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Overseas Educational Travel Services

The City of Edinburgh Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 Jul 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F1 - Prior Information Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The City of Edinburgh Council intends to procure overseas educational travel services for pupils attending Edinburgh primary and secondary schools. The service will support curriculum-linked trips and educational visits, principally in Europe, with occasional longer-haul travel also possible. It is expected to cover end-to-end itinerary design, trip coordination and management; booking air, rail and coach transport; sourcing and quality-assuring accommodation suitable for school groups; arranging excursions, cultural visits and curriculum-linked activities; and providing destination-specific risk assessments and travel safety documentation. Suppliers will also need to arrange suitable travel insurance for pupils, accompanying staff and supervisors, provide 24-hour in-trip emergency and crisis support, and meet Scottish child protection, safeguarding and health and safety requirements. The council has more than 100 primary and secondary schools across Edinburgh.

This procurement is at the planning stage: the council has announced its intention to run a formal tender and is seeking market engagement before doing so. The expected procurement category is services, using an open procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations framework and covered by the Government Procurement Agreement. The council expects the next formal notice to be published on 1 October 2026; this is an indicative date, not a tender deadline. Organisations are invited to register interest and may be contacted for follow-up information before the tender. The planned arrangement covers one service lot. A formal tender is expected to require evidence against the stated technical, safeguarding, insurance and travel-sector requirements.

This will suit travel management companies, educational travel specialists and tour operators able to design and deliver overseas group travel for school-age children, particularly for local authorities or comparable public-sector clients. Preparation should include valid ATOL protection and ABTA membership, or equivalent bonding and consumer-protection arrangements, together with compliance with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Providers will need robust safeguarding, child protection and group-supervision systems; staff in regulated roles involving children must meet Scottish PVG requirements. The expected capability also includes proportionate public, employers’ and professional indemnity insurance, clear 24-hour overseas emergency escalation, and strong crisis-management arrangements. STF Assured Membership, or independently audited equivalent standards covering safety management, financial protection and educational travel competence, is also expected.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Overseas Educational Travel Services

Notice Description

The City of Edinburgh Council is publishing this Prior Information Notice to advise the market of its intention to tender a contract for the provision of Overseas Educational Travel Services and to invite engagement from suitably qualified and experienced providers ahead of a formal procurement exercise.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The services will support overseas curriculum-linked trips and educational visits undertaken by pupils attending Edinburgh primary and secondary schools. The scope is expected to include: End-to-end itinerary design, coordination, and management for overseas school trips Booking and management of transport (air, rail, and coach as appropriate) Sourcing and quality assurance of accommodation suitable for school groups Organisation of excursions, cultural visits, and curriculum-linked activities Preparation of destination-specific risk assessments and travel safety documentation Arrangement of appropriate travel insurance covering pupils, accompanying staff, and supervisors 24-hour in-trip emergency support and crisis management capability Compliance with all relevant child protection, safeguarding, and health and safety requirements applicable in Scotland Trips will be principally within Europe, though the contract may also accommodate occasional longer-haul visits. The City of Edinburgh Council operates a sizeable school estate of over 100 primary and secondary schools across the city.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000832866
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL560623
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F1 - Prior Information Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

CPV Codes

55110000 - Hotel accommodation services

60400000 - Air transport services

63510000 - Travel agency and similar services

63511000 - Organisation of package tours

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Oct 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
The City of Edinburgh Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH8 8BG
Postcode Area
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM75 City of Edinburgh
Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
City Centre
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL560623
    Overseas Educational Travel Services - The City of Edinburgh Council is publishing this Prior Information Notice to advise the market of its intention to tender a contract for the provision of Overseas Educational Travel Services and to invite engagement from suitably qualified and experienced providers ahead of a formal procurement exercise.

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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