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Travel Management, Meetings & Events Services

SUPC Ltd

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

01 Sep 2026 at 09:02

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS), through the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium, is planning a UK-wide framework for travel management, meetings and events services. The requirement is expected to cover business travel, student travel, hotel, meeting and conference arrangements, travel agency services, event services and related support. The framework is intended to give higher and further education institutions and other public sector organisations access to these services. Potential users include universities, schools and colleges, government departments, local authorities, charities, housing associations and NHS trusts. The final scope and lotting structure will be shaped by member requirements and supplier engagement. This is a national service requirement, with delivery across the United Kingdom, and is classified primarily as travel management services.

This procurement is at the planning stage and the current exercise is preliminary market engagement, not an invitation to tender or a commitment to award a contract. SUMS expects to use a framework agreement, with the final commercial model, service requirements and lotting structure still to be informed by market feedback. The estimated gross value is £800,000,000. The proposed contract period is from 3 April 2028 to 29 March 2030, with a possible extension to 31 March 2032; renewal is indicated. The buyer expects the next notice to be published by 1 February 2027. The market engagement survey is expected to run from 1 September to 25 September 2026, while wider engagement is planned until 20 November 2026.

The engagement is relevant to travel management companies, travel agencies, business travel specialists, student travel providers, meetings and conference operators, event managers and suppliers able to combine these services. Small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises are identified as suitable participants. Suppliers can prepare by reviewing the draft specification, commenting on the proposed scope and considering how their service model could support higher education and wider public sector customers. The buyer is seeking evidence of current supplier capability, market developments, potential service requirements, commercial models and pricing approaches. Businesses with experience serving multiple organisations, coordinating complex travel or events, and operating across the UK should monitor the later procurement strategy and specification.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Travel Management, Meetings & Events Services

Notice Description

The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise is to engage with the market to understand current supplier capability, market developments and potential approaches to the delivery of travel management services. SUPC is seeking to gather information to help inform the scope, lotting structure, commercial model and service requirements of the proposed framework, including the potential provision of business travel, student travel, meetings and events, and associated services. The proposed framework will provide higher and further education institutions and other public sector organisations with access to a range of travel management services. The final scope and lotting structure will be informed by member requirements, supplier engagement and wider market intelligence. Information gathered through this exercise will help SUPC to develop the procurement strategy and specification. The PME is not a tender and does not constitute a commitment by SUPC to proceed with any particular approach or award a contract. The resulting framework agreement would be available to all members of the regional consortia that comprise UKUPC (APUC, LUPC, NEUPC, NWUPC, SUPC, TEC and TUCO). Members span a range of public sector organisations and include higher education institutions, schools and colleges, government departments, local authorities, charitable organisations, housing associations, NHS trusts, and others.

Planning Information

Suppliers are invited to access the PME via our tendering portal, Mercell: https://uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=108426&TID=100113488&B= On the portal you will find: 1. PME overview document - which includes a link to the survey 2. Draft specification - which suppliers are invited to review. Suppliers are welcome to annotate the draft specification and return it to SUPC via the Mercell messaging function, and may also use the messaging function to raise any clarification queries. Suppliers are invited to complete the market engagement survey via Microsoft Forms to provide feedback on the proposed scope, potential service requirements, commercial models and pricing approaches. You can find the survey here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/0X0Wz7HsLe The PME survey will open on Tuesday 1 September and remain open for four weeks, closing on Friday 25 September. We would also welcome any feedback on the draft specification by this date. The wider PME process will remain open until Friday 20 November to allow time for SUPC to review responses, hold any follow-up discussions with suppliers and carry out any further engagement activity required.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ef24
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082440-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

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

CPV Codes

55120000 - Hotel meeting and conference services

63510000 - Travel agency and similar services

63515000 - Travel services

63516000 - Travel management services

79952000 - Event services

79997000 - Business travel services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£800,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Sep 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Feb 20276 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
3 Apr 2028 - 29 Mar 2030 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
SUPC Ltd
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
READING
Postcode
RG6 6BU
Postcode Area
Reading
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ16 Berkshire West
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Wokingham
Electoral Ward
Hillside
Westminster Constituency
Earley and Woodley

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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