Find a TenderAwarded without competition
Published 6 Dec 2024, 09:20 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Production Agency & Brand Hub

Official notice

Authority: OPEN UNIVERSITY(THE) (Education)·Consortium: 2 public authorities

Framework agreementServicesAward procedure without prior publication of a call for competitionSME suitable
Framework ceiling (notional)Value not publishedframework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Awarded 1 Feb 2025no call for competition

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Contract awarded to one supplier who will be responsible for the Brand hub - hosting and management. This includes both technical services, digital and creative developments, digital builds and regular updates. In addition, we need an agency who can provide digital, creative design and production services. All in line with the OU Brand guidelines.

CPV: Marketing services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Bids received
1 bids received · 1 suppliers appointed

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1Website deliveryAwarded

Website delivery

•Conception, design, development of existing and new digital pages/sites

•Hosting of Brand hub and Brand policy

•Ongoing maintenance of site, including updating pages and building of new pages, adapting

the site for user needs

•Services site for both internal (staff) and external (agencies/third party partners) audience with asset distribution

•Immediate response to systems issue/errors/changes

Brand templates development

Using Brand guidelines to design, create and deliver on brand assets and templates for OU colleagues and partners

•Build and maintenance of Microsoft Office suite templates, finely tuned to maximize productivity and brand consistency to be used by a broad range of OU stakeholders with built in guidance, preset fonts, colours, brand elements and data-linked elements.

Online & offline creative assets

•Using Brand guidelines to design, create and deliver on brand assets and templates for OU colleagues and partners

•Assets include videos, animations, illustrations; printed assets; graphic files in multiple formats. (e.g. Designing doordrop leaflet; suite of social media animated videos; ezines;

openlearn content projects; digital banners; resizing outdoor artwork; brochures; leaflets;

building vinyl; pull-up banners; event stand collateral)

Brand asset management

•Safely store and make maintain Brand assets on both the Asset bank and on servers to service Brand guidelines

•Full knowledge of use of Brand guidelines and brand assets

Brand guidelines & web toolkits

•Creation of multiple brand toolkits and online guidelines with cross-linking to the OU asset bank

•The Asset bank is used by both internal and external users for obtaining up to date Brand assets, brand images and case stories

•The Asset bank tracks user download details and asset usage

Host Brand guidelines

•Maintain guidelines - add new pages, action updates, input to development to ensure we are leading with the best technology and for easy user experience.

Problem-solving and systems support

•Intricate problem-solving within the digital environment, encompassing the rapid deployment of complex solutions that leverage new technologies to address any challenges

posed.

•Provide technical support to enhance the online offering to OU users

•Provide new solution and technology to enhance the user experience and host the complicated web infrastructure

End-to-end technical support

•Provide solutions and recommendations for best practice/best use of system

•Immediate response to critical issues/queries

•Immediate response to urgent/business critical changes that need to be implemented Accessibility enhancement

•Rigorous adherence to the latest accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.1 AA, with indepth conformance reviews and comprehensive audits, ensuring a frictionless experience for users of all abilities across all media such as templates, guidelines and websites.

•Ensure the site is fully compliant with OU and industry accessibility guidance

•Knowledge and experience of accessibility requirements for digital and offline users

Delivery: South East
Extensions: 2 year agreement with the options to extend for a further 2 x 12 months. Total contract length: 4 years

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
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
Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
6 Dec 2024, 09:20 GMT
Last source update
4 Feb 2025, 16:44 GMT
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-003720
Classification (CPV)
Marketing services
Delivery area
South East (UKJ12)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04c2cf Find a Tender
Why no open competition

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Published justification

Matrix Graphics Ltd have developed a bespoke brand infrastructure, spanning technical architecture, institutional workflows and alignment to the University's specific operational

and compliance requirements. At its core lies a codebase developed over many years, drawing on advanced methodologies, such as modular programming, adaptive algorithms, and bespoke data handling systems, to support the institution's unique and evolving needs.

Notice history

1 event · 2 releases on Find a Tender
  1. Buyer details updated
    4 Feb 2025, 16:44 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Suppliers appointed 1admitted to the panel · see the list ↓
Bids received 11 from SMEs
Contracts signed 2latest 1 Feb 2025

2 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.

Contracts

All 2 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £1,000,000, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.

  • Contract 003720-2025-1

    Signed
    1 Feb 2025
    Value
    ceiling above
    Status
    active
  • Contract 039352-2024-1-1

    Signed
    6 Dec 2024
    Value
    ceiling above
    Status
    active

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1bids · 1 electronic1——

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

2 public bodies on the notice

OPEN UNIVERSITY(THE)

Contracting authorityEducationBody governed by public lawEducation Walton Hall, MILTON KEYNES, South East, MK76AAContact name, email, phone

Dispute resolution & review bodies

Framework contractors & participating bidders

2 commercial parties on the notice
  • Matrix Graphics LtdFramework contractorGB-COH: 02556297 1.05b Assay Studios 141 Newhall Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 1SF
  • Matrix Graphics LtdFramework contractorGB-COH: 2556297 1.05b Assay Studios, 141 Newhall Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 1SF

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice.