Planning

Provision of Catering Services

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

25 May 2026 at 14:57

Summary of the contracting process

The Open University, classified as a sub-central public authority, is planning the procurement of catering services at its Walton Hall Campus in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. This procurement, valued at £4,000,000 (gross value of £4,800,000), is in the planning stage under a tender initiation type as of 25th May 2026. The services required include retail catering, vending, and hospitality services, falling under the CPV codes 55500000 and 55520000. The contract is scheduled to commence on 1st February 2028, with an expected end date of 31st January 2033. The procurement notice, as published on the Find a Tender service, anticipates a future notice date set for 1st February 2027.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses in the catering sector, particularly those specialising in canteen and catering services, retail catering, and hospitality. This procurement is ideal for established catering companies looking to expand their footprint in the educational sector, providing a broad range of services from vending to hospitality management. Businesses with the capability to service large institutions like universities and who can deliver comprehensive catering solutions would be well-suited to compete for this contract. The provision for service renewal within the contracting period further enhances the growth potential for successful bidders.

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

Notice Title

Provision of Catering Services

Notice Description

Provision of catering services at Open University Walton Hall Campus. Services include retail catering, vending and hospitality services

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06a26b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048338-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services


CPV Codes

55500000 - Canteen and catering services

55520000 - Catering services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£4,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
25 May 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Feb 20279 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2028 - 31 Jan 2033 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

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
TLJ12 Milton Keynes

Local Authority
Milton Keynes
Electoral Ward
Monkston
Westminster Constituency
Milton Keynes Central

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-06a26b-2026-05-25T15:57:26+01:00",
    "date": "2026-05-25T15:57:26+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06a26b",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "planning": {
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "048338-2026",
                "documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK1",
                "description": "Pipeline notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048338-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-05-25T15:57:26+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-CHC-RC000391",
            "name": "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-CHC",
                "id": "RC000391"
            },
            "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"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-CHC-RC000391",
        "name": "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06a26b",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Provision of Catering Services",
        "description": "Provision of catering services at Open University Walton Hall Campus. Services include retail catering, vending and hospitality services",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "55500000",
                        "description": "Canteen and catering services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "55520000",
                        "description": "Catering services"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ12",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 4800000,
            "amount": 4000000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2028-02-01T00:00:00+00:00",
                    "endDate": "2033-01-31T23:59:59+00:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2035-01-31T23:59:59+00:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "planned"
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2027-02-01T23:59:59+00:00"
        },
        "status": "planned"
    },
    "language": "en"
}