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Graduation Ceremony Venue Hire

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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17 Aug 2026 at 10:14

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Open University procured venue hire and associated event services for a graduation ceremony at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. The requirement is for use of the NEC as the ceremony venue, supporting the delivery of an organised university graduation event. The buyer is The Open University, based in Milton Keynes, and the service is delivered in Birmingham. The procurement is categorised as services, with the relevant classification describing event services. The named venue provider is National Exhibition Centre Limited, a large organisation operating the NEC. This requirement is therefore relevant to major event venues, conference and exhibition centres, and businesses able to provide suitable space and event-service support for large formal ceremonies.

The procurement is complete and was awarded directly without competition under a below-threshold procedure. National Exhibition Centre Limited was selected for the single lot. The award is active and the contract was signed on 13 February 2026. The contract runs from 13 February 2026 to 28 October 2028, with the NEC hire specified for 28 October 2028. Its value is £29,820 excluding VAT, or £35,784 including VAT. The award concerns the full single-lot requirement and covers event services for The Open University’s graduation ceremony. The recorded outcome identifies the NEC as the successful supplier and confirms that the procurement did not use a competitive tender process.

This award shows demand from The Open University for a substantial, formal graduation event requiring a recognised venue in Birmingham. A credible future competitor would need to control or provide access to a large event, conference or exhibition space, with the layout, facilities and operational support needed for a university ceremony. Relevant capability includes coordinating venue hire and event services for a fixed, high-profile occasion, accommodating formal proceedings and attendees, and delivering reliable on-site operations. Large venues and specialist event-service providers are the best fit, particularly those able to offer an established Birmingham location and demonstrate experience of managing organised ceremonies or comparable institutional events for a public-sector client.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Graduation Ceremony Venue Hire

Notice Description

Hire of NEC, Birmingham on 28 October 2028 for OU graduation ceremony

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e543
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077961-2026
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
£29,820 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
13 Feb 20266 months ago
Contract Period
13 Feb 2026 - 28 Oct 2028 2-3 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
Postcode Area
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)

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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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