Action Required:
Kindly respond with the following information:
Preferred Dates and Times: Specify your availability for the week commencing 16 June 2025.
Main Contact Details: Include the name, email address, and phone number of the primary contact person for the demonstration.
Submission Format:
We kindly request that your response be concise and not exceed three A4 pages. This helps maintain a focused and efficient review process.
Please include only appendices that are directly relevant to this request. For instance, pricing information pertinent to the demonstration is acceptable. However, additional materials such as marketing brochures, unrelated product specifications, or extensive company profiles are not required at this stage and will not be reviewed.
Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Compliance Note:
This demonstration request aligns with the Procurement Act 2023, which encourages preliminary market engagement to better understand available solutions and inform procurement strategies. As per the guidance, such engagements are designed to be transparent and non-committal, ensuring a fair and open procurement process for all potential suppliers.
We look forward to your response and the opportunity to learn more about your system capabilities.
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
2 August 2025
Contracting authority
University of Leicester
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PPNM-4297-VLCH
University Rd, Leicester LE1 7RH
leicester
LE1 7RH
United Kingdom
Region: UKF21 - Leicester
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government