← Back to Tenders
United Kingdom10 days leftOpen

PME notice for a new Financial Management Software System.

Tender Overview

ORGANIZATION

City College Norwich

LOCATION

East Anglia, United Kingdom

VALUE

Not disclosed

DEADLINE

February 13, 2026 at 00:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

48440000

REFERENCE

005949-2026

Project Timeline

▼

Contact Information

▼
View Original

Original Tender Description

Scope: City College Norwich are seeking to engage the market in advance of a forthcoming tender opportunity for a financial management software system covering but not limited to: Support statutory and regulatory compliance (FE and HE requirements); Enable real-time financial visibility and reporting; Reduce manual processing and reliance on spreadsheets; Improve auditability and financial governance; Support multi funding streams and complex reporting requirements; General Ledger; Accounts Payable; Accounts Receivable; Budgeting and Forecasting; Fixed Assets; Cash and Treasury Management; Procurement and Expenses; Reporting and Business Intelligence. The purpose of this early market engagement is to make relevant bidders aware of the upcoming opportunity, gather interest and invite bidders to demonstrate their systems to CCN via Teams or other remote methods between the dates of February 23rd 2026 and March 13th 2026. The duration of the demonstrations will be one hour. The number of demonstrations will be limited up to 6 suppliers selected on a first responder basis, this is purely for Pre Market Engagement (PME) and if you are not selected at this stage there may be other opportunities during the process. The contract is likely to last a minimum 5 years, with the intention to have the implementation completed by June 1st 2027, we would like to understand the suppliers required timelines to ensure this is achievable. CCN's current intention is to procure this through the Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) framework - CPC/JE/02/2025, a PME for this framework is now closed and the tender is due to be launched by the end of March 2026, see links below for more information. As a result, the mini competition will be issued on or around 1 September 2025. Links for the CPC framework are below: https://www.thecpc.ac.uk/services/contracting-pipeline Login To MultiQuote (MultiQuote reference CA16588) Please contact Jane Edwards at CPC for more information - j.edwards@thecpc.ac.uk Please note the total value of the contract is not currently known and this will be updated at the mini competition launch. Contract dates (estimated): 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2031, possible extension to 30 September 2034 (8 years). Main procurement category: Goods. CPV classifications: 48440000-4 (Financial analysis and accounting software package). Contract locations: UKH15 - Norwich and East Norfolk (City College Norwich). Engagement deadline: 13 February 2026. Engagement process description: This is not a call for competition. This notice is intended to alert potential suppliers of the upcoming opportunity and provide some basic information in advance if required about the college. Contracting authority: City College Norwich, Public Procurement Organisation Number: 10047734, Ipswich Road, Norwich, NR2 2LJ, United Kingdom. For more information about this opportunity, please express your interest by emailing: Mr Shane Smith, Telephone: +44 1603 773171, Email: shane.smith@ccn.ac.uk, Website: www.ccn,ac,uk. Region: UKH15 - Norwich and East Norfolk (City College Norwich). Organisation type: Further education.
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No specific mandatory exclusion grounds are detailed in this Early Market Engagement notice. These will be specified in the future mini-competition tender documents.
✓

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Suppliers must be potential providers of financial management software systems.
  • To bid on the future mini-competition, suppliers will likely need to be appointed to the Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) framework (CPC/JE/02/2025).
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • The financial management software system must support statutory and regulatory compliance (FE and HE requirements).
  • The system must enable real-time financial visibility and reporting.
  • The system must reduce manual processing and reliance on spreadsheets.
  • The system must improve auditability and financial governance.
  • The system must support multi-funding streams and complex reporting requirements.
  • The system must include General Ledger functionality.
  • The system must include Accounts Payable functionality.
  • The system must include Accounts Receivable functionality.
  • The system must include Budgeting and Forecasting functionality.
  • The system must include Fixed Assets functionality.
  • The system must include Cash and Treasury Management functionality.
  • The system must include Procurement and Expenses functionality.
  • The system must include Reporting and Business Intelligence functionality.
  • Suppliers must be able to demonstrate their system remotely (e.g., via Teams).
  • Suppliers must be able to implement the system by June 1st, 2027.
  • The proposed solution must be suitable for a contract duration of at least 5 years, with a potential extension up to 8 years.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • No specific financial requirements (e.g., minimum turnover, financial stability) are detailed in this Early Market Engagement notice. These will be specified in the future mini-competition tender documents.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Express interest by emailing Mr Shane Smith at shane.smith@ccn.ac.uk.
  • The deadline for expressing interest (engagement deadline) is February 13th, 2026.
  • Be prepared to demonstrate the financial management software system remotely (e.g., via Teams) between February 23rd, 2026, and March 13th, 2026.
  • The demonstration duration will be one hour.
  • Suppliers should be prepared to provide required timelines for system implementation to ensure completion by June 1st, 2027.
  • Note: Only up to 6 suppliers will be selected for demonstrations, based on a first-responder basis.

