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Design Excellence Panel

West Midlands Combined Authority

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

Award

17 Apr 2026 at 09:17

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
TenderUpdate

16 Oct 2025 at 09:55

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

13 Oct 2025 at 15:47

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

08 Jul 2025 at 12:59

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has concluded the procurement process for establishing a Design Excellence Panel, with the contract awarded as of 17th April 2026. The panel aims to deliver high-quality transport infrastructure that is inclusive and sustainable, aligning with regional strategic objectives. This tender entails various industry categories, including architectural, engineering, planning, and artistic services, with delivery focused in the West Midlands region. The procurement process, which was open and below threshold, has transitioned from tendering to awarding, with the contract projected to commence from 7th April 2026 and initially running through 6th April 2027, with potential extensions up to 2029. The budget for the contract stands at £205,200 GBP, underscoring WMCA’s commitment to enhancing the user experience through expert design integration.

This opportunity to join the Design Excellence Panel offers significant growth prospects for businesses within the West Midlands and beyond. The panel encourages participation from a diverse range of suppliers across disciplines such as architecture, urban planning, landscape design, and more, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing. Opportunities are not limited to large corporations; SMEs and organisations with specialist expertise in sustainability, public health, and heritage are strongly suited to compete. With the open competition procurement method and the deadline for submissions initially set for 7th November 2025, this initiative actively supports businesses that understand local contexts and community needs—positioning them to contribute valuable expertise to regional and transport development projects.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Design Excellence Panel

Notice Description

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), is committed to delivering high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable transport infrastructure that aligns with the region's strategic objectives. Recognising the critical role of design in shaping user experience, safety, and long-term value, TfWM is establishing a Design Excellence Panel as a key mechanism to embed design thinking from the outset of project development. The Panel will act as a critical friend to project teams, offering independent, expert advice at key stages of the project lifecycle. It will support the delivery of TfWM's Local Transport Plan and its six (6) Big Moves, ensuring that all schemes, whether rail, bus, tram, or active travel, are functional, inclusive, and contextually responsive. The Panel will champion a co-design approach, fostering collaboration across disciplines and with communities to create places that are accessible, safe, welcoming and inclusive for all. The Design Excellence Panel will operate initially under a three-year programme, with periodic reviews to ensure its continued relevance and impact. Workshops will be held bi-monthly, with flexibility to increase frequency based on project demand. Site visits will be arranged as required to support a 'no site boundary' approach--encouraging consideration of wider spatial and social context. The Panel will consist of approximately twenty (20) individuals (members) drawn from a diverse range of disciplines, including: * Architecture * Landscape Architecture * Inclusive Design * Heritage and Conservation * Urban Planning * Civil and Structural Engineering * Public Health * Sustainability * Access Consultancy * Place Curation * The Arts Panel members must either live in or have demonstrable experience working within the West Midlands, ensuring a strong understanding of local context and community needs. The Panel will: * Provide design assurance aligned with TfWM's strategic goals * Champion inclusive, safe and sustainable design * Support the development of Design Guides * Promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge-sharing * Contribute to post-occupancy evaluations and continuous improvement The Panel will not: * Override statutory or technical standards * Make decisions on budgets or procurement * Enforce recommendations--these remain advisory

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Contracts will include two (2) x 12-month options to extend at WMCA's sole discretion.

Planning Information

If there are any individuals within your organisation who would be suitable to become a Design Excellence Panel member, please ensure you are registered on Bravo Solution, WMCA's e-tendering portal, and monitor Bravo for the release of any bid documents. The link to register on bravo is https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk/esop/guest/login.do.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-055b19
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034961-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

CPV Codes

71220000 - Architectural design services

71240000 - Architectural, engineering and planning services

71313000 - Environmental engineering consultancy services

71320000 - Engineering design services

71400000 - Urban planning and landscape architectural services

92312000 - Artistic services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£240,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£240,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£205,200 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Apr 20264 months ago
Submission Deadline
7 Nov 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
25 Jul 2025Expired
Award Date
7 Apr 20264 months ago
Contract Period
7 Apr 2026 - 6 Apr 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
West Midlands Combined Authority
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BIRMINGHAM
Postcode
B19 3SD
Postcode Area
Birmingham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
TLG West Midlands (England)
Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Newtown
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
15
Supplier Names

Amey OW

AtkinsRéalis UK Limited

Colas Rail Limited

Coventry University

Howells

Intervention Architecture

Mima Group Ltd

OOBE

Phil Jones Associates Ltd

Pinnegar Hayward Design

Prior + Partners

Stantec UK Ltd

Systra Ltd

The Transportation Consultancy

Weston Williamson + Partners

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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.

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