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Postgraduate Research Management System

Tender Overview

ORGANIZATION

ASTON UNIVERSITY

LOCATION

West Midlands, United Kingdom

VALUE

Not disclosed

DEADLINE

February 28, 2026 at 00:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

48190000

REFERENCE

007373-2026

Project Timeline

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Contact Information

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Original Tender Description

Aston University is seeking to engage with the market to better understand available solutions that can strengthen the support and management of our Postgraduate Research (PGR) student community. This notice is issued for market engagement purposes only and does not constitute a commitment to procure, nor does it form part of any formal procurement process at this stage. The University is seeking information to inform future decision-making and potential next steps. 2. Context and Objectives Aston University is exploring options for a digital solution that provides end-to-end lifecycle management for PGR students, supporting academic, administrative, and regulatory processes from application through to award. Our objective is to identify solutions that are mature, widely adopted within the UK Higher Education sector, and capable of supporting PGR lifecycle processes in a robust, efficient, and largely out-of-the-box manner. 3. Scope of Functional Requirements The University is interested in solutions capable of supporting the full PGR lifecycle, including but not limited to: • Admissions • Applications for all forms of PGR study (funded and non-funded) • Student Onboarding • Enrolment • Induction processes • Programme Management • Learning agreements • Training and development, including: • Training Needs Analysis (TNA) • Module and course information • Attendance tracking • Certification and records • Supervision and Engagement • Supervisory meeting scheduling and records • Progression and Assessment • Progression milestones • Qualifying / Upgrading / Transfer reports • Annual progress reports • Student Status Changes • Extension requests • Leave of Absence / Suspension of Study requests • Examination and Completion • Initial thesis submission • Viva management • Examiner reports • Final thesis submission • Award processing 4. High-Level Technical and Service Requirements At a high level, Aston University anticipates that any potential solution would: · Have proven implementation and strong adoption within the higher education sector · Provide robust PGR recruitment, admissions, and progression functionality · Support all lifecycle activities listed above · Require minimal customisation and operate largely "out of the box" · Offer fully documented and maintained REST APIs to enable integration with the University's Azure based middleware · Be delivered as a SaaS solution with a transparent 12month development roadmap and UK/EU based hosting (preferably in Microsoft Azure) · Support single sign on via OpenID Connect or SAML2 through Microsoft Entra ID · Have security-based certifications that confirm commitment to maintaining a security focussed infrastructure, such as Cyber Essentials (Plus), ISO 27001 or equivalent · Consideration will also be given to usability and user experience.
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • Not applicable as this is a market engagement notice and not a formal procurement process at this stage.
✓

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Solution must be mature.
  • Solution must be widely adopted within the UK Higher Education sector.
  • Solution must have proven implementation and strong adoption within the higher education sector.
  • Solution must be capable of supporting Postgraduate Research (PGR) lifecycle processes in a robust, efficient, and largely out-of-the-box manner.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Solution must provide end-to-end lifecycle management for PGR students, supporting academic, administrative, and regulatory processes from application through to award.
  • Solution must support the full PGR lifecycle, including Admissions (for all forms of PGR study, funded and non-funded).
  • Solution must support Student Onboarding processes, including Enrolment and Induction.
  • Solution must support Programme Management, including Learning agreements.
  • Solution must support Training and development, including Training Needs Analysis (TNA), Module and course information, Attendance tracking, and Certification and records.
  • Solution must support Supervision and Engagement, including Supervisory meeting scheduling and records.
  • Solution must support Progression and Assessment, including Progression milestones, Qualifying / Upgrading / Transfer reports, and Annual progress reports.
  • Solution must support Student Status Changes, including Extension requests and Leave of Absence / Suspension of Study requests.
  • Solution must support Examination and Completion, including Initial thesis submission, Viva management, Examiner reports, Final thesis submission, and Award processing.
  • Solution must provide robust PGR recruitment, admissions, and progression functionality.
  • Solution must require minimal customisation and operate largely "out of the box".
  • Solution must offer fully documented and maintained REST APIs to enable integration with the University's Azure based middleware.
  • Solution must be delivered as a SaaS solution.
  • Solution must have a transparent 12-month development roadmap.
  • Solution must offer UK/EU based hosting (preferably in Microsoft Azure).
  • Solution must support single sign-on via OpenID Connect or SAML2 through Microsoft Entra ID.
  • Solution must have security-based certifications that confirm commitment to maintaining a security-focused infrastructure, such as Cyber Essentials (Plus), ISO 27001 or equivalent.
  • Consideration will be given to usability and user experience.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Not applicable as this is a market engagement notice and not a formal procurement process at this stage.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Information must be submitted by the deadline of 2026-02-28T00:00:00 to participate in the market engagement.
  • This notice is for market engagement purposes only and does not constitute a commitment to procure, nor does it form part of any formal procurement process at this stage. Formal bid submission requirements are not applicable.

