Award

V&A East Museum Media Buying

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

27 Jan 2026 at 10:05

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

27 Jan 2026 at 09:59

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Victoria and Albert Museum, a central government authority located in London, has awarded a contract titled "V&A East Museum Media Buying" as part of its strategy for launching the V&A East Museum in East London on April 18, 2026. The procurement process, categorised under advertising services, was conducted through a direct award due to specific technical reasons and the need for consistent execution of a bespoke campaign. Manning Gottlieb OMD, part of OMD Group Limited, was chosen as the supplier due to their established relationship and previous involvement in the campaign strategy development. The contract, valued at £359,850 gross, is scheduled to run from February 7 to August 6, 2026, with the option to adjust the media requirements as needed. The procurement process reached the award stage on January 27, 2026, and is identified by a notable focus on direct media procurement tailored to attract new museum audiences.

This contract represents a significant opportunity for large media agencies, particularly those capable of handling complex and non-standard marketing campaigns. The direct award circumvents traditional procurement timelines, favouring a company already embedded in the launch campaign's nuances and complexities. By targeting new demographics with innovative advertising strategies, businesses specialising in creative media and digital marketing could find opportunities in similar public sector collaborations, particularly those that value speed to market and strategic communication. The campaign's success hinges on connecting with audiences unfamiliar with the museum, suggesting a demand for creative advertising solutions poised to exploit cultural and historical narratives.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

V&A East Museum Media Buying

Notice Description

We are launching our new museum in east London on April 18, 2026. The launch of V&A East Museum is a pivotal moment for the V&A. It presents a unique opportunity to attract both existing and entirely new audiences. We needed a holistic media strategy that will not only attract entirely new audiences but also span the launch of the Museum and its inaugural temporary exhibition - The Music is Black: A British Story. In order to reach these new audiences who wouldn't normally consider going to a Museum, we needed a bespoke media campaign that would show up unlike any campaign the target audience will have experienced from a museum. For this campaign, we opted to use Manning Gottlieb OMD (a division of OMD Group Limited) as the provider of Media Services under CCS framework agreement RM6123. We chose this framework as it offered a compliant and speedy route to market with a single supplier that had an excellent reputation, and our initial conversation with them showed that they could meet their brief. Despite our intention to use the CCS framework, it has since emerged that this is not feasible for the reasons set out in the associated transparency notice.

Procurement Information

Having produced the strategy, OMD are now required to deliver it. We have a trusted team who are embedded in the launch strategy. They've are working closely alongside our creative agencies to develop the launch campaign creative and we need a team who understand the nuances of a highly complicated launch and multi-faceted campaign. We engaged with OMD in good faith that the framework route was viable. The time and cost of change prohibits us from considering an alternative.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060f3e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/006935-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
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

79341000 - Advertising services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£299,875 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Jan 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
27 Jan 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
7 Feb 2026 - 6 Aug 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@vam.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW7 2RL
Post Town
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI33 Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Kensington and Chelsea
Electoral Ward
Brompton & Hans Town
Westminster Constituency
Kensington and Bayswater

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

OMD GROUP

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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