Soft Market Testing Exercise for the Provision of Merchant Services

The University is utilising an electronic tendering tool (In-Tend: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton) to manage this soft market testing exercise and to communicate with participating organisations.

All documentation in relation to this soft market testing exercise 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 including the submission of Soft Market Testing event request form 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 soft market testing 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 requests to attend a Soft Market Testing Exercise is 12:00 (Noon) 20th October 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.