After months of anticipation, universities will be able to have their say on where they want to build a "higher education centre" or "university campus".
The English funding council, Hefce, which launched the consultation today, is very specific about those terms. University challenge - the name of the scheme - is not about setting up new universities.
It's about new centres offering higher education to local people, benefiting communities and businesses.
The universities secretary, John Denham, announced the plans to open 20 new centres in March, but gave no money for it.
Hefce has had to stump up all of its £150m strategic development fund, leaving little "strategic" money to play with - could this be partly to blame for the early departure of its chief executive, Prof David Eastwood?
With the caveat that bids have to be of "high enough quality", Hefce expects to help fund 20 new centres by 2014, or roughly an additional 10,000 students.
The online consultation will be open until October 17, with meetings in London, Leeds and Birmingham from September 23 to 26.
The government hasn't specified where the centres will be - it will be up to those in the sector to propose where they think should be. But will bids for university centres in areas of the country where ministers don't hold marginal seats win funding?
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