--- title: "East Midlands Inbound Travel Trade Development Programme (2026-2029)" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "East Midlands Combined Authority" published: "2026-10-12" --- # East Midlands Inbound Travel Trade Development Programme (2026-2029) Buyer: East Midlands Combined Authority Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9.json) ## Summary East Midlands Combined Authority is planning an inbound travel trade development programme for the East Midlands, focused on attracting and serving international visitors through the travel trade. The work is expected to cover travel trade strategy, international routes to market, developing tourism products and itineraries, and helping small and medium-sized tourism businesses become trade-ready. It may also include engaging and managing relationships with travel buyers, business-to-business public relations and destination marketing, delivery of VisitBritain or VisitEngland programmes, and work with destination management organisations and local visitor economy partnerships. This is a tourism development and travel trade service, rather than a purchase of travel or accommodation. The programme’s delivery area is the East Midlands. This procurement is at the planning stage: the authority has stated its intention to procure, but has not issued an invitation to tender. It is undertaking pre-market engagement to inform the brief, with engagement expected to end on 19 October 2026. The programme title indicates an intended period of 2026–2029. The engagement material includes a supplier questionnaire, and the buyer expects interested businesses to share their views during this preliminary phase. No procurement procedure, evaluation method, lot structure or contract value is set out in the published process information. Suppliers should treat the stated programme period as indicative and the engagement date as the buyer’s expected end date for market input, not a bid submission deadline. The work is likely to suit tourism consultancies, destination marketing agencies and specialist providers able to combine international travel trade knowledge with practical delivery. The buyer identifies experience in one or more areas: travel trade strategy; inbound tourism and international routes to market; tourism product commercialisation and itinerary development; trade-readiness support for small businesses; buyer engagement and account management; business-to-business public relations and destination trade marketing; VisitBritain or VisitEngland programmes; and destination management or local visitor economy partnership working. Suppliers with focused expertise in one or more of these areas may be relevant, rather than only firms able to cover the full range. The authority indicates that small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises are suitable participants. The market engagement offers these suppliers a chance to help shape the eventual brief and prepare for the later procurement. ## Notice To deliver against the draft brief the strongest suppliers will need to be organisations with experience in one or more of: * Travel trade strategy development * Inbound tourism and international route-to-market activity * Product commercialisation and itinerary development * Trade-readiness and SME support * Buyer engagement and account management * B2B PR and destination trade marketing * Visit Britain/Visit England programme delivery * Destination management and LVEP working Please apply for this opportunity by using this link https://eastmidlandsca--prospend.vf.force.com/apex/CS_ContractPage?filters=&page=1&Preview=Yes&searchStr=&SearchType=Projects&sortStr=Alphabetical&uid=a1MPy00000EUNC1MAP&sfdcIFrameOrigin=https://eastmidlandsca.lightning.force.com you will need to register for an account if you have not already done so and then you can apply for the opportunity using the register button. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a92b76ab-c76b-4263-9a28-f6dc539ef6ff | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 12 Oct 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | East Midlands Combined Authority | | Locality | CHESTERFIELD | | Postcode area | Sheffield | | Postcode | S40 1SA | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLF East Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | | ITL 3 | TLF12 East Derbyshire | | Local authority | Chesterfield | | Electoral ward | Spire | | Westminster constituency | Chesterfield | | Delivery location | TLF East Midlands (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services ### Codes - 63510000 - Travel agency and similar services ## Release History - 12 Oct 2026 at 09:40 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a92b76ab-c76b-4263-9a28-f6dc539ef6ff - 8 Oct 2026 at 12:17 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1c5d9a53-f81f-4b36-9cb8-0bee416ba2b3 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a92b76ab-c76b-4263-9a28-f6dc539ef6ff 12th October 2026 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1c5d9a53-f81f-4b36-9cb8-0bee416ba2b3 8th October 2026 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/c7e9292c-6346-4054-b5cc-b3bea0bd617e Part 1 Pre-Market Engagement Introduction - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/e84547bd-a649-4ea7-b273-9ea93e934d30 Pre Engagement Supplier Questionnaire - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/e0b1cf63-b75c-4858-b9af-4ee4a588e0c9 Part 1 Pre-Market Engagement Introduction - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/3f56d6de-2e4e-4267-9585-dc2b68843410 Pre Engagement Supplier Questionnaire ## Notice URLs - https://eastmidlandsca--prospend.vf.force.com/apex/CS_ContractPage?filters=&page=1&Preview=Yes&searchStr=&SearchType=Projects&sortStr=Alphabetical&uid=a1MPy00000EUNC1MAP&sfdcIFrameOrigin=https://eastmidlandsca.lightning.force.com ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-e06dd447-48c3-42f7-828b-14ad5992a5a9.json.