Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Scottish Qualifications Authority
Lowden, 24 Wester Shawfair, Dalkeith
Midlothian
EH22 1FD
Contact
Elizabeth Cunningham
Telephone
+44 03452136720
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM73 - East Lothian and Midlothian
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00386
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Other type
NDBP
one.5) Main activity
Education
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Content Management System
Reference number
SQA2433CMS
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
Direct Award of Headless Content Management System on urgency grounds
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £340,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM73 - East Lothian and Midlothian
Main site or place of performance
The Optima Building
58 Robertson Street
Glasgow
G2 8DQ
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This is a VEAT notice to notify the market that SQA intends to enter into a contract following a negotiated procedure without prior publication on the grounds that for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority, the time limits for open procedure, restricted procedure or competitive procedure with negotiation cannot be complied with (regulation 33(1)(c)). SQA requires to receive the contract services in time for a 1 December 2025 launch date for Qualifications Scotland which is set by government following the passage of the Education Scotland Act 2025. Implementation time requirements mean that even with immediate contract award, the development timeline is at the minimum of industry standards for enterprise-level headless CMS implementations. There is accordingly no time available for a procedure following even minimum timescales under procurement regulations. The urgency arises following a failure of established procurement procedures. Specifically SQA attempted to use an established Scottish Government framework to procure the required products but this process was vitiated by supply chain failure. That failure was unforeseeable by and unattributable to SQA.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Authoring Experience / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Content Modelling / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Assessment Management / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Collaboration, Workflow & Publishing / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Website Building / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Integration / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Platform, Scaling & Infrastructure / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Training & Support / Weighting: 10
Price - Weighting: 20
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
SQA is applying regulation 33(1)(c)
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2025/S 000-039078
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
SQA2433CMS
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
10 July 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 4
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 3
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 4
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Contentful (UK) Limited
Highlands House, Basingstoke Road , Spencers Wood Reading
Aldershot
GU12 6FN
Telephone
+044 7464378410
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ11 - Berkshire
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £340,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
(SC Ref:806428)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Glasgow Sheriff Court
1 Carlton Place
Glasgow
G5 9DA
Country
United Kingdom