Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Provision and Support

CPV: Educational software package

Procedure method

Negotiated without publication of a contract notice

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Goods

Notice status

Awarded

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Competitive procedure

GPA / WTO covered

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

20 Oct 2021, 11:57 BST

Last source update

20 Oct 2021, 11:57 BST

Authority reference

UY/PROC/525

FTS notice number

2021/S 000-026243

Classification (CPV)

Educational software package

Delivery area

Yorkshire & Humber (UKE21)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-02edf0 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Published justification

A previously published VEAT notice (2019-OJS 149-367112) stated an intention to enter an open procurement activity prior to the end of the current extended contract. The impact of the COVID pandemic has prevented the University from being able to undertake this activity with enough time remaining to complete a procurement and an implementation activity without significant risk of project delay.

The University is currently undergoing an ambitious strategic change programme. This is affecting all staff involved in teaching and learning activities and any significant changes to the enabling VLE platform are considered too disruptive at this time. The University must have a solution to its current self-hosted BlackBoard infrastructure going out of support. It is therefore the intention to migrate to BlackBoard's cloud hosted infrastructure without undertaking a competitive tender.

By not undertaking a competitive tender, the University will increase the lead time available to start implementation; thereby significantly reducing the risk of missing a critical summer migration deadline. Furthermore, there has been significant investment in process, staff skills and capabilities over the last 5 years that can be utilised, removing the need for organisation wide retraining and detailed process review.

The strategic change activities currently underway at the University are expected to take between 3 and 5 years to deliver and become embedded within the University. The provision of a stable, well managed and understood VLE plays a significant role in enabling the success of these changes. The continuation of service throughout this 5 year period is therefore a critical success factor and any change to the VLE supplier during this period would neither be advantageous nor sustainable. As a consequence, the University will be seeking a 5 year commitment during which time we will consider competitive options for a new, longer-term solution.

• Blackboard International B.V.Awarded supplier Amsterdam, NL

No document links were published on the notice.