Award

Graduation Ceremony

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

13 May 2025 at 15:46

Summary of the contracting process

The recent procurement process initiated by The Open University, located in Milton Keynes, aimed at securing a venue for their Graduation Ceremony, has reached the award stage. This tender, titled "Graduation Ceremony," falls under the services industry category, specifically "Event services." The Barbican Centre in London has been identified as the supplier for this direct procurement, which was conducted below the competitive threshold. The contract, active from 19 September 2025 to 20 September 2025, has an overall value of £11,281,260. The procurement method employed was a direct award without competition, adhering to the legal framework outlined in the UKPGA 2023/54.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in event management and venue provision, particularly those located in or willing to operate within the Milton Keynes area. Service providers can benefit from partnerships with educational institutions like The Open University, potentially leading to repeat engagements and long-term collaborations. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with capabilities in managing large-scale public events could find this contract particularly lucrative, given its substantial value and the prestige associated with working alongside a reputable academic institution. Such contracts can help businesses enhance their portfolios and expand their market reach in the educational and public sector events segment.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Notice Title

Graduation Ceremony

Notice Description

Open University Graduation Ceremony Venue

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-051267
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020989-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

79952000 - Event services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£11,281,260 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 May 20259 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
23 Apr 202510 months ago
Contract Period
18 Sep 2025 - 20 Sep 2025 30 days
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
finance-tenders@open.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
MILTON KEYNES
Postcode
MK7 6AA
Post Town
Milton Keynes
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ12 Milton Keynes
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Milton Keynes
Electoral Ward
Monkston
Westminster Constituency
Milton Keynes Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

THE BARBICAN CENTRE

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-051267-2025-05-13T16:46:44+01:00",
    "date": "2025-05-13T16:46:44+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-051267",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-CHC-RC000391",
            "name": "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-CHC",
                "id": "RC000391"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PYNW-6296-ZJQQ"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Walton Hall",
                "locality": "Milton Keynes",
                "postalCode": "MK7 6AA",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ12"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "finance-tenders@open.ac.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-FTS-147695",
            "name": "The Barbican Centre",
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Silk Street",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "EC2Y8DS",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI31"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "jenny.waller@barbican.org.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "sme",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-CHC-RC000391",
        "name": "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "OUPA11395",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Graduation Ceremony",
        "description": "Open University Graduation Ceremony Venue",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Below threshold - without competition",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-FTS-147695",
                    "name": "The Barbican Centre"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "79952000",
                            "description": "Event services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKJ12",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "awardID": "1",
            "title": "Graduation Ceremony",
            "status": "active",
            "period": {
                "startDate": "2025-09-19T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2025-09-20T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 14101520,
                "amount": 11281260,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "dateSigned": "2025-04-24T00:00:00+01:00",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "020989-2025",
                    "documentType": "contractNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK7",
                    "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020989-2025",
                    "datePublished": "2025-05-13T16:46:44+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}