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HTM
Planning Notice
General Information007373-2026.html
Summary:
Aston University is conducting market engagement to identify mature, widely adopted, out-of-the-box SaaS solutions for end-to-end Postgraduate Research (PGR) student lifecycle management, from application to award, to inform future procurement decisions.
DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data007373-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
Aston University is conducting market engagement to understand available digital solutions for end-to-end Postgraduate Research (PGR) student lifecycle management, seeking mature, widely adopted SaaS solutions with robust functionality and integration capabilities.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
OCDS Data007373-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
Aston University is conducting market engagement to identify mature, widely adopted SaaS solutions for end-to-end Postgraduate Research (PGR) student lifecycle management, covering academic, administrative, and regulatory processes from application to award.
PDF
Official PDF Version
General Information007373-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
Aston University is conducting market engagement to identify mature, widely adopted, out-of-the-box SaaS digital solutions for end-to-end Postgraduate Research (PGR) student lifecycle management, including admissions, programme management, supervision, progression, and examination, with specific technical and security requirements.

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69
Good

Tender Quality Score

This market engagement notice from Aston University is clear and well-structured for its stated purpose of gathering information on Postgraduate Research Management Systems. However, the specific requirement for solutions "widely adopted within the UK Higher Education sector" raises concerns about fairness and potential market restriction.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The notice clearly states it is for market engagement, not a formal procurement, which means full legal compliance for a tender is not yet applicable. The CPV code is appropriate, and there are no disputes. The lack of a formal procedure type is consistent with its pre-procurement status.

•Missing reveal date (minor data point)
Clarity80/100

The description, objectives, and functional/technical requirements are clearly articulated and easy to understand for the purpose of market engagement. The AI-extracted requirements accurately reflect the content.

Completeness70/100

All basic information (title, reference, organization, description, deadlines, duration, CPV, NUTS) is provided. Requirements are well-defined. The estimated value is classified, which is acceptable for market engagement.

•Value not disclosed (acceptable for market engagement)
•Missing evaluation criteria (expected for market engagement)
Fairness55/100

While document access is full, the requirement for solutions to be "widely adopted within the UK Higher Education sector" and have "proven implementation and strong adoption within the higher education sector" is highly restrictive. This could significantly limit competition to a few established providers, potentially tailoring the future procurement to specific companies already dominant in that niche.

•Requirements potentially tailored to specific companies/market leaders within the UK HE sector
•No e-submission (minor for market engagement, but a general fairness concern for accessibility)
Practicality65/100

The contract start date and duration are clear. However, the lack of e-submission support could be a practical barrier for some interested parties. The undisclosed value also makes it harder for potential suppliers to assess the scale of the opportunity.

•No e-submission
•Value not disclosed
Data Consistency90/100

The information provided is largely consistent and logical across all sections and documents. Dates are logical, and there are no reported disputes or suspensions. The 'Type: None' and 'Procedure: None' are consistent with the notice's stated purpose.

•Liable Person field is empty
Sustainability20/100

The notice does not include any specific criteria or considerations related to green procurement, social aspects, or innovation.

•Not green procurement
•No social criteria

Strengths

Clear identification as a market engagement notice
Detailed and understandable functional and technical requirements
Comprehensive basic information provided
Good data consistency
Appropriate CPV classification

Concerns

Requirements for 'UK Higher Education sector' adoption may restrict competition and indicate tailoring
Lack of e-submission for market engagement
Absence of sustainability (green, social, innovation) criteria
Estimated value not disclosed

Recommendations

1. Rephrase requirements to encourage broader market participation, focusing on functionality and proven success rather than specific sector adoption within a single country.
2. Consider implementing an electronic submission method even for market engagement to streamline responses.
3. Integrate sustainability and social value considerations into future procurement planning.

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B
Tender Quality Score
69/ 100 · Good
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