The Provision of NIHR Journals Library : Production Services

Tender description

The University of Southampton is currently exploring a range of options to meet its need for the Provision of Production Services of the NIHR Journals Library. The University is keen to explore all service model options that may be available in the marketplace and interested parties are invited to attend a Soft Market Testing event. Further details, including the University's high-level requirements, can be found at Section II.2.4. Lot 1: The University of Southampton is currently exploring a range of options to meet its need for provision of production services for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Journals Library (NJL). The NJL currently comprises a suite of five, Open Access, monograph-format journals providing an important and permanent archive of research funded by the NIHR. The ability to ensure a robust editorial and production process in which the NIHR's research programmes and the Department of Health and Social Care have full confidence is an essential requirement of this contract. A contractor is required by the NJL to provide production services on delivered manuscripts which will include copyediting, typesetting (XML-first), proofreading, artwork - illustration re draw, infographic design, publishing technology support, indexing, PID and metadata management of each issue. The contractor will have access to and maintain relationships with authors, editors and the NETSCC Editorial Office. During 2022, NJL plans to launch a new publishing model - a "threaded-publication" format. Instead of publishing a monograph the NJL will publish a series of shorter research articles that will report on the different elements of the commissioned work - then threading the articles and a synopsis document together online to provide complete publication of the commissioned research. An indicative value of this project is in the region of £7,000,000 The University is keen to explore all options that may be available in the marketplace and interested parties are invited to attend a Soft Market Testing event. The deadline for the receipt of completed request to attend a Soft Market Testing event is 12:00 (Noon) 1st October 2021. Information received as part of this soft market testing exercise shall be used to help shape the University's final specification of requirements and scope any resulting procurement process. Please Note: The University is conducting this soft market testing exercise to allow interested parties, with appropriate experience, to outline their views and provide impartial information to the University with no commitment to themselves or the University. This is not a call for competition at this stage.