Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 26 Feb 2025, 13:57 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

University of Chichester Graduation Ceremonies - Academic Robing and Photography

Official notice

Authority: University of Chichester (Education)

ServicesBelow threshold - open competitionBelow thresholdReserved for SMEs and VCSEsReserved: K02000001SME suitable
Published estimate£120,000≈ £24k / year · £120,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 28 Mar 2025awarded 17 Apr 2025
Awarded to WM. NORTHAM & COMPANY LIMITED, William Northam & Company Ltd
Contract term 5 yrsends 30 Apr 2030 · starts 1 May 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The University of Chichester is seeking a suitably experienced and skilled partner to work with on our graduation ceremonies.

We want a provider that feels like an extension of our team, with the ability to achieve a smooth process for both our university events team and our students in the run up to and on the day of the events. Someone who offers robing and photography for the day as well as tickets for the graduands and guests for the event.

We are looking for a partner who gives us clear communication on the specifications requested and deadlines in good time. This partner must have good people relationship skills as well as strong experience, skills and knowledge in this field.

Overall, our aim is to give our students the best day and experience possible, so that all they need to worry about is what to wear or how best to celebrate!

Currently, our graduation ceremonies take place twice a year, the first larger ceremonies focus predominately on our undergraduate programmes with the slightly smaller occasions later in the academic year for our postgraduate and non-traditional course routes.

With the undergraduate currently taking place in September, however from 2027 onwards, these will be brought forward to July. Our postgraduate ceremonies will be in March.

Our ceremonies are held at Chichester Cathedral where we have around 130 graduands per ceremony, with anywhere from 4-12 ceremonies at each event.

The 3 key requirements are academic dress, photography, and ticketing. Graduand dress is black robes with a blue and gold hood, Staff to wear their own institutional robes, and senior

team to wear high-quality blue jacquard fabric with gold detailing. Photography requires studios set up on location and photos of graduands receiving their awards.

We require the supplier to undertake ticketing on our behalf and work with us to manage this.

CPV: Special clothing · Tailoring services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Awarded 5 yrsSMEPublished value£120,000
Contract period: 1 May 2025 – 30 Apr 2030 (5 yrs)Value: £120,000 exc. VAT · £120,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: South EastEligibility: SME eligible

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: 65%Price: 25%Social value: 10%
Published sub-criteria (6)
  • Coherence and clarity to the University's requirement: 30%
  • Organisational experience and capability: 17.5%
  • Added Value: 2.5%
  • Presentation/ Showcase: 15%
  • Financials: 25%
  • Compliance with the Social Value Model: 10%
Published award criteria (6)
  • Financials
  • Coherence and clarity to the University's requirement: made up of: - Robes - 12.5 - Photography - 5 - Ticketing - 12.5
  • Organisational experience and capability: Made up of: Workflows, flexibility and communication - 7.5 Industry knowledge, Skills, & Prior Experience - 5 Data Protection - 2.5 Event Staffing - 2.5 Provision of relevant contract examples - pass/ fail
  • Added Value
  • Compliance with the Social Value Model: Covers areas of: Tackling economic inequality Climate Change Equal Opportunity Wellbeing
  • Presentation/ Showcase: Opportunity to expand upon their bid and show offering. Only the top 2-5 bids will be selected to attend the presentation/ showcase.
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 25 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2.5 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
Below threshold - open competition
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Below threshold
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
26 Feb 2025, 13:57 GMT
Last source update
14 Jul 2025, 12:09 BST
Authority reference
TND-0001075
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-007291
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Special clothingTailoring services
Delivery area
South East (UKJ27)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04e81b Find a Tender
Contract terms
Reserved participation area
K02000001

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: portal not identified
Electronic submission allowed
Submission deadline
28 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
21 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

The tender document and any supporting documents should be submitted to [email protected]. Full details are available at help.chi.ac.uk/tenders ↗

Timeline

26 Feb 2025 → 14 Jul 2025 · 5 dates
  1. Tender notice published
    26 Feb 2025, 13:57 GMT
  2. Clarification questions by
    21 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
  3. Submission deadline
    28 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
  4. Contract starts
    1 May 2025, 00:00 BST
  5. Latest notice published
    14 Jul 2025, 12:09 BST

Notice history

5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 26 Feb 2025
  1. Tender notice published
    26 Feb 2025, 13:57 GMT
    UK4
  2. Contract award notice published
    28 Apr 2025, 10:04 BST
    UK6
  3. Status changed to complete
    28 Apr 2025, 10:04 BST
  4. Contract signature expected
    5 May 2025, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  5. Contract details notice published
    14 Jul 2025, 12:09 BST
    UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value (inc. VAT) £120,0001 award inc. VAT; no net value published
Bids received 22 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 28 May 2025
Awarded toValueDateStatus
WM. NORTHAM & COMPANY LIMITED, William Northam & Company LtdSMEjoint award5 May 2025 – 4 May 2030£120,000 inc. VAT17 Apr 2025Awarded

Contracts

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
2final-stage tenders20—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-COH: 04740553 · GB-PPON: PPPG-3697-WRBH Bishop Otter Campus, Chichester, South East, PO19 6PEContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

2 commercial parties on the notice

Official documents & specifications (4)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsDOCXThis document describes the requirement and provides a standard format for responses. All details for contacting the university and for submission are contained within this document. The document and any subsequently published Q&A will be available at https://help.chi.ac.uk/tende…

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender