--- title: "T26-080BUS Place Based Perception Research and Strategic Alignment Study Preliminary Market Engagement" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ac74" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ac74" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ac74.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ac74.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DERRY CITY AND STRABANE DISTRICT COUNCIL" published: "2026-06-03" --- # T26-080BUS Place Based Perception Research and Strategic Alignment Study Preliminary Market Engagement Buyer: DERRY CITY AND STRABANE DISTRICT COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ac74 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ac74) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ac74.json) ## Summary Derry City and Strabane District Council is initiating a procurement process to engage specialist services for a Place Based Perception Research and Strategic Alignment Study. The current stage is in planning, with a focus on market engagement to refine the research scope. Businesses interested should prepare for the engagement milestone scheduled for 29th June 2026. The procurement pertains to marketing and advertising services under the industry category, with the region specified as Northern Ireland (UKN0A). The study aims to establish perceptions of the Derry and Strabane City Region, influencing future strategic alignments. The market engagement will inform the development of a specification and procurement strategy before commencing a full procurement competition scheduled from 14th August 2026 to 15th January 2027, with a total estimated value of £50,000. This tender represents a substantial opportunity for businesses, especially those specialising in marketing and perception research. Firms with robust methodologies for stakeholder engagement, as well as innovative and effective delivery approaches, are likely to excel. The opportunity to influence strategic positioning for a prominent UK region presents an attractive prospect for growth and collaboration. Companies that can offer insight into best practices for perception research and those with a strong grasp of regional marketing dynamics would find themselves well-suited to participate in this procurement process. ## Notice Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) intends to undertake a preliminary market engagement exercise to inform the procurement of specialist services to deliver a Place Based Perception Research and Strategic Alignment Study. The purpose of this PME is to engage with the market to: * Test the feasibility and scope of the proposed research commission * Seek insight into best practice methodologies for perception research and stakeholder alignment * Understand market capability, innovation and delivery approaches * Inform the development of a robust specification and procurement strategy This commission will establish a baseline understanding of how Derry and Strabane City Region is perceived across key audiences and support the alignment of strategic priorities and future place positioning. The first phase of the market engagement exercise will be participation from the supply base through the attached questionnaire. Responses to these questions will help DCSDC gather comprehensive information about potential suppliers and the services they offer. This will allow us to make informed decisions regarding our specification and procurement strategy before entering the market with a full procurement competition. At this stage, any information gathered through this engagement exercise will solely inform internal business planning and any possible subsequent procurement process; and will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise. ### Planning Information Please refer to the CfT documents for further detail. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052354-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 3 Jun 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 29 Jun 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 13 Aug 2026 - 15 Jan 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £50,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DERRY CITY AND STRABANE DISTRICT COUNCIL | | Locality | DERRY | | Post town | Northern Ireland | | Postcode | BT48 7NN | | Country | Northern Ireland | | ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland | | ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland | | ITL 3 | TLN0A Derry City and Strabane | | Local authority | Derry City and Strabane | | Electoral ward | Northland | | Westminster constituency | Foyle | | Delivery location | TLN0A Derry City and Strabane | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 79340000 - Advertising and marketing services - 79342000 - Marketing services ## Release History - 3 Jun 2026 at 12:39 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052354-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052354-2026 3rd June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.derrystrabane.com - 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-06ac74. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ac74.json.