Official UK procurement notice
Media Planning and Buying for Reputation, Business Engagement and Student Recruitment Marketing
Authority: Sheffield Hallam University (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe University requires a media planning and buying agency to assist in achieving its strategic marketing and student recruitment objectives, which include:
- delivering student recruitment success and engagement across the prospective student journey in line with academic and financial targets Home and International
- raising the profile and enhancing the reputation of the University through institutional positioning and research impact
- promoting the University brand and Sheffield city to achieve stand out and cut through in our competitive marketplace
- generating business leads through business engagement activity to support apprenticeship, placement, KTP and other institutional objectives
- Measuring and optimising all activity using data and insights to ensure our activities are relevant and impactful
The agency will proactively support and work in partnership with the University's Marketing Directorate. In scope are all media planning and buying activities across Prospective Student Recruitment marketing and all brand level marketing as well as lead generation business to business marketing, paid search activity and social media campaigns across all audiences.
- How the procedure runs: The procurement will be conducted using a Competitive Flexible Procedure comprising two stages. Stage 1 - Conditions of Participation All interested suppliers must complete the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ), which will include assessment against mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds, financial and legal capacity, and technical ability to perform the Contract. The top four suppliers who meet the participation requirements will be invited to Stage 2. Stage 2 - Final Tender Submission Qualified suppliers will receive the Invitation to Tender (ITT), final specifications, and associated documents. Final Tenders will be invited. Scored interviews and/or presentations will be held on Monday 10th November as part of the evaluation. Outcome and Contract Award Following evaluation of final submissions, the preferred bidder will be identified. All suppliers from Stage 2 will be notified of the outcome. A mobilisation plan will be agreed with the preferred bidder, and the contract will then be awarded.
CPV: Advertising and marketing services · Market research services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£10,416,667
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).
Published award criteria (3)
- Quality
- Price
- Social Value
- Price carries 35 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3.5 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
- Competitive flexible 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
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 12 Aug 2025, 15:53 BST
- Last source update
- 18 Mar 2026, 11:44 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 15 Dec 2025
- Authority reference
2425-02-RCM-LJ- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-048138- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05866cFind a Tender
- How it runs
The procurement will be conducted using a Competitive Flexible Procedure comprising two stages.
Stage 1 - Conditions of Participation
All interested suppliers must complete the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ), which will include assessment against mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds, financial and legal capacity, and technical ability to perform the Contract. The top four suppliers who meet the participation requirements will be invited to Stage 2.
Stage 2 - Final Tender Submission
Qualified suppliers will receive the Invitation to Tender (ITT), final specifications, and associated documents. Final Tenders will be invited. Scored interviews and/or presentations will be held on Monday 10th November as part of the evaluation.
Outcome and Contract Award
Following evaluation of final submissions, the preferred bidder will be identified. All suppliers from Stage 2 will be notified of the outcome. A mobilisation plan will be agreed with the preferred bidder, and the contract will then be awarded.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 12 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 12 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 29 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Tender docs will be available via Sheffield Hallam University's In-Tend site in-tendhost.co.uk/sheffieldhallamunive… ↗
Tenderers will need to be registered on this site in order to view documents and submit bids
Timeline
12 Aug 2025 → 18 Mar 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published12 Aug 2025, 15:53 BST
- Clarification questions by29 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline12 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by310 days ago15 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent287 days ago8 Jan 2026
- Contract starts283 days ago12 Jan 2026
- Standstill ends275 days ago19 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Latest notice published218 days ago18 Mar 2026, 11:44 GMT
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Aug 2025- Tender notice published12 Aug 2025, 15:53 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published8 Jan 2026, 15:52 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete8 Jan 2026, 15:52 GMT
- Procurement method changed8 Jan 2026, 15:52 GMT
- Contract signature expected20 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published18 Mar 2026, 11:44 GMTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Havas People Ltd20 Jan 2026 – 19 Jan 2029 · up to 19 Jan 2031Extensions: 3+2 | £10,416,667 | 5 Jan 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · Havas People Ltd
- Signed
- 20 Feb 2026
- Value
- £10,416,667
- Period
- 20 Feb 2026 – 19 Feb 2029 · up to 19 Jan 2031 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- 3+2
3 agreed KPIs: Cost per application (CPA - applications) · Share of search (brand demand vs competitors) · Strategic media plan delivery (quality + timeliness)
- Cost per application (CPA - applications)
- Share of search (brand demand vs competitors)
- Strategic media plan delivery (quality + timeliness)
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5final-stage tenders · 10 at stage one | 0 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- wonHAVAS PEOPLE LIMITED · South East England
- did not winANYTHING IS POSSIBLE MEDIA LIMITEDSME · South East England
- did not winEDUCATION CUBED LTDSME · South East England
- did not winHUNTERLODGE GROUP LIMITEDSME · East of England
- did not winHYBRID NEWS LIMITEDSME · South West England
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
5 commercial parties on the notice · 1 awarded- ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE MEDIA LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- EDUCATION CUBED LTDBidder / tenderer
- HAVAS PEOPLE LIMITEDAwarded supplier
- HUNTERLODGE GROUP LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- HYBRID NEWS LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- 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