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Student Field Trips

Cardiff University

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

14 Sep 2026 at 08:30

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

02 Sep 2026 at 15:37

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

02 Sep 2026 at 14:32

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Cardiff University’s School of Engineering commissioned educational field trips for compulsory ACE Year 1 and Year 2 undergraduate students. The requirement covers six trips to two sites, with two trips each academic year, combining the organisation and delivery of package-style field visits with higher education and vocational training services. The trips support teaching and student experience across the engineering programme. Cardiff University is the buying organisation, and the activity is delivered in Wales. The requirement concerns recurring educational provision rather than a one-off visit, with the same student cohorts supported through their first and second years. The contracted service therefore covers trip planning and delivery for successive groups of engineering undergraduates, including the arrangements needed to provide the field-based learning experience at both sites.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to Field Studies Council on 2 September 2026; the contract was signed on 14 September 2026. The three-year contract runs from 14 September 2026 to 13 September 2029. Its value is £480,000 excluding VAT and £540,000 including VAT. Cardiff University used a direct award under Schedule 5, Regulation 41 of the Procurement Act 2023, for an extension or partial replacement where changing supplier would create incompatibility and disproportionate technical difficulties. The stated rationale was continuity of field-trip provision, with no satisfactory alternatives, and the need to support student cohorts through their degrees. The arrangement covers one lot, with six trips scheduled across the 2026–27, 2027–28 and 2028–29 academic years.

For a future requirement of this type, credible suppliers would need experience organising and delivering educational field trips for university students, with the operational capacity to run repeated visits over several academic years. They would need to combine safe, dependable trip logistics with activities that support higher education teaching and vocational learning, rather than provide general leisure travel alone. The requirement indicates demand for a provider able to serve compulsory cohorts in both the first and second years of an engineering programme, coordinate visits to two sites and maintain consistent service across multiple trips. Experience working with universities, understanding curriculum-led field learning and demonstrating continuity of provision would be commercially relevant. A supplier would also need sufficient scale and established site arrangements to deliver the full programme reliably for Cardiff University.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Student Field Trips

Notice Description

Cardiff University's School of Engineering must undertake educational field trips at two sites. The field trips are run annually and are a compulsory requirement for ACE Year 1 & 2 Undergraduate Students. 6 trips are running over a 3-year term, as below: 2026-2027 - March/April 2027 & June 2027 2027-2028 - March/April 2028 & June 2028 2028-2029 - March/April 2029 & June 2029

Procurement Information

Direct Award under Schedule 5, Regulation 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 on the basis that: The contract concerns the supply of goods, services or works by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to, or partial replacement of, existing goods, services or works in circumstances where: (a) a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and (b) the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance. Continuity of the service provision with no satisfactory alternatives. A change/cessation of field trip provision would negatively impact the School of Engineering's student experience and capability to teach. A three-year agreement is required as the field trips are for 1st and 2nd year students only and the School of Engineering need to see the cohort of students through their degrees.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f071
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086678-2026
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
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

63511000 - Organisation of package tours

80300000 - Higher education services

80530000 - Vocational training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£480,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£480,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Sep 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
2 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
14 Sep 2026 - 13 Sep 2029 3-4 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
Cardiff 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
CARDIFF
Postcode
CF24 4HQ
Postcode Area
Cardiff
Country
Wales
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Cardiff
Electoral Ward
Cathays
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff South and Penarth

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Field Studies Council

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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