Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Aberdeen Destination Marketing and Development Service

Aberdeen City Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

20 Jul 2026 at 09:46

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Aberdeen City Council is planning a city-focused destination marketing and development service for Aberdeen. The work would promote the city to leisure and business visitors, increase awareness, visitor numbers, length of stay and accommodation demand, and support the wider visitor economy. Expected activities include destination marketing and communications, city promotion, market intelligence, business engagement, visitor economy and product development, itinerary development, travel trade support, performance evaluation and reporting. The service may interface with convention bureau and business events activity. It should complement wider regional tourism activity, including the coastline, castles, golf, food and drink, outdoor activities and touring routes, while focusing delivery on Aberdeen City. The service is funded through the Aberdeen Visitor Levy and would support cultural, events, heritage, hospitality, leisure and business tourism businesses.

This procurement is at the planning and market-engagement stage. The Council has stated an intention to procure, but this is not an invitation to tender and does not commit it to a contract or particular delivery model. The expected procurement is one city-wide service, using an as-yet unsettled procedure and delivery model. The indicative value is £900,000 including the stated currency, with funding linked to the Aberdeen Visitor Levy, due to apply from 1 April 2027. The Council expects to publish the next notice on 10 November 2026. The proposed service may require transparent public reporting of Visitor Levy expenditure, outputs, outcomes and performance against agreed indicators. Final scope, budget, approvals and procurement arrangements remain subject to planning.

The service is likely to suit destination-management organisations, tourism marketing agencies, place-branding and communications specialists, visitor-economy consultants, business-development advisers and partnerships able to combine these capabilities. Relevant experience may include promoting cities to domestic and international leisure and business markets, developing tourism products and itineraries, supporting travel trade, convention bureau or business-events activity, and engaging accommodation, hospitality, cultural, events and attractions businesses. Suppliers should be prepared to use market intelligence, measure visitor and economic impacts, evaluate performance and report publicly against agreed indicators. Experience of coordinating a city-focused programme with wider regional tourism partners will be useful, particularly where the work must complement existing activity rather than duplicate it. Interested organisations should use the planning period to understand the proposed scope and prepare evidence of comparable destination-development work.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Aberdeen Destination Marketing and Development Service

Notice Description

Aberdeen City Council is seeking market engagement to inform the potential procurement of a city-focused Aberdeen Destination Marketing and Development Service, funded through the Aberdeen Visitor Levy, which is due to apply from 1 April 2027. The proposed service would support Aberdeen's position as a leading visitor destination by delivering destination marketing, city promotion, market intelligence, business engagement, product development and visitor economy development activity. It would seek to increase awareness of Aberdeen, grow visitor numbers and length of stay, support accommodation demand, amplify the city's cultural, events, heritage, hospitality, leisure and business tourism offer, and contribute to the city's wider economic transition. The service is expected to focus on Aberdeen city while recognising that the wider regional offer -- including landscapes, coastline, castles, golf, food and drink, outdoor activity and touring itineraries -- forms an important part of the destination proposition. The Council is also interested in how the service should interface with convention bureau and business events activity where this supports additional visitors, bed nights and economic value for the city. This Prior Information Notice is for market engagement only. It is not a call for competition and does not commit the Council to a procurement, contract award or any particular delivery model.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Aberdeen City Council is considering the procurement of an Aberdeen Destination Marketing and Development Service to support the objectives of the Aberdeen Visitor Levy and the sustainable growth of the city's visitor economy. The service is expected to be delivered as a city-focused programme for Aberdeen. Its purpose will be to promote Aberdeen as a distinctive destination for leisure and business visitors, encourage people to visit, stay longer and spend more, and support the development of a strong visitor offer across the city's venues, events, festivals, culture, attractions, hospitality and tourism businesses. The anticipated scope may include destination marketing and communications, city promotion, business engagement, visitor economy development, product and itinerary development, travel trade support, market intelligence, performance evaluation and reporting. Where included within the final scope, the service may also interface with convention bureau and business events activity where this supports additional visitors, accommodation bed nights and economic value for Aberdeen. The service will be expected to complement, rather than duplicate, wider regional destination activity, while maintaining a clear focus on improving Aberdeen's position as a visitor destination. It will also be expected to support transparent public reporting on the use and impact of Visitor Levy proceeds, including evidence of outputs, outcomes and performance against agreed indicators. This notice is intended to inform market engagement and procurement planning. Any future procurement will be subject to Council approvals, final service specification, available budget and the applicable procurement process.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ce78
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068074-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning 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

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

63513000 - Tourist information services

75125000 - Administrative services related to tourism affairs

79340000 - Advertising and marketing services

79342000 - Marketing services

79411100 - Business development consultancy services

79413000 - Marketing management consultancy services

79951000 - Seminar organisation services

79956000 - Fair and exhibition organisation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£900,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
10 Nov 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Aberdeen City 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
ABERDEEN
Postcode
AB16 5GB
Postcode Area
Aberdeen
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM5 North Eastern Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Delivery Location
TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Local Authority
Aberdeen City
Electoral Ward
Midstocket/Rosemount
Westminster Constituency
Aberdeen North

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...