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Student recruitment partnership with UCAS Media

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

27 Aug 2026 at 10:24

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

27 Aug 2026 at 09:57

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Plymouth procured a two-year student recruitment partnership with UCAS Media Limited. The service covers access to UCAS advertising and media opportunities, applicant insight and benchmarking data, consultancy, recruitment events, the Data Advantage Package, the EXACT subscription and associated strategic student recruitment support. Its purpose is to strengthen student recruitment, market intelligence and applicant engagement. This is a marketing and student-recruitment service, classified under CPV 79342000, delivered for the University of Plymouth in Plymouth and across the United Kingdom. The requirement combines media buying and advertising inventory with data-led insight, subscription access, advisory support and recruitment activity, rather than the supply of physical goods or construction works.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded through a direct award to UCAS Media Limited. The award date was 24 August 2026. The award value is £793,931 excluding VAT and £952,718 including VAT. The contract period runs from 10 September 2026 to 31 July 2028. One lot was awarded. The University used the single-supplier route because UCAS owns the intellectual property and other exclusive rights to the advertising inventory, applicant data, consultancy services and recruitment events required, with no reasonable alternatives identified. The award is recorded as pending, with signature scheduled for 10 September 2026. The procurement was above the applicable threshold and was evaluated on the basis of the direct-award justification rather than a competitive tender.

This outcome indicates demand from the University of Plymouth for an integrated student-recruitment partner combining higher-education marketing, targeted advertising, applicant data, market intelligence, benchmarking, consultancy and recruitment events. Suppliers preparing for a comparable future requirement would need credible experience in student acquisition and engagement, the capacity to manage strategic recruitment support and events, and robust capability in applicant insight and performance benchmarking. They would also need to understand the University’s recruitment market and demonstrate how media activity, data services and advisory work can operate together. UCAS’s exclusive ownership of the specified inventory and data means that businesses outside that ecosystem would need a clearly evidenced alternative proposition, or an appropriate partnership and rights structure, to compete credibly for the same requirement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Student recruitment partnership with UCAS Media

Notice Description

The University of Plymouth requires a two-year student recruitment partnership with UCAS, including access to UCAS advertising and media opportunities, applicant insight and benchmarking data, consultancy services, recruitment events, the Data Advantage Package, EXACT subscription, and associated strategic student recruitment support to enhance student recruitment, market intelligence and applicant engagement activities.

Procurement Information

The below justification set out in Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 applies to this Direct Award; Single Supplier. (5) The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract-- (a) due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. UCAS is the sole owner and provider of the advertising inventory, applicant data, consultancy services and recruitment events required by the University of Plymouth. These services are proprietary to UCAS and cannot be obtained from alternative suppliers.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ed3d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081634-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
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

79342000 - Marketing services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£793,931 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
24 Aug 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
10 Sep 2026 - 31 Jul 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
PLYMOUTH, DEVON
Postcode
PL4 8AA
Postcode Area
Plymouth
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK4 Devon
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK41 Plymouth
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Plymouth
Electoral Ward
Drake
Westminster Constituency
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

UCAS MEDIA LIMITED

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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