Requirements Preview

Sign up to view complete requirements and analysis

AI-powered requirement analysis
Complete compliance breakdown
Strategic bidding insights
Instant eligibility check

No credit card required • Setup in 2 minutes

HTM
Planning Notice
General Information005949-2026.html
Summary:
City College Norwich is conducting early market engagement for an upcoming financial management software system tender, inviting suppliers to demonstrate their systems between February 23rd and March 13th, 2026, to inform a future mini-competition via the CPC framework.
DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data005949-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
City College Norwich is conducting a Pre-Market Engagement for an upcoming tender to procure a financial management software system, inviting interested suppliers to demonstrate their solutions between February 23rd and March 13th, 2026, in preparation for a mini-competition expected around September 2025 via the CPC framework.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
Data005949-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
Download failed - no summary available
PDF
Official PDF Version
Administrative Documents005949-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
City College Norwich is conducting early market engagement for a new financial management software system, inviting interested suppliers to demonstrate their solutions ahead of a mini-competition expected around September 2025 via the CPC framework.

Documents Preview

Sign up to view document summaries and analysis

AI document summaries
Key requirement extraction
Risk & compliance alerts
Strategic document insights

No credit card required • Setup in 2 minutes

68
Good

Tender Quality Score

This Pre-Market Engagement notice provides a clear overview of City College Norwich's upcoming financial management software system tender, inviting market input ahead of a mini-competition via a specific framework. While clear in its intent, it suffers from a critical date inconsistency regarding the future tender launch and lacks modern e-submission for engagement.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance80/100

The notice clearly defines its purpose as Pre-Market Engagement and not a call for competition, outlining the future procurement method via a CPC framework. CPV codes are correctly assigned, and there are no disputes. While 'Type' and 'Procedure' fields in basic info are 'None', the description clarifies this adequately for a PME.

Clarity85/100

The scope of the financial management software system is clearly detailed, and the purpose of the PME is unambiguously stated. AI-extracted requirements for the system's capabilities are comprehensive and easy to understand. The selection process for demonstrations ('first responder basis') is also clear.

Completeness75/100

Basic information, PME deadlines, and contract duration are provided. System requirements are well-defined. However, the estimated contract value is classified, and one OCDS document failed to download. Evaluation criteria are not specified, which is expected for a PME but would be a gap in a formal tender.

•Estimated contract value is not disclosed.
•One OCDS document failed to download.
Fairness70/100

The PME itself is open to all interested parties, and the 'first responder' basis for demonstrations is transparent. However, the future mini-competition's reliance on a specific CPC framework inherently limits broader competition. The lack of an e-submission method for expressing interest also presents a minor barrier to equal access.

•Future procurement is tied to a specific framework, potentially limiting broader competition.
•No electronic submission (e-submission) for expressing interest in the PME.
Practicality60/100

The absence of an electronic submission method for expressing interest (relying on email) is a significant practical drawback. While contract start dates and duration are specified, the classified value limits suppliers' ability to fully assess the opportunity's scale and financial viability.

•No electronic submission (e-submission) supported for expressing interest.
•Estimated contract value is not disclosed.
Data Consistency40/100

A critical inconsistency exists regarding the launch date of the future mini-competition. The description states it will be issued 'on or around 1 September 2025' and also 'due to be launched by the end of March 2026'. The 2025 date is in the past relative to today's date (2026-01-22) and directly contradicts the 2026 date, causing significant confusion.

•Conflicting dates for the mini-competition launch (September 2025 vs. March 2026).
Sustainability20/100

The notice does not include any explicit criteria or mentions related to green procurement, social aspects, or innovation beyond seeking a modern software system. It is also not indicated as EU-funded.

•No explicit mention of green procurement criteria.
•No inclusion of social aspects.

Strengths

Clear and detailed scope for the financial management software system.
Explicitly defines its purpose as Pre-Market Engagement, not a call for competition.
Provides clear contact information for further inquiries.
Specifies future procurement method (CPC framework) and estimated contract duration.
Well-structured AI-extracted requirements for the system's capabilities.

Concerns

Critical inconsistency in the stated launch dates for the future mini-competition.
Lack of electronic submission (e-submission) for expressing interest in the PME.
Estimated contract value is not disclosed, limiting supplier assessment.
Future procurement is tied to a specific framework, potentially limiting broader competition.
Absence of sustainability, social, or innovation criteria.

Recommendations

1. Immediately clarify and correct the conflicting launch dates for the mini-competition to avoid confusion.
2. Implement an e-submission portal or system for market engagement and future tenders to enhance accessibility and fairness.
3. Disclose an estimated value range for the contract, even if broad, to assist potential suppliers in assessing the opportunity.

AI Scoring Preview

Sign up to view complete requirements and analysis

Complete quality score analysis
Detailed sub-score breakdown
Strengths & concerns insights
Strategic recommendations

No credit card required • Setup in 2 minutes

Generate DocumentsReview Documents
B
Tender Quality Score
68/ 100 · Good
→

Tender Assistant

Ask me anything about this tender

Tender Assistant

Hello! I'm your AI assistant for this tender. I can help you understand requirements, deadlines, eligibility criteria, and provide strategic insights.

What are the main requirements?
When is the deadline?
Who is eligible to bid?

No credit card required

Setup in 2 minutes

Save with Notes