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Global Media & Marketing Services Ecosystem (Media, Performance & Creative Services)

British Council

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

Award

11 Sep 2026 at 13:45

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

11 Sep 2026 at 13:18

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
TenderUpdate

18 Mar 2026 at 14:59

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

18 Mar 2026 at 11:37

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The British Council is procuring global media and marketing services through a single lead media agency, supported where needed by approved specialist partners under an exception policy, including China carve-out arrangements. The services cover paid media for the British Council’s English, Exams and Cultural Engagement activities, alongside market research, advertising and marketing support. This is a services contract managed by the British Council, with delivery across the United Kingdom and global deployment implied by the required international lead-agency model. The requirement is suited to agencies able to plan and deliver integrated media activity across markets, coordinate specialist partners and support several distinct public-facing and education-related areas of the British Council’s work.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded through a selective competitive flexible procedure. It was a single-lot process, evaluated on quality and methodology at 60% and commercial terms at 40%. Six bids were received and four reached the final stage. Omnicom Media Group Europe Limited was selected. One award is recorded as pending at £15 gross, with an award date of 11 September 2026 and a standstill period ending 23 September 2026. A second award is recorded as active at £150,000,000 gross. The contract period for the active award runs from 23 October 2026 to 22 October 2028, with up to three optional 12-month extensions and a maximum end date of 22 October 2031. A future signature date of 12 October 2026 is scheduled.

This outcome identifies the type of supplier the British Council selected for a substantial, international media requirement: a large lead agency able to manage global paid media across English, Exams and Cultural Engagement, while coordinating approved specialist partners and handling exception arrangements such as the China carve-out. A credible future competitor would need strong media planning, buying, performance marketing and measurement capabilities, supported by robust account governance across multiple markets. Experience of integrating advertising, marketing and market-research activity would be relevant, as would the capacity to manage a complex public-sector relationship and provide consistent delivery across distinct programmes. The competition also shows that the buyer tested technical capability before inviting full tender responses, so demonstrable methodology and delivery capacity would be important alongside commercial competitiveness.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Global Media & Marketing Services Ecosystem (Media, Performance & Creative Services)

Notice Description

The British Council is seeking a single Global Lead media agency, with the ability to deploy approved specialist partners under an Exception Policy including China carve-out arrangements, to deliver global paid media services across English, Exams and Cultural Engagement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066d46
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086424-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
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

79310000 - Market research services

79340000 - Advertising and marketing services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£125,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
£125,000,000 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
£150,000,015 £100M-£1B
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Sep 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
11 Sep 20265 days ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
British Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E20 1JQ
Postcode Area
East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI41 Hackney and Newham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Newham
Electoral Ward
Stratford Olympic Park
Westminster Constituency
Stratford and Bow

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Omnicom Media Group Europe Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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