Find a TenderClosed
Published 5 Apr 2023, 14:55 BST

Official UK procurement notice

BTA1993 - Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) - Commercial Partnerships & Related Services

Official notice

Authority: VisitBritain/VisitEngland·Consortium: 2 public authorities

Dynamic market7 lotsServicesRestricted procedureMax 6 lots per supplier
Dynamic market estimate£16,800,000total for 7 lots · market-wide estimate, not attributable revenue · 1 value update
Submissions closed 29 Aug 2025
Lots 7max 6 won per supplier
Market period 2 yrsends 10 Sept 2025 · starts 11 Sept 2023

What is being bought7 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

VisitBritain's (VB) Commercial Partnerships Team has the responsibility for creating commercial partnerships between VB and third party suppliers (or partners) for mutual benefit. In these commercial partnerships, the association of both brands generates a specific financial, or other advantage, which is applied for the benefit of both parties.<br/><br/>In some cases, VB will match on a 50% : 50% basis the funding provided by the third party supplier (partner) to enhance the scope of the commercial arrangement, which results in added value benefits for all. The Commercial Partnerships Team has used a Dynamic Partner Register (DPR) to manage and award agreements to third party suppliers (partners).<br/><br/>VB are now seeking to replace the DPR established in 2015 with a new Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Commercial Partnerships & Related Services. VB intends to set up the DPS for a period of 24 months, with any Call Off Agreement awarded under the DPS not exceeding beyond 24 months of the DPS closing date.<br/><br/>This DPS is being procured under the Light Touch Regime (LTR), and is subject to limited regulations, in accordance with Regulations 74-76 PCR2015.<br/><br/>The DPS will be structured according to the following six (6) Lots:<br/><br/>

  • Lot 1 – Carriers (Airlines, Ferries, Trains, Roads)<br/>
  • Lot 2 – Intermediaries (Online Travel Agencies, Metasearch, Tour Operators & Wholesalers<br/>
  • Lot 3 – Accommodation<br/>
  • Lot 4 – Product (attractions, experiences, airports)<br/>
  • Lot 5 – Brands<br/>
  • Lot 6 – Inbound Operators and/or Destination Management Companies (DMCs)<br/><br/>Lot 6 Services are considered to be ‘Related Services’ for Commercial Partnerships. Accordingly, these services are not subject to 50% : 50% match funding requirements. <br/><br/>Suppliers are invited to complete an online Selection Questionnaire (SQ) Submission to join one, all or any of the Lot(s) they are interested in being appointed to. Suppliers are free to join the DPS at any time up to the DPS closing date of 23:59 on 10 September 2025.

CPV: Administrative services related to tourism affairs

How this dynamic market works

From the published notice
Type
Dynamic market
Market period
2 yrs from 11 Sept 2023

Lots and requirements (7)Procurement structure

7 lots · 6 with a published value · win at most 6 of them

Every one of these 2 lots carries the same published figure, £6,000,000: it is the dynamic market's maximum for the whole notice, not each lot's own budget, and no share per lot is published. The cards below say ceiling above rather than repeat it.

Lot #1Carriers (Airlines, Ferries, Trains, Roads) 2 yrsceiling above

Providing transport options to facilitate travel to and throughout Britain: <br/><br/>VisitBritain’s focus across the next two years is to make Britain the destination of choice for Experience seekers in the biggest opportunity markets. We want to work with carrier/s to increase that consideration to visit Britain in the next 12-24 months and shift consumer perceptions towards seeing Britain as a welcoming, dynamic, diverse, sustainable and inclusive destination, prioritising regional and seasonal dispersal. We want to continue building back visitor spend as quickly as possible, and support the recovery of the UK tourism industry. <br/><br/>Over the next 24 months we will have various opportunities to partner with a carrier/s, targeting air/sea/rail routes from key international cities, to key British gateways, delivering high impact, innovative and best in class campaigns to our Experience Seeker audience. <br/><br/>Subject to applicable Government spend control approval, the estimated value of this Lot is up to £6M over the next 24 months.

