Embedded International Pathways College

Concepts

• education and training
• coleraine
• international students
• international pathway college
• embedded colleges
• international year one
• embedded international pathways college
• pathway
• pathways
• colleges

Location

Northern Ireland: Ulster University's Belfast Campus

Description

Ulster University wishes to enter into a contractual arrangement with an experienced third party provider to establish an embedded International Pathway College ("IPC") on its Belfast campus to deliver educational study programmes to international students to equip them with the skills/qualifications required to enrol on an undergraduate or postgraduate course at Ulster University. This presents an exciting opportunity for a suitably experienced and innovative partner to enter into a contractual agreement with Ulster University to realise its ambitions for the IPC. The partner will be responsible for the operational running of the IPC, delivering programmes, promoting the college, recruitment of international students, administration of admissions and providing teaching services.

Total Quantity or Scope

Ulster University wishes to enter into a contractual arrangement with an experienced third party provider to establish an embedded International Pathway College ("IPC") on its Belfast campus to deliver educational study programmes to international students to equip them with the skills/qualifications required to enrol on an undergraduate or postgraduate course at Ulster University. This presents an exciting opportunity for a suitably experienced and innovative partner to enter into a contractual agreement with Ulster University to realise its ambitions for the IPC. The partner will be responsible for the operational running of the IPC, delivering programmes, promoting the college, recruitment of international students, administration of admissions and providing teaching services. The IPC will support the University's ambition to significantly increase the number of international students. To achieve this vision, it is envisaged that the IPC will be established in partnership with a private provider; be physically embedded in Ulster University's Belfast campus; and be established such that the IPC students will have appropriate rights and access to the University's facilities such as library, laboratories, studios, classrooms and student accommodation. It is intended that the relationship will facilitate a successful collaboration between the two entities, creating a true partnership with the shared ambition of maximising the success of the IPC. To realise this, the parties will enter into a contractual arrangement, the exact terms of which it is anticipated may form part of any negotiations undertaken during the procurement process. The key objective of this competition is to run a competitive procurement process for the University to select a private partner with whom it can enter into the contractual arrangement to set up and run an IPC on the Belfast campus. The exact programmes to be provided at the IPC will be developed by the successful tenderer in collaboration with the University, driven by market demand and business intelligence. It is anticipated, however, that the IPC will provide Foundation Year, International Year One and Pre-Masters programs leading to further study at the University on undergraduate degree and master’s programmes in a range of disciplines across the four faculties: (a) Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; (b) Business; (c) Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment; and (d) Life and Health Sciences. It is anticipated that the first cohort of students will be recruited for September 2026 intake. The appointed partner will contribute expertise in successfully delivering embedded colleges for other further education institutions and the drive, determination and innovation to ensure that the IPC in Belfast is marketed and promoted successfully and effectively to the global student market, and fully aligns with Ulster University's internationalisation priorities. The University will contribute the teaching and administrative facilities required to operate the IPC; support for the partner to maximise the IPC success; and seeking to create a true partnership to optimise benefits for both parties. The University has estimated the potential value of the opportunity as being in the range of £58 - £66 million over the entire potential duration of the contractual arrangement. However, the University does not provide any commitment or guarantee in that regard. The potential value of the opportunity will be heavily dependent on the partner’s contribution to the IPC and in particular, its recruitment efforts. A copy of the procurement pack which provides further information about this opportunity is available for download via the Portal.

Renewal Options

The estimated total contract value stated above in Section II.2.6 reflects the maximum possible contract period of 240 months, but the contractual arrangement will comprise an initial term of 120 months, which period shall commence on the date on which the first cohort of students commence their courses at the College, followed by such number of extensions (of not less than 12 months' duration each) at the option of the University as the University requires, subject to the initial term and all extensions not exceeding in aggregate a period 240 months.

CPV Codes

• 80000000 - Education and training services
• 79610000 - Placement services of personnel
• 80300000 - Higher education services
• 80400000 - Adult and other education services
• 80490000 - Operation of an educational centre
• 80500000 - Training services

Indicators

• This is a one-off contract (no recurrence)
• Options are available.
• Renewals are not available.
• Professional qualifications are sought.

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** The University reserves the right to award the contractual arrangement following submission of initial tender responses and also reserves the right to down-select tenderers following submission of initial tenders, any refined or detailed tenders requested by the University and/or after each round of negotiations. For the avoidance of doubt, final tenders will not be subject to any negotiation with the University (however, they may be subject to clarification, if required at the University’s absolute discretion). Under no circumstances will the University or its advisors be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by Economic Operators, their funders and/or their respective advisors arising directly or indirectly from the procurement process, their participation in or termination thereof, including, without limitation, preparation and submission of responses, as a result of any changes or adjustments made to the procurement documents or the exclusion/disqualification of an Economic Operator. Only the express terms of the contractual documents, if and when executed shall have any contractual effect in connection with the matters to which this procurement process relates. Neither the issue of the procurement documents, nor any of the information presented in them, should be regarded as a commitment or representation on the part of the University (or any other person) to enter into a contractual arrangement. Nothing in the procurement documents should be interpreted as a commitment by the University to award a contractual arrangement to an Economic Operator as a result of this procurement process, nor to accept any tender. No legally binding contract shall arise (and a tenderer shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract shall be entered into) until such time as entry into the contractual arrangement has been confirmed by the University. As such, the University reserves the right to cancel, withdraw or amend the procurement process at any stage.