AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Student Loans Company has published contract details for pre-applicant communications supporting Student Finance England. UCAS MEDIA LIMITED is the named supplier. The contract record states it was signed on 21 November 2025, starts on 1 December 2025 and ends on 31 March 2027.
Published outcomeOne active award for lot 1 was made to UCAS MEDIA LIMITED through a below-threshold direct procurement without competition. The published contract value is £240,000 excluding VAT (£288,000 including VAT).
Market significanceThis is a £240,000 ex-VAT communications-related higher-education services contract with a verified supplier and a defined 16-month contract period.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
UCAS MEDIA LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £240,000 excluding VAT; £288,000 including VAT GBP · Verified supplier; active award and contract
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Award 1 names supplier GB-COH-02737300. Supplier verification matches company number 02737300 to UCAS MEDIA LIMITED. Contract 1, linked to award 1, states £240,000 net and £288,000 gross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Published document is described as “Contract details notice on Find a Tender”.
Procurement status
98% confidenceComplete
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Tender status is “complete”; lot 1 status is “complete”.
Award status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 status is “active”.
Contract status
98% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 status is “active”.
Contract signature
99% confidence21 November 2025
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2025-11-21.
Contract period
99% confidence1 December 2025 to 31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period startDate is 2025-12-01 and endDate is 2027-03-31.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£240,000
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Contract 1 value.amount is 240000 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£288,000
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 288000 GBP.
VAT element implied by published values
99% confidence£48,000
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Difference between published gross value (£288,000) and net value (£240,000).
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence21 November 2025
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2025-11-21.
Contract start
99% confidence1 December 2025
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Contract 1 period.startDate is 2025-12-01.
Contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-03-31.
Contract details notice published
99% confidence20 October 2026
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Notice publication timestamp is 2026-10-20T14:47:40+01:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidencePre-applicant communications for Student Finance England
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Tender title is “Pre- Applicant Communications”; description concerns information for pre-applicants, applicants and parents about available student financial support and how to apply.
Service context
97% confidenceCommunications for new and returning students across multiple academic years, covering pre-launch, live-service and post-application stages
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Published description states that Customer Communications and Marketing deliver communications across these stages and academic years.
Published classification
99% confidenceCPV 80300000 — Higher education services
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Award item lists additional classification CPV 80300000, described as “Higher education services”.
Lot structure
99% confidenceOne published lot (lot 1)
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Tender and award data each identify lot 1 only.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect procurement
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Tender procurementMethod is “direct”.
Procedure detail
99% confidenceBelow threshold — without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails is “Below threshold - without competition”.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceNo
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Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.
Competition information
98% confidenceNo competition was used; number of suppliers approached or considered is not published
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The procedure is explicitly stated as without competition; no participation or bid data is supplied.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract status
98% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 status is “active”.
Term
99% confidence16 months, from 1 December 2025 to 31 March 2027
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Published contract period runs between these dates.
Extension or option terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Pricing or payment structure
99% confidenceUnknown
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The notice supplies total net and gross values only.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Route-to-market signal
99% confidenceThe buyer used a below-threshold direct award without competition.
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Published procedure detail is “Below threshold - without competition”.
Value interpretation
99% confidenceThe £240,000 net value is published for the single contract linked to award 1 and lot 1.
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Contract 1 is linked to award 1; award 1 relates to lot 1; the contract value is £240,000 net.
Service demand signal
97% confidenceThe requirement spans communications supporting prospective, applying and post-application students across multiple academic years.
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Published description identifies these audiences and stages.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award date
99% confidenceNot published
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Award 1 has no award_date in the supplied record.
Lot title and detailed lot description
99% confidenceNot published
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Lot 1 has no title or description in the supplied record.
Evaluation and selection rationale
99% confidenceNot published
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Bid and participation data
99% confidenceNot published
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Information not supplied in the published notice; the procedure is stated to be without competition.
Value allocation
98% confidenceNo allocation issue identified: one published award, one supplier and one lot are linked to the published contract value
View supporting evidence
Award 1 names one supplier and relates to lot 1; contract 1 links to award 1.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Information not supplied in the published notice: award date, lot title and detailed lot description.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bid count, supplier participation, evaluation criteria, scoring and award rationale.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: extension or renewal options, pricing schedule and payment terms.
- The notice describes a direct below-threshold procurement without competition, so it does not evidence comparative market competition.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Student Loans CompanyUCAS MEDIA LIMITEDpre-applicant communicationsStudent Finance Englandhigher education servicesdirect award
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Student Loans Company pre-applicant communications contract?
UCAS MEDIA LIMITED, verified against company number 02737300, is the named supplier.
What is the contract value?
The published value is £240,000 excluding VAT and £288,000 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
The published period runs from 1 December 2025 to 31 March 2027.
Was the contract competitively tendered?
The notice states a below-threshold direct procurement without competition.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.