--- title: "Media Planning, Buying and Digital Advertising Services - AWARD" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "University of Brighton" published: "2026-09-17" --- # Media Planning, Buying and Digital Advertising Services - AWARD Buyer: University of Brighton Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-b5fd17-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9.json) ## Summary The University of Brighton appointed a lead media agency for core UK student recruitment. The service covers strategic and operational media planning, media buying, optimisation and reporting across paid media channels, with particular emphasis on digital advertising. The work is classified as advertising services and is delivered for the University of Brighton, based on Lewes Road in Brighton, with activity covering the United Kingdom and international markets including Europe, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, British Overseas Territories and the rest of the world. This is a services requirement for a single agency partner rather than a multi-supplier arrangement. It would suit an agency with higher-education recruitment experience and the ability to manage integrated paid-media activity across domestic and international audiences. The procurement has been completed and awarded following a tender process. The University of Brighton selected SMRS Ltd on 23 July 2026. The awarded value is recorded as £0. The contract runs from 4 September 2026 to 3 September 2029. The tender submission deadline was 10 June 2026 at 13:00. The opportunity was evaluated for a single lead agency covering the full media planning, buying, optimisation and reporting requirement, with digital advertising a particular focus. The procurement was not identified as suitable for SMEs or voluntary, community and social enterprises. The recorded procurement method is ‘Other’, with no further method description. The award is active and the tender is complete. For agencies that did not win, this award demonstrates an established university demand for a single strategic and operational partner covering the full paid-media cycle for student recruitment. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need to combine media strategy, channel planning, buying, optimisation and performance reporting rather than offer digital advertising in isolation. Relevant capability includes managing campaigns across multiple paid channels, using data to improve recruitment performance, and reporting clearly to a higher-education client. The international scope means experience of campaigns aimed at audiences in the UK and overseas would strengthen a proposition. The requirement also favours an agency with sufficient capacity to act as the lead partner, coordinate activity across markets and provide consistent account management and insight. ## Notice The purpose of this specification is to appoint a single lead media agency partner for core UK student recruitment, to provide strategic and operational media planning, buying, optimisation and reporting services across all paid media channels, with a particular emphasis on digital advertising ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f214ef46-f5f3-4bb3-acd8-675e9854d6a1 | | Notice type | Award Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Other - | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 17 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 23 Jul 2026 | | Contract period | 4 Sep 2026 - 3 Sep 2029 | | 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 | Complete | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | University of Brighton | | Locality | UK | | Postcode area | Brighton | | Postcode | BN2 4AT | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex | | ITL 3 | TLJ21 Brighton and Hove | | Local authority | Brighton and Hove | | Electoral ward | Moulsecoomb & Bevendean | | Westminster constituency | Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | SMRS Limited | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 79341000 - Advertising services ## Release History - 17 Sep 2026 at 10:36 - AwardUpdate - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f214ef46-f5f3-4bb3-acd8-675e9854d6a1 - 17 Sep 2026 at 10:35 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f214ef46-f5f3-4bb3-acd8-675e9854d6a1 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f214ef46-f5f3-4bb3-acd8-675e9854d6a1 17th September 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - https://www.brighton.ac.uk/about-us/working-with-us/supplier-information/index.aspx ## 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-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fc7adc00-fec0-4a62-abe7-155e53172de9.json.