Award

Graduation Ceremony Venue Hire

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

04 Feb 2026 at 09:28

Summary of the contracting process

The Open University has completed a procurement process for the "Graduation Ceremony Venue Hire," focused on hiring the National Exhibition Centre located in Birmingham for a graduation ceremony scheduled on 16th October 2027. The industry category involved is event services, and the process employed is a direct procurement method, executed without competition as it was below the threshold. The contract has been formalised and is active from the 27th of November 2025 to the 16th of October 2027. The contract carries a gross value of £36,041.94. This particular tender was under the management of The Open University, a public authority within the sub-central government sector in the UK.

This procurement presents a growing opportunity for businesses operating within the event services industry, especially those capable of delivering large venue arrangements and facilities management across the UK. Such tenders typically favour established large-scale providers like National Exhibition Centre Limited, suggesting that similar organisations with capacities to accommodate significant event services requirements align well with this business opportunity. Companies positioned to offer competitive services in terms of logistics, venue setup, and specialised event management should consider monitoring future procurement notices for similar projects.

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Notice Title

Graduation Ceremony Venue Hire

Notice Description

Hire of National Exhibition Centre for the 16th October 2027 graduation ceremony

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-064661
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009760-2026
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
£30,034 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
27 Nov 20252 months ago
Contract Period
27 Nov 2025 - 16 Oct 2027 1-2 years
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

NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE LIMITED (THE

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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