University of Staffordshire picks HP for £4m tech marriage

Vendor bests two rivals in public sector bid seeking "overarching" IT provider

HP has sealed a berth as the University of Staffordshire's IT partner of choice after triumphing in a three-way race for a £4m-plus contract.

According to a contract award notice, the university had been "looking to develop an overarching agreement with a lead supplier for the provision and operation of technology... and academic partnerships". The worth of the consultancy-led deal is pegged at £4m excluding VAT, and three tenders were received.

The award of the contract was reportedly weighted 20 per cent each towards cost, strategic fit and added value, 30 per cent towards technical fit, and 10 per cent towards academic development. The deal is not likely to be sub-contracted, according to the contract notice.