---
title: "Pre- Applicant Communications"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078bff"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078bff"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078bff.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078bff.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Student Loans Company"
published: "2026-10-20"
---

# Pre- Applicant Communications

Buyer: Student Loans Company  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078bff

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078bff)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078bff.json)

## Summary

The Student Loans Company commissioned pre-applicant communications for Student Finance England. The work supports information for prospective students and their parents about available student finance, eligibility and how to apply, as well as communications to new and returning students promoting products and services. It covers communications before services launch, while services are operating and after students apply for funding. This is higher education information and communications work, rather than the provision of student loans themselves. The buyer is the Student Loans Company, a central government organisation. The procurement is recorded as one lot, with UCAS Media Limited named as the supplier. The work is associated with England through Student Finance England; no more specific delivery location is identified.

The procurement is complete and the contract is active. The Student Loans Company made a direct award below the relevant threshold, without competition. UCAS Media Limited was selected as supplier; the awarded value is not separately stated. The contract was signed on 21 November 2025 and runs from 1 December 2025 to 31 March 2027. Its stated value is £240,000 excluding VAT (£288,000 including VAT). The procurement was evaluated and awarded as a single lot. The published information does not set out eligibility requirements or award criteria, so the basis on which the supplier was chosen beyond the direct-award route cannot be described.

For suppliers seeking comparable future work, this contract shows demand for student finance communications spanning the full customer journey: informing prospective students and parents about support, eligibility and application steps, and promoting services to new and returning students across academic years. A credible competitor would need to combine higher education communications experience with the ability to reach these distinct audiences and deliver coordinated communications before, during and after application. The requirement also calls for marketing capability across multiple products and services, rather than a single one-off campaign. UCAS Media Limited, an education-focused supplier, was selected through a below-threshold direct award, indicating the type of provider used for this requirement. Businesses with relevant education-sector reach and capacity to manage sustained, multi-audience communications would be best placed to compete if similar work returns to market.

## Notice

Student Finance England delivers information for pre-applicants, applicants and their parents to help inform them of available financial support, if they are eligible and how they apply for it. SLC are responsible for the provision of information to students before (prior to services launching), during (when services have launched) and after they apply for funding (post application). Customer Communications and Marketing deliver communications for new and returning students across multiple academic years and promote a number of products and services

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099073-2026 |
| 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 | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Dec 2025 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

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

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Student Loans Company |
| Locality | DARLINGTON |
| Postcode area | Darlington |
| Postcode | DL1 1RW |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC33 Darlington |
| Local authority | Darlington |
| Electoral ward | Red Hall & Lingfield |
| Westminster constituency | Darlington |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | UCAS MEDIA LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80300000 - Higher education services

## Release History

- 20 Oct 2026 at 14:47 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099073-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099073-2026
  20th October 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.ucas.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-078bff. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078bff.json.