Official UK procurement notice
T1121 - Card Acquiring Services 2025
Authority: University of Essex (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis pre market engagement is to scope potential suppliers interest for the provision of Merchant Services for processing, authorisation and settlement of the University’s debit and credit transactions via all payment channels including customer present (Chip and PIN/contactless payments (including mobile wallets such as apple pay, google pay), customer not present (Mail Order / Telephone Order) and online (e-commerce).
The University is seeking to develop efficient and cost-effective merchant service arrangements which will be capable of meeting future market and technological changes, and which will meet, and often exceed, user expectations. It is looking for a relationship with an organisation which it can be confident will fulfil all the University’s current and future requirements.
It is important that any potential acquiring partner can add value through an effective dedicated corporate support team backed up by a proactive education sector specialist Relationship Manager.
The following legal entities are involved in this tender:
University of Essex
University of Essex Campus Services Limited
This tender is for all merchant services activity for the University and its subsidiaries across all acceptance methods.
CPV: Financial transaction processing and clearing-house services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1PlannedRenewal
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Past planning notice
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 11 Aug 2025, 15:17 BST
- Last source update
- 11 Aug 2025, 15:17 BST
- Authority reference
T1121- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-047706- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-058550Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
11 Aug 2025 → 10 Aug 2026 · 4 dates- Planning notice published11 Aug 2025, 15:17 BST
- Market engagement29 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
This pre market engagement is to scope interest from suppliers for the provision of Merchant Services for processing, authorisation and settlement of the University’s debit and credit transactions via all payment channels including customer present (Chip and PIN/contactless payments (including mobile wallets such as apple pay, google pay), customer not present (Mail Order / Telephone Order) and online (e-commerce).
Please register your interest and provide some brief information in the first instance.
Please also feel free to ask questions/provide feedback on the draft specification.
The plan is to run a competitive flexible procedure procurement process for this requirement, with the next stage including a tender notice and a PSQ stage.
Further information will be provided as the procurement process progresses.
- Tender notice expected1 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts79 days ago10 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Preliminary market engagement notice published11 Aug 2025, 15:17 BSTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- 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 (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender