Support tool for doctoral journey

The contract has an unlimited duration.

Key milestones and phases are as follows:

• Preparation Phase:
• Preparation of the commitment agreement and project organization: March to December 2025.
• Signing of the commitment agreement and preparation of procurement documents (specifications, description of the object of the procurement, draft contract translations): January to May 2026.
• Tendering Process and Tendering Period:
• Publication of the invitation to tender: August 2026.
• Period for submitting tenders: 1 month.
• Examination of tenders: 1 month.
• Decision, appeal period of 2 weeks, and signing of the contract: 1.5 months.
• University-Specific Deployment Project:
• Preparation of deployment, including building the system, integration with back-end systems, language versions, and testing: 6 months, starting after the contract signing.
• Deployments in individual universities, Stage A (support for the doctoral dissertation path up till pre-examination): January to March 2027.
• Deployments in individual universities, Stage B (support for the pre-examination process): 6 to 8 months after Stage A.

The implementation project is set to commence without delay following the signature of the agreement. The supplier is responsible for preparing a detailed project plan, including phasing, schedule, resources, responsibilities, key milestones, decision points, and risk management, for the client's approval.

The total duration of the tendering and procurement project is approximately 9 months. The deployment project duration can vary significantly based on the development needed.

The core scope of work for this tender involves the provision of a doctoral progress monitoring system delivered as a software service (SaaS) for the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Lapland, the University of Vaasa, and Åbo Akademi.

The Statement of Work summary and core deliverables include:

• Software Service and Support: This covers the doctoral progress monitoring system as a service, including support for both the Client's representatives and end-users.
• Extension Rights: The right to extend the Software Service with new add-ons and services is included.
• Implementation of Software Service: All tasks required to commence use of the Software Service and its support, including Client-specific configuration and integration definitions, are part of the scope.
• Other Expert Services: Any additional required expert services are also included.
• Implementation Project Content: This encompasses project management, specification work, system configuration, implementation of integrations with Client systems, functional testing, integration testing, preparation of User Acceptance Testing (UAT), administration and end-user training, and transfer to production.
• Annual Software Fees and Licences: Covers SaaS licences for the contract period and any option periods.
• Support and Maintenance Services: These services are provided for the duration of the contract period.
• Potential Further Development Services: These may be procured under separate orders.
• System Delivery Requirements: The system must be a functional whole, including all necessary components and licences. It is delivered as SaaS, with the Supplier responsible for technical maintenance, updates, information security, and continuous operation.
• Multilingual Support: The user interface must support at least Finnish, Swedish, and English.
• Phased Deployment: The deployment will occur in two phases. The first phase involves support for the doctoral dissertation path up to the pre-examination stage, and the second phase focuses on supporting the pre-examination process itself.