Contract period: 11 Sept 2023 – 10 Sept 2025 (2 yrs)
Delivery: UK · UK
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #2Intermediaries (Online Travel Agencies, Metasearch, Tour Operators & Wholesalers 2 yrsceiling above

These suppliers allow the end user to be able to search / book tickets, packaged holidays & tours for Britain. This can be direct to consumer (B2C) or via business channels (B2B):<br/><br/>VisitBritain’s focus across the next two years is to make Britain the destination of choice for Experience seekers in the biggest opportunity markets. We want to work with intermediaries to increase that consideration to visit Britain in the next 12-24 months and shift consumer perceptions towards seeing Britain as a welcoming, dynamic, diverse, sustainable and inclusive destination, prioritising regional and seasonal dispersal. We want to continue building back visitor spend as quickly as possible, and support the recovery of the UK tourism industry. <br/><br/>Over the next 24 months we will have various opportunities to partner with various intermediaries in key international markets to deliver high impact, innovative and best in class campaigns to our Experience Seeker audience. <br/><br/>Subject to applicable Government spend control approval, VB estimate the value of this Lot to be up to £6M over the next 24 months.

Contract period: 11 Sept 2023 – 10 Sept 2025 (2 yrs)
Delivery: UK · UK
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #3Product (attractions, experiences, airports) 2 yrsPublished value£2,000,000

Facilities or services; natural, cultural or manmade attractions, facilities, activities or services that support British holidays:<br/><br/>VisitBritain’s focus across the next two years is to make Britain the destination of choice for Experience seekers in the biggest opportunity markets. We want to work with attractions, experiences and airports to increase that consideration to visit Britain in the next 12-24 months and shift consumer perceptions towards seeing Britain as a welcoming, dynamic, diverse, sustainable and inclusive destination, prioritising regional and seasonal dispersal. We want to continue building back visitor spend as quickly as possible, and support the recovery of the UK tourism industry. <br/><br/>Over the next 24 months we will have various opportunities to partner with attractions, experiences and airports in key international markets to deliver high impact, innovative and best in class campaigns to our Experience Seeker audience. <br/><br/>Subject to applicable Government spend control approval, VB estimate the value of this Lot to be up to £2M over the next 24 months.

Contract period: 11 Sept 2023 – 10 Sept 2025 (2 yrs)
Delivery: UK · UK
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #4Accommodation 2 yrsPublished value£1,000,000

Offering overnight accommodation for holidays in Britain, e.g. hotels, holiday homes, B&B’s, campsites & hostels:<br/><br/>VisitBritain’s focus across the next two years is to make Britain the destination of choice for Experience seekers in the biggest opportunity markets. We want to work with accommodation providers to increase that consideration to visit Britain in the next 12-24 months and shift consumer perceptions towards seeing Britain as a welcoming, dynamic, diverse, sustainable and inclusive destination, prioritising regional and seasonal dispersal. We want to continue building back visitor spend as quickly as possible, and support the recovery of the UK tourism industry. <br/><br/>Over the next 24 months we will have various opportunities to partner with accommodation providers in key international markets to deliver high impact, innovative and best in class campaigns to our Experience Seeker audience. <br/><br/>Subject to applicable Government spend control approval, VB estimate the value of this Lot to be up to £1M over the next 24 months.

Contract period: 11 Sept 2023 – 10 Sept 2025 (2 yrs)
Delivery: UK · UK
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #5Brands 2 yrsPublished value£1,000,000

Any brand (outside of tourism) where it might be mutually beneficial to partner For example, the brand has a strong link to Britain, and audiences strongly align:<br/><br/>VisitBritain’s focus across the next two years is to make Britain the destination of choice for Experience seekers in the biggest opportunity markets. We want to work with relevant non-tourism brands to increase that consideration to visit Britain in the next 12-24 months and shift consumer perceptions towards seeing Britain as a welcoming, dynamic, diverse, sustainable and inclusive destination, prioritising regional and seasonal dispersal. We want to continue building back visitor spend as quickly as possible, and support the recovery of the UK tourism industry. <br/><br/>Over the next 24 months we will have various opportunities to partner with various non-tourism brands in key international markets to deliver high impact, innovative and best in class campaigns to our Experience Seeker audience. <br/><br/>Subject to applicable Government spend control approval, VB estimate the value of this Lot to be up to £1M over the next 24 months.

Contract period: 11 Sept 2023 – 10 Sept 2025 (2 yrs)
Delivery: UK · UK
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #6Inbound Operators and/or Destination Management Companies (DMCs) 2 yrsPublished value£800,000

