Official UK procurement notice
Digital Media Planning and Buying Services
Authority: SRUC
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionSRUC is seeking to appoint one or two media buying agencies who have the experience to develop and deliver media activity in the higher education sector within local and international markets, while recognising the different perspectives, challenges, market demands and media consumption that exist within different countries.
The selected suppliers must have the ability to deliver and manage several campaigns across multiple channels and deliver the highest levels of engagement and conversion in the most cost-effective way.
The suppliers should be able to recommend the most effective media engagement strategy through their understanding of the varying media landscape and consumer habits of our intended audiences.
The appointed agencies will also support SRUC in delivering its institutional objectives through effective paid media activity designed to increase brand awareness, drive student recruitment, promote commercial services and support wider stakeholder engagement across Scotland, the UK and international markets.
- Recurrence: 2030
CPV: Advertising and marketing services · Advertising campaign services · Advertising consultancy services · Advertising management services · Advertising services · Marketing services · Promotional services
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · no lot values publishedLot #1Digital Media Planning and Buying Services – ScotlandRenewal
SRUC is seeking to appoint a media buying agency who has the experience to develop and deliver media activity in the higher education sector within a local Scottish market, while recognising the different perspectives, challenges, market demands and media consumption that exist.
The selected supplier must have the ability to deliver and manage several campaigns across multiple channels and deliver the highest levels of engagement and conversion in the most cost-effective way. The supplier should be able to recommend the most effective media engagement strategy through their understanding of the varying media landscape and consumer habits of our intended audiences.
The appointed agency will also support SRUC in delivering its institutional objectives through effective paid media activity designed to increase brand awareness, drive student recruitment, promote commercial services and support wider stakeholder engagement across Scotland.
Lot #2Digital Media Planning and Buying Services – UK and InternationalRenewal
SRUC is seeking to appoint a media buying agency who has the experience to develop and deliver media activity in the higher education sector within UK and international markets, while recognising the different perspectives, challenges, market demands and media consumption that exist within different countries.
The selected supplier must have the ability to deliver and manage several campaigns across multiple channels and deliver the highest levels of engagement and conversion in the most cost-effective way. The supplier should be able to recommend the most effective media engagement strategy through their understanding of the varying media landscape and consumer habits of our intended audiences.
The appointed agency will also support SRUC in delivering its institutional objectives through effective paid media activity designed to increase brand awareness, drive student recruitment, promote commercial services and support wider stakeholder engagement across the UK and international markets.
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).
- Suitability
All criteria as listed within the tender document.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How SRUC buys Advertising and marketing services (CPV 7934), and who usually turns up
SRUC’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Advertising and marketing services (CPV 7934) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
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How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in Scotland.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in the region where that award was delivered.
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How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 46 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
How many bids did past lots attract?
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How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid6% / 9%
2–350% / 18%
4–633% / 23%
7+11% / 50%
How did awards compare with estimates?
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Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate80% / 14%
Within ±2%0% / 64%
Above estimate20% / 21%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1Digital Media Planning and Buying Services – ScotlandCPV 7934Estimate not published
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How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid1%
2–317%
4–658%
7+24%
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Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
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Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £6.5m27 awards in 36m · last this month | 6 live · £1.9m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 15% below n=2 | |
| £15m11 awards in 36m · last 1 month ago | 7 live · £35m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=3 | |
| £577k2 awards in 36m · last 1 month ago | None on file | at estimate n=1 | |
| £8.1m3 awards in 36m · last 19 months ago | None on file | at estimate n=2 | |
| £250k1 award in 36m · last 19 months ago | None on file | at estimate n=1 |
Lot #2Digital Media Planning and Buying Services – UK and InternationalCPV 7934Estimate not published
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid1%
2–312%
4–654%
7+33%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £6.5m27 awards in 36m · last this month | 6 live · £1.9m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 15% below n=2 | |
| £1.3m13 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 5 live · £846k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| £15m11 awards in 36m · last 1 month ago | 7 live · £35m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=3 | |
| £11m3 awards in 36m · last 10 months ago | 1 live · £10m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=2 | |
| £8.1m3 awards in 36m · last 19 months ago | None on file | at estimate n=2 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · 2030
- First published
- 12 Oct 2026, 12:30 BST
- Last source update
- 12 Oct 2026, 12:30 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 11 Nov 2026 – …
- Authority reference
45600- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-096037- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-07858aFind a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Publisher note: NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=844134. The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx. Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems. (SC Ref:844134) Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=844134
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via Public Contracts ScotlandTender documents are also served through a separate tool: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ↗
- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 11 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- —
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 90 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 11 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Timeline
12 Oct 2026 → 11 Nov 2026 · 3 dates- Notice published15 days ago12 Oct 2026, 12:30 BST
- Today28 Oct 2026
- Submission deadlinein 14 days11 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Bids openedin 14 days11 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice Of The Peace CourtMediation bodyReview body
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria