Official UK procurement notice
Media Planning and Buying Services
Authority: Rail Delivery Group (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Supplier will provide a fully managed, audience-led service covering strategic media planning, media buying and activation, campaign management, optimisation, reporting, insight, measurement and evaluation, together with associated financial and commercial management.
Services will support national, regional and locally targeted campaigns and communications across a broad range of offline and digital media channels. Requirements may include planned campaigns, ongoing activity, reactive and time-critical communications, and larger or strategically significant projects.
The Supplier will be required to develop campaign strategies and detailed Media Plans, manage media bookings and expenditure, provide campaign activation and optimisation, monitor performance, undertake measurement and evaluation, and provide transparent financial management, reconciliation and reporting. Project-specific Scopes of Work may be required for high-value, complex or strategically significant requirements.
The estimated total value of the Contract is £250,000,000 excluding VAT, including all available extension periods. The Contract is expected to have an initial term of two years, with options to extend for up to a further three years in one-year increments (1+1+1).
Services will be delivered primarily for ATOC Limited, with the potential for requirements from participating rail organisations where provided for within the procurement documents and Contract. The Supplier must have the capacity and capability to manage varying levels of media activity and expenditure throughout the Contract Period.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Oct 2031, 23:59 BST.
- How the procedure runs: ATOC Limited will conduct a multi-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. Stage 1 – Participation and Shortlisting: Suppliers will complete the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ), including the applicable Conditions of Participation. Submissions will be assessed in accordance with the published Stage 1 assessment methodology. A maximum of three Suppliers will be shortlisted and invited to participate in Stage 2. Stage 2 – Tender: Shortlisted Suppliers will be invited to submit Tenders comprising their Written Technical Quality Response, Social Value Response, Pricing Schedule and other required tender documents. Tenders will be assessed in accordance with the published evaluation methodology. The procedure may include clarification, dialogue and/or negotiation during Stage 2 where the Authority considers this appropriate. This may include discussion of the requirements, proposed solutions, commercial arrangements, pricing and/or contractual matters. Where dialogue or negotiation is undertaken, the Authority will provide participating Suppliers with further instructions and will conduct the process in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, the tender notice and associated tender documents. Where dialogue or negotiation is undertaken, the Authority may invite participating Suppliers to submit revised and/or Final Tenders before completion of the final evaluation. Stage 3 – Supplier Demonstration and Clarification: Suppliers remaining in the procedure will participate in a Supplier Demonstration and Clarification Session. The demonstration will form part of the Quality evaluation and will be assessed in accordance with the methodology set out in the procurement documents. The Authority may refine the award criteria and associated assessment methodology during the procedure in accordance with section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023. Any refinement will be limited to refinement of the published award criteria, will take place before Suppliers are invited to submit Final Tenders and will be communicated to participating Suppliers in accordance with the Act and associated procurement documents. Following completion and moderation of the evaluation, the Authority will determine the most advantageous tender in accordance with the final award criteria and proceed to contract award in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.
- No preliminary market engagement: N/A
CPV: Advertising and marketing services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£300,000,000
- Technical & professional ability
Please see COP
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
- Social Value
- Price
- Technical & professional ability
Please see COP
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 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
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 Oct 2031
- First published
- 18 Sept 2026, 15:58 BST
- Last source update
- 18 Sept 2026, 18:30 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 11 Dec 2026
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-088845- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0775c5Find a Tender
- How it runs
ATOC Limited will conduct a multi-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023.
Stage 1 – Participation and Shortlisting: Suppliers will complete the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ), including the applicable Conditions of Participation. Submissions will be assessed in accordance with the published Stage 1 assessment methodology. A maximum of three Suppliers will be shortlisted and invited to participate in Stage 2.
Stage 2 – Tender: Shortlisted Suppliers will be invited to submit Tenders comprising their Written Technical Quality Response, Social Value Response, Pricing Schedule and other required tender documents. Tenders will be assessed in accordance with the published evaluation methodology.
The procedure may include clarification, dialogue and/or negotiation during Stage 2 where the Authority considers this appropriate. This may include discussion of the requirements, proposed solutions, commercial arrangements, pricing and/or contractual matters. Where dialogue or negotiation is undertaken, the Authority will provide participating Suppliers with further instructions and will conduct the process in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, the tender notice and associated tender documents.
Where dialogue or negotiation is undertaken, the Authority may invite participating Suppliers to submit revised and/or Final Tenders before completion of the final evaluation.
Stage 3 – Supplier Demonstration and Clarification: Suppliers remaining in the procedure will participate in a Supplier Demonstration and Clarification Session. The demonstration will form part of the Quality evaluation and will be assessed in accordance with the methodology set out in the procurement documents.
The Authority may refine the award criteria and associated assessment methodology during the procedure in accordance with section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023. Any refinement will be limited to refinement of the published award criteria, will take place before Suppliers are invited to submit Final Tenders and will be communicated to participating Suppliers in accordance with the Act and associated procurement documents.
Following completion and moderation of the evaluation, the Authority will determine the most advantageous tender in accordance with the final award criteria and proceed to contract award in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 16 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 16 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 2 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
18 Sept 2026 → 1 Apr 2027 · 5 dates- Tender notice published39 days ago18 Sept 2026, 15:58 BST
- Clarification questions by25 days ago2 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline11 days ago16 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Today27 Oct 2026
- Award decision expected byin 45 days11 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 155 days1 Apr 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
4 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Sept 2026- Tender notice published18 Sept 2026, 15:58 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published18 Sept 2026, 16:31 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published18 Sept 2026, 17:00 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published18 Sept 2026, 18:30 BSTUK4
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2026-09: 1 release · 18 Sept 2026
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specificationsAccess: Documents relevant to Stage 1 of the Competitive Flexible Procedure will be made available following publication of the Tender Notice. Following completion of the Stage 1 Conditions of Participation assessment and shortlisting process, Suppliers selected to progress to Stage 2 will be provided with the Stage 2 procurement documents electronically through Jaggaer. Any subsequent documents, clarifications, updates or instructions relating to the procurement will also be issued through Jaggaer to the relevant participating Suppliers.
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender