Find a TenderClosed
Published 18 Feb 2026, 13:18 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Provision of Media Buying

Official notice

Authority: Scottish Water

Framework agreementServicesNegotiated procedure with prior call for competition
Framework ceiling (notional)£17,600,000framework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Submissions closed 23 Mar 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Scottish Water is establishing a framework for Media Planning and Buying Services to support paid advertising and communications across Scotland. The appointed supplier will work in partnership with Scottish Water to identify, plan, buy, manage, and evaluate media activity across national and regional audiences. Services will span TV/On‑Demand, audio including radio, digital, social, out‑of‑home, and press.<br/><br/>The supplier will provide expert media planning advice, high‑performing media schedules, campaign setup and optimisation, and full monitoring, reporting, and insights. They will also offer value‑added services such as audience profiling, industry and competitor analysis, account management, and production of digital, social, and radio advertising assets. Close collaboration with Scottish Water’s Corporate Affairs team and other departments is required to support proactive and reactive communication needs.

CPV: Advertising and marketing services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Places
up to 1 suppliers

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Scottish Water provide vital water and waste water services, essential to daily life,…Published value£17,600,000

Scottish Water provide vital water and waste water services, essential to daily life, to over 2.6 million households and more than 160,000 business premises across Scotland, and therefore need to be able to plan and carry out paid-for advertising/comms which have the scope to reach and engage with customers at both a pan-Scotland level and a regional/local level. In order to identify, plan and use the most effective platforms/channel mix to reach the target customer audience/base Scottish Water would like to source a framework for the supply of Media Planning & Buying Services that reflects a full range of media planning and buying capabilities underpinned by flexible, reliable, cost effective and customer focused service.<br/><br/>The scope of the contract is to work in partnership with Scottish Water, supplying the media planning and buying services, which will include:<br/>- providing high quality technical advice and proposals for the most effective platforms and advertising/media channel mix to be considered for the campaign paid-for advertising activity <br/>- proposing media schedules which will deliver effective/high performing campaigns at both national (Scotland-wide) and/or regional/local level that offer Scottish Water the maximum potential reach, engagement and value.<br/>- providing monitoring, evaluation, campaign analysis & insights and reporting pre, during and post any campaign/advertising activity.<br/><br/>The media buying services will be for both proactive and reactive activity and will include, but are not limited to, campaign/advertising activities across the following platforms/channels:<br/>- AV including TV and On Demand services<br/>- Audio including Radio<br/>- Digital<br/>- Social<br/>- Out Of Home <br/>- Press<br/><br/>It is expected that the selected supplier will work closely with the Corporate Affairs team as the primary contact but will also be able to maintain and manage relationships and work independently with other Scottish Water departments who are considering a paid-for advertising media schedule to deliver either proactive and/or reactive comms activity as appropriate. The supplier will be expected to provide a number of value added services to SW including but not limited to:-<br/><br/>

  • Industry-specific market analysis, updates and advice and provision of information including competitor monitoring, consumer, industry and channel analysis and insight<br/>
  • Reporting & insights (pre, during and post campaign/advertising analysis activity)<br/>
  • Dedicated Account Manager<br/>
  • Audience profiling<br/>
  • Planning, buying and management of all media proposed<br/>
  • Optimisation and management including set up of campaigns/advertising activity (inclusive of ASBOF levy and any media commission/copyright licence, but excluding adserving if required)<br/>
  • Management of SW account, including all meetings, travel and expenses in the servicing of the account.<br/>
  • Ability to create, set up and deliver digital and social adverts<br/>
  • Ability to source voiceover artists, produce and deliver finalised radio adverts (including appropriate RACC clearance) and supply final file to radio station. Additional information: To access the following opportunity, please register using the following link: atamis-scottishwater.my.salesforce-sites.com/ProSpend__CS_PublicL… ↗
Delivery: Scotland · Scotland Wide
Second stage: up to 4 candidates invited to tenderVariant bids: not allowed

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
Shortlisting
See Procurement Documents or further information
What this means for your bid
  • “Provision of Media Buying” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 1 suppliers, not a single contract.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Negotiated procedure with prior call for competition
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0025 Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (Directive 2014/25/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Closed
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
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
18 Feb 2026, 13:18 GMT
Last source update
18 Feb 2026, 13:18 GMT
Authority reference
SW26/CON/1540
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-014771
Classification (CPV)
Advertising and marketing services
Delivery area
Scotland (UKM)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-065712 Find a Tender
Contract terms
Electronic trading
e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Performance terms

See Procurement Documents or further information

Publisher note: To access this opportunity, please register using the following link: https://atamis-scottishwater.my.salesforce-sites.com/ProSpend__CS_PublicLandingPage?SearchType=Projects

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Atamis (Health Family) · Who buys & how to bid on Atamis
Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account PER buying organisation portal · password resets come "from Salesforce.com" (check spam)
Appointment period ends
23 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission","written"}
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

18 Feb 2026 → 23 Mar 2026 · 2 dates
  1. Notice published251 days ago
    18 Feb 2026, 13:18 GMT
  2. Admission / appointment period ends219 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown
    23 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Scottish Water

Contracting authorityWater The Bridge, 6 Buchanan Gate, Stepps, Glasgow, Scotland, G33 6FBContact name, email Published organisation website ↗

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • Glasgow Sheriff CourtReview body Glasgow

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

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