---
title: "BM27AB Venue Hire - NEC (ICC) - 21 May 2027"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE OPEN UNIVERSITY"
published: "2026-08-17"
---

# BM27AB Venue Hire - NEC (ICC) - 21 May 2027

Buyer: THE OPEN UNIVERSITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f.json)

## Summary

The Open University procured venue hire and associated event services for an undergraduate graduation ceremony. The requirement was for the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), also known as the ICC, with the ceremony planned at the NEC in Birmingham. The procurement is classified as an event service and concerns use of the venue rather than the supply of general event management across multiple locations. The buyer is The Open University, based at Walton Hall in Milton Keynes. The selected supplier is National Exhibition Centre Limited, which operates the NEC site. This opportunity is therefore most relevant to event venues, conference and exhibition centres, and suppliers able to provide suitable premises for a large formal graduation event.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded through a direct procedure described as below threshold and without competition. It comprised one lot. National Exhibition Centre Limited received the active award and the contract is also active. The contract was signed on 5 June 2026 and runs from 5 June 2026 to 21 May 2027, covering the planned ceremony date. The contract value is £30,034.95 excluding VAT, or £36,041.94 including VAT. The requirement was evaluated through a direct award rather than a competitive tender. The recorded outcome is a single award to the NEC operator for the venue hire and event services associated with the Open University graduation ceremony.

For a supplier that did not win this procurement, the award demonstrates a defined requirement from The Open University for a substantial, formal graduation event at a recognised exhibition or conference venue. Competitors would need to offer an appropriate venue, reliable access and facilities for an organised ceremony, and the operational capacity to support event services for a university audience. Venue operators with large-scale event infrastructure and experience hosting ceremonies, conferences or comparable institutional events would be well placed to compete when this buyer next reviews a similar requirement. The procurement also shows that the buyer has used a straightforward below-threshold direct route for a single venue-based requirement, so suppliers should be able to present a clear, self-contained venue and service offer.

## Notice

Hire of NEC on 21st May 2027 for OU graduation ceremony

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077978-2026 |
| 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 | 5 Jun 2026 |
| Contract period | 5 Jun 2026 - 21 May 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £30,034 |

## 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 10:35 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077978-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077978-2026
  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-06e54f. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e54f.json.