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BM27AB Venue Hire - NEC (ICC) - 21 May 2027

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

17 Aug 2026 at 10:35

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Open University procured venue hire and associated event services for an undergraduate graduation ceremony. The requirement was for the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), also known as the ICC, with the ceremony planned at the NEC in Birmingham. The procurement is classified as an event service and concerns use of the venue rather than the supply of general event management across multiple locations. The buyer is The Open University, based at Walton Hall in Milton Keynes. The selected supplier is National Exhibition Centre Limited, which operates the NEC site. This opportunity is therefore most relevant to event venues, conference and exhibition centres, and suppliers able to provide suitable premises for a large formal graduation event.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded through a direct procedure described as below threshold and without competition. It comprised one lot. National Exhibition Centre Limited received the active award and the contract is also active. The contract was signed on 5 June 2026 and runs from 5 June 2026 to 21 May 2027, covering the planned ceremony date. The contract value is £30,034.95 excluding VAT, or £36,041.94 including VAT. The requirement was evaluated through a direct award rather than a competitive tender. The recorded outcome is a single award to the NEC operator for the venue hire and event services associated with the Open University graduation ceremony.

For a supplier that did not win this procurement, the award demonstrates a defined requirement from The Open University for a substantial, formal graduation event at a recognised exhibition or conference venue. Competitors would need to offer an appropriate venue, reliable access and facilities for an organised ceremony, and the operational capacity to support event services for a university audience. Venue operators with large-scale event infrastructure and experience hosting ceremonies, conferences or comparable institutional events would be well placed to compete when this buyer next reviews a similar requirement. The procurement also shows that the buyer has used a straightforward below-threshold direct route for a single venue-based requirement, so suppliers should be able to present a clear, self-contained venue and service offer.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

BM27AB Venue Hire - NEC (ICC) - 21 May 2027

Notice Description

Hire of NEC on 21st May 2027 for OU graduation ceremony

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077978-2026
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
£30,034 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
5 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
5 Jun 2026 - 21 May 2027 6-12 months
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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