---
title: "Design Excellence Panel"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-055b19"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-055b19"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055b19.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055b19.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY"
published: "2026-04-17"
---

# Design Excellence Panel

Buyer: WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-055b19

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## Summary

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has concluded the procurement process for establishing a Design Excellence Panel, with the contract awarded as of 17th April 2026. The panel aims to deliver high-quality transport infrastructure that is inclusive and sustainable, aligning with regional strategic objectives. This tender entails various industry categories, including architectural, engineering, planning, and artistic services, with delivery focused in the West Midlands region. The procurement process, which was open and below threshold, has transitioned from tendering to awarding, with the contract projected to commence from 7th April 2026 and initially running through 6th April 2027, with potential extensions up to 2029. The budget for the contract stands at £205,200 GBP, underscoring WMCA’s commitment to enhancing the user experience through expert design integration.

This opportunity to join the Design Excellence Panel offers significant growth prospects for businesses within the West Midlands and beyond. The panel encourages participation from a diverse range of suppliers across disciplines such as architecture, urban planning, landscape design, and more, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing. Opportunities are not limited to large corporations; SMEs and organisations with specialist expertise in sustainability, public health, and heritage are strongly suited to compete. With the open competition procurement method and the deadline for submissions initially set for 7th November 2025, this initiative actively supports businesses that understand local contexts and community needs—positioning them to contribute valuable expertise to regional and transport development projects.

## Notice

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), is committed to delivering high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable transport infrastructure that aligns with the region's strategic objectives. Recognising the critical role of design in shaping user experience, safety, and long-term value, TfWM is establishing a Design Excellence Panel as a key mechanism to embed design thinking from the outset of project development. The Panel will act as a critical friend to project teams, offering independent, expert advice at key stages of the project lifecycle. It will support the delivery of TfWM's Local Transport Plan and its six (6) Big Moves, ensuring that all schemes, whether rail, bus, tram, or active travel, are functional, inclusive, and contextually responsive. The Panel will champion a co-design approach, fostering collaboration across disciplines and with communities to create places that are accessible, safe, welcoming and inclusive for all. The Design Excellence Panel will operate initially under a three-year programme, with periodic reviews to ensure its continued relevance and impact. Workshops will be held bi-monthly, with flexibility to increase frequency based on project demand. Site visits will be arranged as required to support a 'no site boundary' approach--encouraging consideration of wider spatial and social context. The Panel will consist of approximately twenty (20) individuals (members) drawn from a diverse range of disciplines, including: * Architecture * Landscape Architecture * Inclusive Design * Heritage and Conservation * Urban Planning * Civil and Structural Engineering * Public Health * Sustainability * Access Consultancy * Place Curation * The Arts Panel members must either live in or have demonstrable experience working within the West Midlands, ensuring a strong understanding of local context and community needs. The Panel will: * Provide design assurance aligned with TfWM's strategic goals * Champion inclusive, safe and sustainable design * Support the development of Design Guides * Promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge-sharing * Contribute to post-occupancy evaluations and continuous improvement The Panel will not: * Override statutory or technical standards * Make decisions on budgets or procurement * Enforce recommendations--these remain advisory

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Contracts will include two (2) x 12-month options to extend at WMCA's sole discretion.

### Planning Information

If there are any individuals within your organisation who would be suitable to become a Design Excellence Panel member, please ensure you are registered on Bravo Solution, WMCA's e-tendering portal, and monitor Bravo for the release of any bid documents.
The link to register on bravo is https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk/esop/guest/login.do.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034961-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Planning, Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 7 Nov 2025 |
| Future notice date | 25 Jul 2025 |
| Award date | 6 Apr 2026 |
| Contract period | 6 Apr 2026 - 6 Apr 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £240,000 |
| Lots value | £240,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £205,200 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY |
| Locality | BIRMINGHAM |
| Post town | Birmingham |
| Postcode | B19 3SD |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG3 West Midlands |
| ITL 3 | TLG31 Birmingham |
| Local authority | Birmingham |
| Electoral ward | Newtown |
| Westminster constituency | Birmingham Ladywood |
| Delivery location | TLG West Midlands (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 15 |
| Supplier names | AMEY OW; ATKINSRÉALIS; COLAS RAIL; COVENTRY UNIVERSITY; HOWELLS; INTERVENTION ARCHITECTURE; MIMA GROUP; OOBE; PHIL JONES ASSOCIATES; PINNEGAR HAYWARD DESIGN; PRIOR + PARTNERS; STANTEC; SYSTRA; THE TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANCY; WESTON WILLIAMSON + PARTNERS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
- 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

### Codes

- 71220000 - Architectural design services
- 71240000 - Architectural, engineering and planning services
- 71313000 - Environmental engineering consultancy services
- 71320000 - Engineering design services
- 71400000 - Urban planning and landscape architectural services
- 92312000 - Artistic services

## Release History

- 17 Apr 2026 at 08:17 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034961-2026
- 16 Oct 2025 at 08:55 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065802-2025
- 13 Oct 2025 at 14:47 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064878-2025
- 8 Jul 2025 at 11:59 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038227-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034961-2026
  17th April 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065802-2025
  16th October 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064878-2025
  13th October 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038227-2025
  8th July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.WMCA.org.uk
- https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk/esop/guest/login.do
- https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk/go/712548820199DCAA6641
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-h6vhtk-055b19. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055b19.json.