University of Lincoln: Remote Access to Academic Applications

Contracting authority

Contracting authority:

University of Lincoln

Public Procurement Organisation Number:

PGYJ-5468-QTPJ

Address:

Lawress Hall, Riseholme Park, Riseholme
Lincoln
LN2 2LG
UK

Contact name:

Vasos Melides

Email:

vmelides@lincoln.ac.uk

Telephone:

01522882000

Website:

www.lincoln.ac.uk

Organisation type:

REGIONAL_AUTHORITY

Devolved regulations that apply:

None

Procedure

Procedure type:

Direct award

Tenders received:

0

Tenders assessed:

0

Tenders from SMEs:

0

Tenders from VCSEs:

0

Scope

Title:

Remote Access to Academic Applications

Reference number:

477

Description:

This Transparency Notice is being issued to notify the market that the University of Lincoln intends to Direct Award a contract to AppsAnywhere Ltd for their AppsAnywhere solution. The solution is a centralised application delivery platform, which reduces the complexities in remote application access and delivery. It allows users (students and staff) to access applications remotely, without the need to use a virtual desktop. The AppsAnywhere solution works differently from other solutions in the marketplace, offering a unique model that is runs natively on devices which requires less resource on the University Digital Technologies infrastructure.

The substantial difference between AppsAnywhere and all the other possible solutions, is that the Windows academic applications hosted in AppsAnywhere run ‘natively’ on the user’s device and are not therefore hosted by the University. This means that the University does not have to host the applications in its own environment, and it does not have the associated High Performance Compute costs.
To view this notice, please click here:
https://neupc.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=985039095

Participation

Suitable for SMEs:

Yes

Suitable for VCSEs:

No

Lots

Description:

Not provided

Main procurement category:

SUPPLIES

Above threshold:

Yes

Suitable for SMEs:

No

Suitable for VCSEs:

No

Contract dates (estimated):

01/01/2026 to 31/12/2028

CPV classifications:

48211000 - Platform interconnectivity software package.

48219100 - Gateway software package.

Contract can be extended:

No

Delivery regions:

UKF3 - Lincolnshire

Suppliers

Title:

Not provided

Supplier:

AppsAnywhere Limited

Companies House:

07018761

Address:

The Foresters Arms, 35 Kirkgate,, Sherburn in Elmet,
Leeds,
LS25 6BH
UK

Email:

sales@appsanywhere.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

Yes

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

Documents

Associated tender documents:

Not provided

Technical specifications:

Not provided

Contract Terms

Contract terms:

Not provided

A conflicts assessment has been prepared and revised:

Yes

Direct Award Justification

Allowed by statutory instrument:

No

Direct award justifications:

Single supplier - technical

Justification description:

The University of Lincoln intends to award AppsAnywhere Ltd a contract to continue its provision of remote and cloud-based platforms for Windows academic application delivery by providing seamless, on-demand, access to applications on any device, anywhere.

This contract is being awarded in accordance with Chapter 3, Section 41 Direct Award in Special Cases (1)(a) and (6) of the Public Procurement Act 2023. This is for Technical Reasons, as defined under the provisions of Schedule 5 paragraph 6, as stated below:

"(a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and
(b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works."

The key justifications for this award are that despite other suppliers being able to provide remote applications and desktops, none of them work in the same way as the AppsAnywhere Ltd solution (AppsAnywhere). From the University's research, all the other solutions providers will require the University to incur ongoing, variable High Performance Compute (HPC) costs. The AppsAnywhere solution, allows the Windows academic applications to run natively on the user’s device. This therefore means that the University will not have an ongoing, usage dependent, HPC cost which is dependent on user’s volumes from when users access the remote applications, that would be hosted from within the University's environment.

The unique elements of the AppsAnywhere solution therefore meets the justification requirement for a direct award, for single supplier, by the University, because there is an 'absence of competition for technical reasons' and 'there are no reasonable alternatives'. The unique features of AppsAnywhere are outlined below:

Technical Reasons - because there are no alternatives that run Windows academic applications natively on user devices, therefore demonstrating that there is a lack of competition for 'Technical Reasons'.
Reasonable Alternatives - all alternatives have variable ongoing HPC cost, which therefore means that there are no 'Reasonable Alternatives' that the University can implement which will have the same low value running/usage costs.

Special regime:

None

Other organisations