Award

Venue Hire for OU Graduation Ceremony

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

16 Jan 2026 at 18:27

Summary of the contracting process

The Open University has completed a procurement process for hiring a venue for its two-day graduation ceremony, selecting Southbank Centre as the supplier. The procurement process was executed directly without competition due to being below threshold requirements. The contract for venue hire in Milton Keynes was signed on 17th December 2025, with the ceremony scheduled to take place on 14th and 15th September 2026. This procurement falls under the services category, specifically event services.

This opportunity primarily catered to large-scale service providers specialising in venue hire and event management. Although this specific contract has been awarded, similar future opportunities could align well with businesses in the event planning and hospitality industry, particularly those capable of hosting large academic gatherings. Such tenders can significantly contribute to business expansion by providing stability and prestige through association with reputable institutions like The Open University.

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Notice Title

Venue Hire for OU Graduation Ceremony

Notice Description

Venue Hire for OU Graduation Ceremony for 2 days

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060820
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004106-2026
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
Large

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
£110,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Jan 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
17 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
13 Sep 2026 - 15 Sep 2026 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

SOUTHBANK CENTRE

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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