Provision of Payment Solution Services

University of Keele

Published: May 26, 2026

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Source: uk_fts

This tender has been awarded

Awarded to FLYWIRE PAYMENTS LIMITED — £460,000

Browse open Governance & Public Administration tenders in United Kingdom

About This Opportunity

This is a services contract in the governance and public administration sector. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for services in the governance and public administration sector. Service contracts are typically evaluated on both technical quality and price, and may require bidders to demonstrate relevant experience and qualified personnel. This contract has already been awarded. The information is published for transparency and market intelligence purposes.

Description

Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 13 April 2026, and a Contract Award Notice on 14 April 2026, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Details Notice to announce, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 53 of the Procurement Act 2023, that it has awarded a contract to Flywire Payments Limited for the provision of an integrated payment solution platform, including student payment processing, Tribal SITS integration, outgoing payables, and optional services such as Collections Management, Deposits, and other modules as defined in the contract.
This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7 and 25 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.
The services require a platform that is fully integrated with the University's Tribal SITS student records system. The University is scheduled to double-upgrade to Tribal SITS V11.0 in May 2026, after which legacy WPM SITS payment pathways will no longer be supported. Flywire has a proven integration with Tribal SITS used by over 20 universities, significantly reducing manual reconciliation.
Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to replicate this specific integration and expertise. This would necessitate a substantial duplication of effort and cost, and an unacceptable period of mobilisation, resulting in:
1. Potential material duplication of cost for the University (including new integrations and staff retraining); and
2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical payment processing services, which would disrupt student enrolment and the University's cash flow.
The award of this contract to Flywire represents the only viable route to secure the required services in a timely and cost-effective manner, as a competitive procurement process would be objectively unsuitable in these specific circumstances. This justification is supported by precedents from other UK Universities, including the University of Kent (Transparency Notice 2026/S 000-017974).

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on May 26, 2026. Last refreshed 6 days ago. Reference: 049246-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About University of Keele

University of Keele has issued 34 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 0 currently open and 34 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Information & Communication Technology, Education & Training, and General Supplies & Services. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK Contracts Finder and UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: May 28, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 049246-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Is this tender still open?

No — the contract has already been awarded to FLYWIRE PAYMENTS LIMITED. The award notice is archived on BidsFactory for transparency and market intelligence.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by University of Keele in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Services contract in the Governance & Public Administration sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

How much was the contract awarded for?

FLYWIRE PAYMENTS LIMITED was awarded the contract for £460,000. The figure reflects the value disclosed by the contracting authority in the award notice.