Contract for Online Educational delivery to the University of Birmingham

Description

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below • The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive Explanation:The set up costs associated with the development and operational support of online learning courses are significant. The University has made a considerable investment in the technical, operational and cultural integration required for Wiley Education Services to deliver these services efficiently and effectively. This has included the implementation of modified working practices and staff training. Economies of scale, through the development of additional courses, are required in order to maximise the effectiveness of the current operation. These economies would be more than offset by the setup and integration costs associated with working with an alternative supplier to deliver additional courses. Therefore, when 3 / 4 considering the relative benefit, the cost of procuring services from a different supplier at this time would outweigh the advantage which may accrue. Timescale is also a consideration as the University wishes to go to market with these new courses in summer 2021. The internal resources required to set up the technical and operational integration with a new supplier are currently focused on urgent mitigations required as a result of COVID-19, as such it would be not be possible to achieve the desired timetable with an alternative provider. The University has therefore identified that for reasons of timescale and to achieve its aims within available staff capacity and alongside prioritised business activities, the products supplied by Wiley Educational Services are the only ones capable of meeting the University's requirements and this is the only viable option for the University at this time