UKRI-5495 TechFirst: Payment Function

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) undertook a competitive procurement for the provision of a managed payment services solution to administer and disburse scholarship-related payments at scale on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Following completion of the evaluation process, UKRI intends to award the contract to the supplier identified within this notice.

The contract will provide an end-to-end payment administration service, including the onboarding of students and higher education institutions, verification of identity and payment details, secure payment processing, reconciliation of funds, fraud prevention controls, and management information and reporting.

The service will support the delivery of the TechGrad (undergraduate) Scholarship Programme, the Spärck AI (master’s) Scholarship Programme, and the Semiconductors Undergraduate Scholarship Programme. The contract also includes transitional payment administration support for CyberFirst students moving to the TechFirst programme.

The supplier will administer authorised payments to eligible students and institutions in accordance with UKRI and DSIT requirements, including scholarship payments, stipends, tuition fee payments, placement payments, reimbursements, and other approved discretionary payments.

The service will be delivered securely and at scale, ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, government guidance, data protection requirements, and information security standards.