Official UK procurement notice
Student Counselling Services · UK public procurement notice
Authority: THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionUlster University is seeking tender responses for a contract to procure an external student counselling provider to supplement existing sources of internal wellbeing, mental health, disability and financial support to students through our Student Wellbeing teams across our campuses.
Ulster University’s Student Wellbeing team does not provide therapeutic counselling ‘in-house’ so has engaged an external counselling provider to facilitate this part of the service offering since 2013. While delivered by an external provider, the University requires the counselling service as part of the suite of services that students can avail of to enhance their mental health and wellbeing. Access to the counselling service shall be seamless for UU students. When a UU student accesses Student Wellbeing for counselling, staff will triage the student to identify if this is the most appropriate intervention; if this is identified as the most appropriate intervention, a seamless referral system for Student Wellbeing staff shall form part of this contract.
Ulster University has almost 30,000 registered students across a broad demographic of ‘Home fee paying’ students from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as students from Great Britain, other EU countries, and international students.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Jul 2028, 23:59 BST.
CPV: Counselling services · Guidance and counselling services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£1,200,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Quality Submission - Questions QS-01 - QS-05: 60%
- Commercial Submission: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality Submission - Questions QS-01 - QS-05
- Commercial Submission
No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £1,198,358 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER buys Social work services (CPV 8531), and who usually turns up
THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Social work services (CPV 8531) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in Northern Ireland.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 46 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid11% / 0%
2–344% / 43%
4–644% / 43%
7+0% / 14%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate60% / 0%
Within ±2%0% / 71%
Above estimate40% / 29%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 8531Published estimate£1.2m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid17%
2–346%
4–631%
7+6%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
Based on 7 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£1.2m
Estimate£1.2m
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARECALL (NI) LIMITEDEarlier contract | Student Counselling Servicesstarted Jan 2026 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
| Lena By InspireEarlier contract | Student Counselling Servicesstarted Jan 2026 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £40m40 awards in 36m · last this month | 10 live · £22m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=8 | |
Home Group LtdLarge | £34m46 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 14 live · £9.9m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=7 |
| £2.9m24 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 11 live · £5.2m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 5% above n=1 | |
| £2.4m27 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 8 live · £832k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 2% below n=3 | |
| £2.8m7 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 2 live · £2.4m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 8% above n=4 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
What this replaces i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
100% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
100% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
The prior contract this notice most likely re-tenders · matched by title and category (100% title match), the holder is not guaranteed to re-bid
Student Counselling Services, winner not published; the published contract ends 31 Dec 2026.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 Jul 2028
- First published
- 1 May 2026, 14:51 BST
- Last source update
- 23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 25 Nov 2026
- Authority reference
CfT_6722895- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-090076- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06907fFind a Tender
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via eTendersNI- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 27 Oct 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 19 Oct 2026, 15:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
etendersni.gov.uk ↗ (CfT_6722895)
Timeline
1 May 2026 → 1 Jan 2027 · 8 dates- Planning notice published178 days ago1 May 2026, 14:51 BST
- Market engagement151 days ago28 May 2026, 23:59 BST
The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement Notice (PME) and Request for Information (RFI) is to invite potential Service Providers to express an interest and provide information to assist with the procurement and development of a specification for Counselling Services at Ulster University.
The procurement route, duration and type of contract(s) shall be determined following this preliminary market consultation and engagement with market participants. It is this PME which will help to inform the University's strategy for this contract.
It is important to note that this PME/RFI is not a call for competition, a pre-qualification questionnaire, part of any pre-qualification/selection process or a current tender opportunity. Potential providers will need to express an interest in any future tender opportunity once a Tender Notice is published.
This RFI is intended as an awareness, communication, and information gathering exercise. An
expression of interest is no indication of a commitment to participate in the RFI process, nor
does it infer any preferential or special status on those individuals and organisations who
express an interest in the RFI exercise.
The RFI Questionnaire can be accessed by registering with eTendersNI (www.etendersni.gov.uk ↗) and searching for the relevant CfT_6522356.
- Next notice expected117 days ago1 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published33 days ago23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
- Clarification questions by7 days ago19 Oct 2026, 15:00 BST
- Today26 Oct 2026
- Submission deadlinein 1 day27 Oct 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 30 days25 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 66 days1 Jan 2027
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 1 May 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published1 May 2026, 14:51 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published1 May 2026, 15:07 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BSTUK4
- Status changed to active23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
- Procurement method changed23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
- Deadline published: 27 Oct 2026, 15:00 GMT23 Sept 2026, 12:08 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender