Institution wants to appoint a single manufacturer and a handful of reseller partners to undertake potential five-year deployment

Bournemouth University is to looking to pick a single brand of PC ahead of a £7m refresh of its entire device estate.

The institution has issued a contract notice seeking potential bidders for a framework covering “the rollout of Windows-compatible IT equipment (and some associated peripherals) to staff and students across its entire estate” over two campuses. The framework, which will be awarded for a four-year term, will include a single device manufacturer and two or three of its reseller partners, the notice said. These partners must be nominated by the manufacturer.

Once the framework is live, one of the providers will be picked – either directly or via a competition – to conduct each various stage of the implementation. Even if manufacturers intend to bid for this deployment work, they must still nominate at least two but no more than three of their reseller partners to feature on the framework.

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The notice added: “It should be noted that OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) will be expected to provide (and therefore tender against) all computers and IT equipment identified in BU’s requirements. Furthermore, all computers to be provided under the framework must be of the OEM’s own brand (although IT equipment does not have to be the OEM’s own brand). Likewise, resellers must only provide the branded computers proposed by the OEM by whom the reseller has been nominated. In respect of IT Equipment, resellers must only provide the equipment (whether OEM branded or otherwise) proposed by the OEM.”

The refresh project could last as long as five years, the university said, and it is looking to appoint a manufacturer and its partners to a deal lasting an initial period of 48 months. The value of the framework is estimated at £7m.

Bids for the framework are open until 16 August, with a contract due to go live on 18 December.