Enterprise Services Partnership

• The university released the Request For Proposals (RFP) on Dec. 4, which launched Phase I of the RFP.
• Phase I is designed to notify and invite potential partners who may be interested in providing enterprise services across our institution.
• At this stage, the RFP describes the service areas and scope of a potential partnership broadly — not in deep detail. The goal is to determine who may have the interest, capacity and qualified experience to support the services we are evaluating.
• An evaluation committee will assess responses and create a shortlist of qualified potential partners to advance to Phase II.

• Phase II involves the university providing much more detailed information to those potential partners — including operational expectations, service details and financials — and the opportunity to get into the details of what a potential enterprise-wide service model would entail.
• During this phase, UK will hold working sessions and negotiations with potential partners to evaluate their capabilities and alignment with our needs.
• UK will also assess how well each partner aligns with our mission, values and long-term vision.

• We are seeking a long-term, strategic partnership — not simply a vendor — which is why this process is so thorough.
• Indeed, a true partnership will go beyond a vendor performing services and providing support. A partner will align with and contribute to who we are and what we do.
• Phase II will include an evaluation of how a potential partner aligns with our mission of education, service, research and care and identify opportunities of supporting strategic programs across the institution.
• The goal is to make a final decision on a partnership — whether to embark on a partnership and with whom — in the summer of 2026.   
• As a reminder, any final contract will retain UK employees — including those at UK St. Claire and UK King’s Daughters — working in these service areas with no reductions in pay or benefits.
• We encourage you to learn more about the initiative in the FAQs below.

The university — including UK HealthCare, UK St. Claire and UK King’s Daughters — continues to grow to serve more students, patients and communities across Kentucky. At the same time, higher education and health care are facing new pressures and operational changes. As a result, nearly 20 administrative areas across academic, athletics and clinical areas are currently undergoing changes to strengthen coordination, consistency and quality of service delivery. 

Alongside those efforts, the university is evaluating how certain support services are provided across all locations as well — from the academic campus in Lexington to UK St. Claire in Morehead and UK King’s Daughters in Ashland.  

There is a critical inflection point in the coming year — as key contracts with third parties expire, and new facilities are in various stages of development — to unify staff and systems from these services.  

Services under review include:

• Maintenance
• Grounds
• Custodial services
• Dining and food services
• In‑patient transport and in‑patient sitting services

These services operate across multiple locations, including the academic campus in Lexington and UK St. Claire in Morehead and UK King’s Daughters in Ashland. 

Yes. This initiative is not about eliminating positions or replacing UK employees. 

In considering how best to proceed, we have included several requirements that will — and must be — part of any partnership we enter into, should we decide to move forward. 

One will be that we will retain employees providing these services as university employees — including UK St. Claire and UK King’s Daughters — with no reductions in pay or benefits.

No. There will be no reductions in pay or benefits. 

Employees will continue to have a job with the university, which includes UK St. Claire and UK King's Daughters.

Employees will not need to relocate.

This initiative to enhance how we provide key services is not about reducing staff.

Because a potential partner would be managing the coordinated enterprise-wide service model, a partner employee may be involved in UK employee performance evaluations.

We will require that a UK employee review those performance evaluations as well.

In the event that any changes to Major Job Responsibilities (MJRs) are required, such changes would follow UK Human Resources policies and protocols. 

At this point in the process, nothing is finalized. Any potential changes would be planned and communicated in advance.

Here’s what could be different:

• Some processes, systems or tools may change to improve coordination and consistency.
• Training will be provided if new systems or processes are introduced.
• Reporting structures and workflows may evolve as details are finalized.

For some employees, there could be optional growth opportunities with the partner organization that are not available within our current model.

The goal is to enhance how we provide key services with improved coordination, securing the resources needed for continued growth and supporting staff with consistent systems, tools and standards.  

The university is exploring working with an external company to help design, implement and manage a coordinated, enterprise-wide service model. We have successfully worked with external partners in the past — called Public-Private Partnerships or P-3s — to do more and be more for our community and the Commonwealth. 

Proof of the power of partnership is evident in the physical transformation of our campus: new residence halls, dining facilities, academic and student life spaces, and modern research laboratories — as well as our Smart Campus Initiative — were made possible through partnership.

For an Enterprise Services Partnership, we have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for potential partners to submit proposals. Many of the details will be determined during this process.

In considering how best to proceed, we have included several requirements that will — and must be — part of any partnership we enter into, should we decide to move forward. 

One will be that we will retain employees providing these services as university employees — including UK St. Claire and UK King’s Daughters — with no reductions in pay or benefits. 

A partner would reimburse UK for the payroll and benefits costs for the UK employees that perform these services as part of the partnership. 

Additionally, we will support employment opportunities for students, where possible. 

Already, we work with several partners to deliver certain services, differing by location and service. Current partners are aware of this initiative and will have the opportunity to submit proposals during the RFP process.

No. No final decisions have been made. The RFP process will inform whether to move forward with a partnership and, if so, with whom.

An RFP was released in early December with the goal of a final decision on a partnership — whether to embark on a partnership and with whom — in the summer of 2026. 

If we move forward with a partnership, we will implement a new service model thereafter and keep employees informed along the way. 

We are currently in Phase II of the RFP process. After receiving six proposals, the evaluation committee narrowed those down to two proposals that best met our guiding principles and were most qualified to perform the work.

Employees can reach out to their supervisors or leadership for the latest information on this process at any time. 

This website will stay up to date.

If employees have questions, they can email servicepartnership@uky.edu. 

Employees will continue to receive updates through:

• This website
• Emails
• Supervisors and leadership

Employees may also submit questions at any time to servicepartnership@uky.edu. 

The university is committed to sharing information as decisions are made and being clear about what is known — and what is still being evaluated.

To build a stronger, more consistent and coordinated enterprise-wide service model — with more resources — that supports the university’s mission to advance Kentucky and meet the needs of a growing and evolving campus and health system.

In partnership with an external company that would bring more resources to the table, we can create a lasting structure that can improve on the already great work done and, in the future, operate even more effectively and efficiently to meet this moment.