Award

Graduation Ceremony Hire

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

13 Mar 2026 at 15:14

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

This public procurement process was undertaken by The Open University, a sub-central government public authority based in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The contract, titled "Graduation Ceremony Hire," involves hiring Symphony Hall in Birmingham for a graduation ceremony on 16th October 2027. The procurement was completed with a direct method, running below the threshold without competition, and reached the award stage on 13th March 2026. B:Music (Enterprises) Ltd was selected as the supplier for service provision in the event services category. The contract was signed on 15th December 2025, valued at £37,900 excluding VAT, and £45,480 including VAT, with the service period spanning from 15th December 2025 to 16th October 2027.

This tender presents a unique opportunity for businesses specialising in event services, particularly those with the capability to handle large-scale functions such as graduation ceremonies. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially those located in or around Birmingham, can leverage such contracts to expand their portfolios and drive growth by catering to prestigious institutions like The Open University. As the tender was awarded via a direct procurement process, businesses that can offer unique services or venues may be well-positioned for similar opportunities in future engagements with educational or government bodies.

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

Notice Information

Notice Title

Graduation Ceremony Hire

Notice Description

Hire of Symphony Hall, Birmingham on 16 Oct 2027 for OU graduation ceremony

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066a25
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023111-2026
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
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
£37,900 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Mar 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
15 Dec 20253 months ago
Contract Period
15 Dec 2025 - 16 Oct 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

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

B:MUSIC (ENTERPRISES

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-066a25-2026-03-13T15:14:09Z",
    "date": "2026-03-13T15:14:09Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-066a25",
    "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": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-FTS-176549",
            "name": "B:Music (Enterprises) Ltd",
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Symphony Hall, 8 Centenary Square",
                "locality": "Birmingham",
                "postalCode": "B1 2EA",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKG31"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "events@bmusic.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "sme",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-CHC-RC000391",
        "name": "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "OUPA11652",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Graduation Ceremony Hire",
        "description": "Hire of Symphony Hall, Birmingham on 16 Oct 2027 for OU graduation ceremony",
        "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-176549",
                    "name": "B:Music (Enterprises) Ltd"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "79952000",
                            "description": "Event services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UK",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "awardID": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "period": {
                "startDate": "2025-12-15T00:00:00Z",
                "endDate": "2027-10-16T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 45480,
                "amount": 37900,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "dateSigned": "2025-12-15T00:00:00Z",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "023111-2026",
                    "documentType": "contractNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK7",
                    "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023111-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-03-13T15:14:09Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}