This notice announces an administrative change to an existing contract or market (a contract change notice). No new tender or admission is opened here; see the linked notices below for the original opportunity.
Official UK procurement notice
B2B Public Relations/CFP/PRO/2025 · UK public procurement notice
Authority: THE OPEN UNIVERSITY (Education)
Sectors: Business Services & Consultancy (79) Delivery: Delivery location not published
Framework ceiling (notional)£789,189framework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Submissions closed 18 Jul 2025awarded 10 Nov 2025
Awarded to 23RED LIMITED
Framework period 1 yr 6 moends 1 Aug 2027 · up to 1 Aug 2029 with extensions · starts 1 Feb 2026
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Open University is seeking to establish framework agreement with one supplier for the provision of B2B Public Relations, to the Business Development Unit.
- How the procedure runs: This is a multi-stage tender. Firstly we would like bidders to respond to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire. Following this, the top five ranked bidders will be invited to participate in the ITT. Following the ITT evaluation, the top three ranked bidders will be invited to present to the OU.
CPV: Public relations services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs are awarded directly to appointed suppliers, without further competition
- Places
- up to 1 suppliers · 3 bids received (3.0 per place) · 1 appointed (full)
- Framework period
- 1 yr 6 mo · up to 3 yrs 6 mo from 1 Feb 2026
Published description of the framework
This is a single supplier framework. A retainer model is used with a rate card (fixed for the initial term and first extension) determining the cost of individual campaigns.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£789,189
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
How bids were scored
- Simple description: The ITT award criteria are split 70% Quality and 30% Cost. The Presentation is scored out of 100% The final award criteria are Quality and Cost 60% and Presentation 40%
What this means for your bid
- “B2B Public Relations/CFP/PRO/2025” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 1 suppliers, not a single contract, and call-offs are awarded directly: getting appointed is the whole game.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Administrative change
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 19 Jun 2025, 15:46 BST
- Last source update
- 7 Sept 2026, 15:28 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 17 Nov 2025
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-033797- Latest notice
- Contract change notice (UK10)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05503aFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
Within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice
- How it runs
This is a multi-stage tender.
Firstly we would like bidders to respond to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire.
Following this, the top five ranked bidders will be invited to participate in the ITT.
Following the ITT evaluation, the top three ranked bidders will be invited to present to the OU.
How it was run
Official noticeRun through: In-tend · Who buys & how to bid on In-tend
Access & registration note: Free · one account per buying organisation's portal · reCAPTCHA on signup
- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 18 Jul 2025, 13:00 BST
- Appointment period ends
- 18 Jul 2025, 13:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 10 Jul 2025, 13:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en, cy
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
Timeline
19 Jun 2025 → 7 Sept 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published19 Jun 2025, 15:46 BST
- Clarification questions by10 Jul 2025, 13:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown18 Jul 2025, 13:00 BST
- Award decision expected by336 days ago17 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent323 days ago1 Dec 2025
- Standstill ends312 days ago11 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts261 days ago1 Feb 2026
- Latest notice published43 days ago7 Sept 2026, 15:28 BST
Notice history
7 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 19 Jun 2025- Tender notice published19 Jun 2025, 15:46 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published1 Dec 2025, 16:50 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete1 Dec 2025, 16:50 GMT
- Contract signature expected19 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published4 Mar 2026, 15:41 GMTUK7
- Contract change notice published7 Sept 2026, 15:28 BSTUK10
- Contract change proposed17 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST23red are being integrated into the Capgemini Group following Capgemini's acquisition of 23red in 2022. As part of Capgemini Group's structure, Capgemini propose to transfer the UK-based 23red business into Capgemini's principal UK entity, Capgemini UK plc. There will be no change to the day-to-day operaion of the contract and the existing contract team will remain in place.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecastSuppliers appointed 11 award · see the list ↓
Bids received 33 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 1 Feb 2026
| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23RED LIMITEDSME1 Feb 2026 – 31 Jul 2027 · up to 31 Jul 2029Extensions: The framework may be extended by a maximum of two periods of twelve months | £947,027 inc. VAT | 10 Nov 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · 23RED LIMITEDSME
- Signed
- 1 Feb 2026
- Value
- £947,027 inc. VAT
- Period
- 1 Feb 2026 – 31 Jul 2027 · up to 31 Jul 2029 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The framework may be extended by a maximum of two periods of twelve months
- Change proposed 17 Sept 2026 23red are being integrated into the Capgemini Group following Capgemini's acquisition of 23red in 2022. As part of Capgemini Group's structure, Capgemini propose to transfer the UK-based 23red business into Capgemini's principal UK entity, Capgemini UK plc. There will be no change to the day-to-day operaion of the contract and the existing contract team will remain in place., 1 supplier added · 1 supplier removed · standstill applies
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders · 19 at stage one | 3 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
2 commercial parties on the notice- 23redFramework contractor
- CAPGEMINI UK PLCFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications The tender documents can be accessed via the link to the Open Universities tendering portal
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract change notice Contract change notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender