Scope
Reference
1109
Description
Aston University is seeking proposals from Suppliers who are able to provide a Research Ethics Management System suitable for use within a Higher Education Environment.
The Research Integrity Office (RIO) are responsible for ethics evaluation of research projects across the following stakeholder groups:
· Research active staff.
· Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs).
· UG/PG taught students.
Ethics management consists of entirely manual processes involving email, MS Word, and MS Excel, delivered by three people.
The RIO is a small team for the workload, smaller than equivalent teams at other institutions. Whilst the team has grown, so has the complexity and volume of their workload. With the workload demand of the current process, there are not enough reviewers in the Colleges.
With this manual and unsustainable way of working, process reengineering is required with proactive and compliant solutions to allow staff to manage the ethics approval process, in an efficient environment where there is positive sentiment and an understanding of the consequences and the broader context of ethical approval.
Proposals will also include ongoing hosting and maintenance provision.
The full specification is available as part of the procurement documents available through Aston's e-tendering portal.
Total value (estimated)
- £215,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 31 July 2025 to 30 July 2028
- Possible extension to 30 July 2030
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
The inital contract period will be for 3 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years, based on 2 x12 month periods.
Any subsequent extension to the contract will be agreed between Aston and the Supplier. It is likely that Aston will seek the Supplier to demonstrate improvements and/or price reductions before considering an extension. For any extension(s) to the contract, discussions with the Supplier shall be conducted sufficiently far in advance of the contract expiry date to arrive at an agreed position.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 72260000 - Software-related services
Contract locations
- UKG31 - Birmingham
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
10 June 2025, 12:00pm
Tender submission deadline
17 June 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Submissions must be made via our e-tendering portal ProContract. Suppliers will need to register to gain access to the project using the following url address - https://procontract.due-north.com/Opportunities/Index?v=2
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
9 July 2025
Recurring procurement
Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 31 March 2029
Award criteria
| Name | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Functional and Non-Functional Requirements | Quality | 70% |
| Pricing and Milestones | Cost | 30% |
Other information
Description of risks to contract performance
Dependency on third-party data integration timelines that result in delays beyond the control of the project team. This may trigger the need to adjust deliverables, requirements etc.
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Documents
Technical specifications to be met
https://procontract.due-north.com/Opportunities/Index?v=2
Suppliers are required to submit their tender response on our e-tendering portal ProContract. Suppliers must first regiser on the ProContract portal to enable access to the tender documentation. Please use the following URL https://procontract.due-north.com/Opportunities/Index?v=2
Contracting authority
ASTON UNIVERSITY
- Companies House: RC000904
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PTLB-7496-TPTR
Aston University
Birmingham
B4 7ET
United Kingdom
Region: UKG31 - Birmingham
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government