To assist with the planning and operational execution of familiarisation trips for key overseas travel trade personnel that holds positions of influence within organisations that see the UK, in the key inbound markets:<br/><br/>VisitBritain’s mission is to make tourism one of the most successful and productive sectors for the UK economy. One of the main facilitators for this is to actively encourage overseas visitors to holiday in Great Britain. Our role is to drive ongoing tourism recovery and growth, by continuing to build back visitor spend as quickly as possible and supporting the industry.<br/><br/>Over the next 24 months VisitBritain will host educational visits to Great Britain for senior personnel and key decision makers from the most prominent and/or upcoming outbound operators, based in VisitBritain markets. These visits will serve to ensure: Great Britain continues to be featured in operator programs, new regions are discovered and experienced leading to new and further product development, opportunities for regional suppliers to meet and build 121 relationships with overseas providers.<br/><br/>Subject to applicable Government spend control approval, VB estimate the value of this Lot to be up to £800,000 over the next 24 months. Additional information: Additional CPV Code: 63500000 - Travel agency, tour operator and tourist assistance services

Contract period: 11 Sept 2023 – 10 Sept 2025 (2 yrs)
Delivery: UK · UK
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #7Carriers (Airlines, Ferries, Trains, Roads)PlannedLot estimate not published

Providing transport options to facilitate travel to and throughout Britain.

Delivery: UK · UK

What it takes to win
i

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 more
Conditions of participation1
  • Suitability

    Suppliers will be assessed on their response to the selection criteria as stated in the online SQ in their request to participate for appointment on the BTA1993 DPS - Commercial Partnerships & Related Services. The online SQ and procurement documentation can be accessed free of charge via the following URL address:<br/><br/>visitbritain.force.com/s/Welcome ↗<br/><br/>Please read the Invitation to Participate (ITP) documentation first for a full overview of the procurement process and read the instructions carefully. If you have recently registered on the Atamis eProcurement portal for another VisitBritain requirement, you can use the same account. If not, you will first need to register your organisation on the portal.<br/><br/>To register, you will need to:<br/><br/>1. Go to the URL: visitbritain.force.com/s/Welcome ↗<br/>2. Select ‘Click here to register!'<br/>3. Read and agree to the portal user agreement<br/>4. Complete the registration form, providing information including:<br/>— The full legal name of your organisation,<br/>— Your company registration number,<br/>— Your DUNS number-a unique nine-digit number provided to organisations free of charge by Dun & Bradstreet.<br/>— Whether your organisation is a Small –Medium Sized Enterprise (SME)<br/>— User and contact details.<br/><br/>The procurement will be managed electronically via VB. The value provided in Section II.1.5) is only an estimate. We cannot guarantee to suppliers any business through this DPS A…

What this means for your bid
  • “BTA1993 - Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) - Commercial Partnerships &…” is a dynamic market: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Restricted procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Closed
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Dynamic market
Who may use this agreement
Any qualifying supplier may apply while the market is open
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
5 Apr 2023, 14:55 BST
Last source update
14 Aug 2023, 14:23 BST
Authority reference
BTA1993
FTS notice number
2023/S 000-023729
Classification (CPV)
Administrative services related to tourism affairs
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-03bcde Find a Tender

Publisher note: The value provided in Section II.1.5) is only an estimate. VB cannot guarantee any exclusivity to any supplier or any business through this DPS Agreement. VB expressly reserves the right:<br/><br/>(i) not to award any DPS Agreement as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and<br/><br/>(ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the further competition; and in no circumstances will VB be liable for any costs incurred by the suppliers.<br/><br/>Further details are provided in the online SQ and procurement documentation.

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: portal not identified
Language: EN

Tender documents are also served through a separate tool: https://visitbritain.force.com/s/Welcome ↗

Admission period ends
29 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
{"written"}
Accepted languages
en

Timeline

30 May 2023 → 10 Sept 2025 · 6 dates
  1. Next notice expected
    30 May 2023, 00:00 BST
  2. Notice published
    14 Aug 2023, 14:23 BST
  3. Invitations to tender expected
    11 Sept 2023, 00:00 BST
  4. Contract starts
    11 Sept 2023, 00:00 BST
  5. Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown
    29 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
  6. Bids must remain valid until
    10 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST

Notice history

5 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 14 Aug 2023
  1. Published value updated to £16,800,000
    14 Aug 2023, 14:23 BST
    was £16,000,000
  2. Status changed to active
    14 Aug 2023, 14:23 BST
  3. Procurement method changed
    14 Aug 2023, 14:23 BST
  4. Deadline published: 29 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
    14 Aug 2023, 14:23 BST
  5. Buyer details updated
    14 Aug 2023, 14:23 BST

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

2 public bodies on the notice

VisitBritain/VisitEngland

Contracting authorityBody governed by public lawTourism 3 Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria, London, London, SW1W 0BDContact name, email

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • Royal Court of Justice, The StrandMediation body LondonContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Economic and financial selection criteriatenderEconomic and financial selection criteria
  • Technical selection criteriatenderTechnical selection criteria