Soft Market Test Exercise for Learning Analytics

This Soft Market Test Exercise (SMTE) is intended to allow interested organisations with appropriate experience to outline their views and provide impartial information to the University with no commitment to themselves or the University.

It is not part of a formal procurement process, nor shall the University be committed to carrying out such a process. The ultimate aim is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the various solutions available to the University to deliver the outcomes required.

The University of Southampton is looking to review the market to identify functionality that will enable us to deliver learning analytics to individuals and groups safely and securely while enabling staff and students to have transparent, flexible, and accessible access to their learning data.

The University of Southampton is engaging in Soft Market Testing which it hopes will attract interest from several parties.

Additional information: The University is utilising an electronic tendering tool (In-Tend: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton) to manage this Soft Market Testing Exercise (SMTE) and to communicate with participating organisations.

All documentation in relation to this SMTE can be downloaded from In-Tend.

Participating organisations are advised that there will be no hard copy documents issued to organisations and all communications with the University will be conducted via In-Tend.

Regular monitoring of In-Tend is the responsibility of the participating organisation.

If you are not already registered as a supplier with the University of Southampton, you will need to register in In-Tend in order to access the SMTE documentation.

Once you have logged in: click on 'Tenders'; locate the relevant project; and click 'View Details'. Once you are in the project screen, you will be able to register your company against the project and access all documentation by clicking 'Express Interest'.

Further instructions for the submission of soft market event forms are below.

To submit your return, please follow the instructions below: 1. Log In 2. Click 'Tenders' 3. Locate the relevant project 4. View Details 5. Click on the tab relating to the relevant project stage (e.g., 'Soft Market Testing') 6. Click on the 'Attach Documents' button and upload your return. 7. Check ALL your response documents are uploaded and displayed in the "My Tender Return" panel. The system will only permit your organisation to make one return. 8. Click the red "Submit Return" button. Please note that, to preserve the integrity of the soft market testing exercise, all queries must made be via the correspondence function within In-Tend.

The deadline for the receipt of completed questionnaires and is 12:00 (Noon) 3rd January 2023.

The University of Southampton will invite organisations who have returned a Soft Market Questionnaire to provide a demonstration.

Demonstrations will be scheduled between 9th and 11th January 2023.

This Prior information Notice is issued solely for the purpose of conducting pre-procurement market engagement and does not constitute any commitment to undertake any procurement in the future.

Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to the PIN event and a response to this PIN does not guarantee any invitation to participate in this event or any future procurement.

This PIN does not constitute a call for competition to procure any services, supplies or works mentioned in this PIN and the University will not accept any proposals offered in response to this PIN. The University of Southampton is not liable for any costs, fees, or expenses incurred by any party in replying to the PIN or attending any briefing day (if applicable).

Any procurement of any services, supplies or works by the University of Southampton will be carried out strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.