Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice

Published 28 Jul 2025, 17:10 BST

Official UK procurement notice

ID 5827166 - DFE - LRA - Communications Partner

Official notice

Authority: Labour Relations Agency (Central government)·On behalf of: CPD

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitable

Sectors: Business Services & Consultancy (79) Delivery: Northern Ireland (UKN)

Published estimate£300,000≈ £100k / year · £360,000 inc. VAT

Submissions closed 26 Aug 2025awarded 8 Oct 2025

Awarded to GRAY'S COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED

Contract term 3 yrsends 9 Sept 2028 · up to 9 Sept 2030 with extensions · starts 10 Sept 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Labour Relations Agency (the Buyer) required the services of a Supplier to contribute to the delivery of the Communications Strategy for 2025-2029, and Communications Plan for 2025-2026.

The Supplier has experience and expertise delivering integrated communications campaigns and initiatives. The Supplier will support the Buyer in identifying and developing solutions to reach wider audiences, concentrating on those with lowest levels of awareness of the Agency (currently 18-34 age group). The Agency's role in dispute resolution is better known (and cases are confidential) so the work of the Buyer and Supplier will focus particularly on the dispute prevention and good employment practice roles of the Agency, in helping to educate others about their employment rights and responsibilities.

This contract commenced from 23rd October 2025 for an initial period of 3 Years. There are 2 options to extend for anything up to a further period of 1 year each subject to satisfactory performance and budgetary provision.

Due to online system update issues this notice was delayed getting published until 04/02/2026.

CPV: Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security · Public relations consultancy services · Public relations management services · Public relations services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published

Lot #1AwardedRenewal 3 yrsSMEPublished value£300,000

Contract period: 10 Sept 2025 – 9 Sept 2028 (3 yrs) · up to 9 Sept 2030 with extensionsValue: £300,000 exc. VAT · £360,000 inc. VAT

Eligibility: SME eligible

Extensions: 2 options to extend for anything up to a further period of 1 year each subject to satisfactory performance and budgetary provision.

79000000 Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security 79416000 Public relations services 79416100 Public relations management services 79416200 Public relations consultancy services

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

How bids were scored

Quality: 70%Price: 30%

Published sub-criteria (2)

Qualitative Criteria: 70%
Quantitative Criteria: 30%

Published award criteria (2)

Qualitative Criteria: 3 Criteria - as detailed in the Tender Documents covering: Key Personnel Experience, Proposed Methodology and Contract Management and Contingency.
Quantitative Criteria: Average Daily Rates - as detailed in the Tender Documents.

What this means for your bid

Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

Procedure method: Open procedure
Legal basis: UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category: Services
Notice status: Awarded
Procurement threshold: Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime: Standard
Commercial structure: Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type: Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered: Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 28 Jul 2025, 17:10 BST
Last source update: 4 Feb 2026, 11:49 GMT
Award evaluation window: Submission end – 10 Sept 2025
Authority reference: ID 5827166
FTS notice number: 2025/S 000-043636
Latest notice: Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV): Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and securityPublic relations consultancy servicesPublic relations management servicesPublic relations services
Delivery area: Northern Ireland (UKN)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-056780 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice

Run through: eTendersNI · Who buys & how to bid on eTendersNI

Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN

Access & registration note: Free Northern Ireland registration

Submission deadline: 26 Aug 2025, 15:00 BST
Clarification deadline: 15 Aug 2025, 15:00 BST
Submission channel: Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission: Allowed
Accepted languages: en

Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the relevant Call for Tender (CfT) opportunity on eTendersNI, website details immediately below.

Paper submissions will not be accepted or considered and will be rejected by the Contracting Authority / Buyer.

The tender documents are available with unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: URL etendersni.gov.uk/epps ↗

Timeline

28 Jul 2025 → 4 Feb 2026 · 8 dates

Tender notice published
28 Jul 2025, 17:10 BST
Clarification questions by
15 Aug 2025, 15:00 BST
Submission deadline
26 Aug 2025, 15:00 BST
Contract starts
10 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
Award decision expected by
10 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
Assessment summaries sent380 days ago
8 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
Standstill ends367 days ago
20 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
Latest notice published260 days ago
4 Feb 2026, 11:49 GMT

Notice history

5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 28 Jul 2025

Tender notice published
28 Jul 2025, 17:10 BST
UK4
Contract award notice published
9 Oct 2025, 10:05 BST
UK6
Status changed to complete
9 Oct 2025, 10:05 BST
Contract signature expected
22 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
scheduled
Contract details notice published
4 Feb 2026, 11:49 GMT
UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 1

Awarded value £300,0001 award exc. VAT

Bids received 99 from SMEs

Contracts signed 1latest 22 Oct 2025

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
GRAY'S COMMUNICATIONS LIMITEDSME22 Oct 2025 – 21 Oct 2028 · up to 21 Oct 2030Extensions: 2 options to extend for anything up to a further period of 1 year each subject to satisfactory performance and budgetary provision.	£300,000	8 Oct 2025	Awarded

Contracts

ID 5827166 - DFE - LRA - Communications Partner · GRAY'S COMMUNICATIONS LIMITEDSME
Signed
22 Oct 2025
Value
£300,000
Period
23 Oct 2025 – 22 Oct 2028 · up to 22 Oct 2030 with extensions
Status
active
Extensions
2 Optional Extension Periods of 1 Year
No agreed KPIs: Contract Value is less than £5 million - KPI's are not considered appropriate.

Bid statistics published by the authority

Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
9final-stage tenders	9	2	—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

3 public bodies on the notice

Labour Relations Agency

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central governmentNorthern Irish devolved regulations apply GB-PPON: PXXT-9745-HGPD James House, 2-4 Cromac Avenue, The Gasworks, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT7 2JAContact email

Other public bodies

CPDBeneficiary authority
CPD - Supplies & Services DivisionProcess contact pointProcuring entityConstruction and Procurement Delivery - Supplies and Services Division, is a Centre of Procurement Expertise and provides a central procurement function for central government in Northern Ireland.GB-PPON: PVWG-8426-YWXV Belfast, Northern IrelandContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

2 commercial parties on the notice

GRAY'S COMMUNICATIONS LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: NI647073GB-PPON: PXZW-8671-YJGZ 30 Clooney Terrace, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, BT47 6ARContact email
GRAY'S COMMUNICATIONS LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PXZW-8671-YJGZ 30 Clooney Terrace, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, BT47 6ARContact email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender4 Feb 2026, 11:49 GMT
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender9 Oct 2025, 10:05 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender28 Jul 2025, 17:10 BST