Request for Information - External Digital Experience: CMS Discovery - 2026-3565-RFI-CMS Disc-DL-PST
UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER publishes Software & IT Systems work continuously — 15 notices, roughly one every 64 days. This is a stream to watch, not a cycle to wait for.
11% of UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER’s awards go to a supplier it has used before.
Which is the argument for getting on the list rather than winning this one. The incumbent is rarely the last winner — it is the roster. See the retention odds by category →
The University is undertaking discovery work under the External Digital Experience (EDE) Programme.
This RFI is intended to test the market before any formal procurement decision is made.
It is not a tender and it does not commit the University to procure a solution or to follow a particular route.
The purpose of this RFI is to gather supplier perspectives on a future Content Management System (CMS) and the implementation, migration, governance and operating model considerations that would support a more coherent external digital experience.
The RFI is CMS-only.
The University is not seeking CRM supplier proposals through this exercise.
CRM should only be referenced where it relates to CMS integration, enquiry/form hand-off, campaign source tracking, consent capture, student journey data, or future interoperability.
This RFI is intended to help the University: • understand credible CMS options available in the market, including traditional, headless, hybrid, composable or DXP-aligned approaches • test assumptions from CMS discovery, the EDE Strategy and the CMS Discovery Checklist • understand how suppliers would support content governance, structured content, publishing workflows, accessibility, IA, SEO, internal search, migration and editor experience • understand how a CMS could integrate with CRM and other systems without making CRM part of this RFI • obtain indicative views on delivery approach, sequencing, risks, University-side resourcing and cost drivers; • inform any subsequent CMS business case, procurement strategy, RFP/tender documentation and evaluation criteria.
The University of Manchester no longer meets the criteria of a 'body governed by public law' and is therefore not considered a contracting authority for the purposes of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and/or any replacement legislation.
As a result, the University of Manchester will no longer be subject to the regime contained in The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and/or any replacement legislation with effect from 1 August 2023.
However, as an institution founded for the public good, an exempt charity and an organization in receipt of public funds, the University has a duty to manage expenditure in an appropriate manner and aims to deliver value for money across its non-pay spend by adhering to good procurement practice.
Information, formalities and necessary requirements to be met will be set out in the RFI document, all of which are freely available via the University's procurement portal In-Tend - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/manchesteruniversity
What the notice asks for
The purpose of this RFI is
The purpose of this RFI is to gather supplier perspectives on a future Content Management System (CMS) and the implementation, migration, governance and operating model considerations that would support a more coherent external digital experience.
CRM should only be referenced where it
CRM should only be referenced where it relates to CMS integration, enquiry/form hand-off, campaign source tracking, consent capture, student journey data, or future interoperability.
Understand how suppliers would support content governance
understand how suppliers would support content governance, structured content, publishing workflows, accessibility, IA, SEO, internal search, migration and editor experience.
Understand how a CMS could integrate
understand how a CMS could integrate with CRM and other systems without making CRM part of this RFI.
However, as an institution founded for
However, as an institution founded for the public good, an exempt charity and an organization in receipt of public funds, the University has a duty to manage expenditure in an appropriate manner and aims to deliver value for money across its non-pay spend by adhering to good procurement practice.
Sentences from the notice that state an obligation, surfaced automatically and shown in the order they appear. Not an exhaustive list — always confirm against the tender documents.
What it takes to bid this
Typical UK bid effort for the value not published — mid-band assumed band — an estimate, not a quote.
Qualify & bid/no-bid ~10% · SQ / PQQ ~20% · Written response ~55% · Review & presentation ~15%
Typical for this category — confirm against the ITT pack
- Hold at bidCyber Essentials Plus (often mandatory for gov IT)
- Hold at bidISO 27001 (information security)
- Show at bidComparable references / case studies
- Hold at bidFinancial standing (accounts, often ~2× contract value turnover)
- Hold at bidInsurance cover (PL / EL, often PI)
- Show at bidSocial value commitments
Hold at bid = pass/fail conditions of participation. Show at bid = scored in the quality response. Plan for delivery = contract obligations from day one.
Make the case to bid
Reveal who to approach at UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, and generate a go-to-market strategy from their news, accounts and people.
Free to start. Named contacts come from published notices; the strategy is generated from the buyer’s news, accounts and people.
The full intelligence dossier
Our agent reads UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER’s accounts, hunts live signals, finds the people who decide — and hands you a bid strategy plus a go-to-market influence plan, including what your team should post this week. You approve every paid step.
Five included while we’re in beta, and the agent asks before it spends on any paid step.
- OCID
- eaf2ff31-d5c1-419e-82f0-fd0c979f7e64
- Stage
- preprocurement · Open
- Source
- Contracts Finder
- Buyer ref
- Request for Information - External Digital Experience: CMS Discovery - 2026-3565-RFI-CMS Disc-DL-PST
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source data © Crown copyright.
Who wins this kind of work
The suppliers and buyers around this opportunity — drawn from official award data. Drag to orbit; click a node to explore.
Top suppliers & buyers in Software & IT Systems
UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER’s tender network