---
title: "Graduation Ceremony Venue Hire"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e543"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e543"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e543.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e543.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY"
published: "2026-08-17"
---

# Graduation Ceremony Venue Hire

Buyer: THE OPEN UNIVERSITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e543

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e543.json)

## Summary

The Open University procured venue hire and associated event services for a graduation ceremony at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. The requirement is for use of the NEC as the ceremony venue, supporting the delivery of an organised university graduation event. The buyer is The Open University, based in Milton Keynes, and the service is delivered in Birmingham. The procurement is categorised as services, with the relevant classification describing event services. The named venue provider is National Exhibition Centre Limited, a large organisation operating the NEC. This requirement is therefore relevant to major event venues, conference and exhibition centres, and businesses able to provide suitable space and event-service support for large formal ceremonies.

The procurement is complete and was awarded directly without competition under a below-threshold procedure. National Exhibition Centre Limited was selected for the single lot. The award is active and the contract was signed on 13 February 2026. The contract runs from 13 February 2026 to 28 October 2028, with the NEC hire specified for 28 October 2028. Its value is £29,820 excluding VAT, or £35,784 including VAT. The award concerns the full single-lot requirement and covers event services for The Open University’s graduation ceremony. The recorded outcome identifies the NEC as the successful supplier and confirms that the procurement did not use a competitive tender process.

This award shows demand from The Open University for a substantial, formal graduation event requiring a recognised venue in Birmingham. A credible future competitor would need to control or provide access to a large event, conference or exhibition space, with the layout, facilities and operational support needed for a university ceremony. Relevant capability includes coordinating venue hire and event services for a fixed, high-profile occasion, accommodating formal proceedings and attendees, and delivering reliable on-site operations. Large venues and specialist event-service providers are the best fit, particularly those able to offer an established Birmingham location and demonstrate experience of managing organised ceremonies or comparable institutional events for a public-sector client.

## Notice

Hire of NEC, Birmingham on 28 October 2028 for OU graduation ceremony

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077961-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 13 Feb 2026 |
| Contract period | 13 Feb 2026 - 28 Oct 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £29,820 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | THE OPEN UNIVERSITY |
| Locality | MILTON KEYNES |
| Postcode area | Milton Keynes |
| Postcode | MK7 6AA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ12 Milton Keynes |
| Local authority | Milton Keynes |
| Electoral ward | Monkston |
| Westminster constituency | Milton Keynes Central |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE LIMITED (THE) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79952000 - Event services

## Release History

- 17 Aug 2026 at 10:14 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077961-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077961-2026
  17th August 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.thenec.co.uk
- 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-06e543. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e543.json.