Official UK procurement notice
Southwark Purpose-Built Student Accommodation Operator
Authority: Places for London Limited (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionPlaces for London, Transport for London's property company (formerly Transport Trading Limited Properties (TTLP)), is seeking to appoint an experienced PBSA operator to support the mobilisation and operation of the Southwark OSD scheme. The development will comprise of 429 private studios. While the scheme is at an advanced stage of design, the appointed operator will be expected to provide targeted input into the fit-out of amenity spaces, as well as lead the mobilisation phase and oversee the ongoing operation and management of the asset.
Although the immediate requirement relates to the Southwark scheme, Places reserves the right to utilise the contract across its wider development pipeline. Accordingly, the procurement process will seek to identify an operator with the capability and expertise to support the successful delivery of Southwark and, subject to performance and strategic alignment, potentially provide services for future PBSA developments from the inception stage onwards.
Please note - the value stated within this notice is indicative and includes anticipated expenditure associated with the Southwark PBSA site, together with potential future pipeline sites which this contract may be utilised for.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Mar 2041, 23:59 GMT.
- How the procedure runs: Places for London is seeking to appoint a Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) Operator for the Southwark Over-Station Development, through the use of a competitive multi-stage procurement process. The procurement will commence with Stage One: Pre-Qualification and Initial Tender (PIT). Following the evaluation of Stage One submissions, the three highest-scoring compliant bidders will be invited to participate in Stage Two: Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD). Upon completion of the dialogue stage, all bidders that have participated in dialogue will be invited to submit a final tender as part of Stage Three: Invitation to Submit Final Tender (ISFT). Following the evaluation of final tenders, a preferred bidder will be selected, and the contract will be finalised prior to award. In line with the Procurement Act, Places for London reserve the right to refine award criteria following the commencement of the procurement process.
CPV: Real estate agency services on a fee or contract basis
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£162,310,000
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 sub-criteria (2)
- Technical Component: 70%
- Financial Component: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical Component: Evaluation criteria as stated in the procurement documents.
- Financial Component: Evaluation criteria as stated in the procurement documents.
No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £32,435,341 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How Places for London Limited buys Real estate agency services on a fee or contract basis (CPV 7030), and who usually turns up
Places for London Limited’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: Real estate agency services on a fee or contract basis (CPV 7030) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
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.
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.
i
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 76 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.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
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 bid0%
2–320%
4–640%
7+40%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
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 estimate60%
Within ±2%40%
Above estimate0%
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 #1CPV 7030Published estimate£162m
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 bid7%
2–329%
4–657%
7+6%
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.
Based on 1 comparable award. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£154m–£162m
Estimate£162m
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.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDW TradingWorked for this buyer | Ruislip Depot Development Opportunityruns to Jun 2066 | — | £250m | Similar wording and category |
| Helical PLCWorked for this buyer | Commercial Office Investment Portfolio Joint Venturenotice published Aug 2023 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
| Ballymore LimitedWorked for this buyer | Limmo Opportunitynotice published Jul 2025 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
BDW TradingLarge | £15m5 awards in 36m · last 5 months ago | 1 live · £250m 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 |
Knight Frank LLPLarge | £4.1m19 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago | 5 live · £2.2m 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. | 20% below n=2 |
| £11m3 awards in 36m · last this month | 4 live 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. | 5% above n=2 | |
| £412k1 award in 36m · last 2 months ago | 1 live · £412k 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 | |
| £500k2 awards in 36m · last 7 months ago | 1 live · £480k 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 |
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- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 Mar 2041
- First published
- 17 Sept 2026, 16:04 BST
- Last source update
- 22 Oct 2026, 08:10 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 29 Jul 2027
- Authority reference
Places_00228- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-099738- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0774beFind a Tender
- How it runs
Places for London is seeking to appoint a Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) Operator for the Southwark Over-Station Development, through the use of a competitive multi-stage procurement process.
The procurement will commence with Stage One: Pre-Qualification and Initial Tender (PIT). Following the evaluation of Stage One submissions, the three highest-scoring compliant bidders will be invited to participate in Stage Two: Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD).
Upon completion of the dialogue stage, all bidders that have participated in dialogue will be invited to submit a final tender as part of Stage Three: Invitation to Submit Final Tender (ISFT). Following the evaluation of final tenders, a preferred bidder will be selected, and the contract will be finalised prior to award.
In line with the Procurement Act, Places for London reserve the right to refine award criteria following the commencement of the procurement process.
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via SAP Ariba- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 2 Dec 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- —
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
TfL's e-tendering platform - SAP Ariba will be used conduct this tendering process. To be able to participate in the tender, suppliers must be registered on TfL's SAP Ariba system.
Please complete the following steps:
- Register interest for the tender by contacting the project mailbox: southwarkpbsaoperatortender@tfl.gov.uk
- Then register by completing the Supplier self-registration request form here:
s1-eu.ariba.com/Sourcing/Main/ad/sel… ↗
- Upon competition of the registration, interested suppliers must inform the project mailbox (of their successful registration) to southwarkpbsaoperatortender@tfl.gov.uk to ensure that your Organisation is added to the Sourcing Event on TfL's SAP Ariba system.
Please note, even if your Organisation is already registered on TfL 's SAP Ariba system you must inform the project mailbox southwarkpbsaoperatortender@tfl.gov.uk so that your Organisation can be added to the Sourcing Event.
For help on using TfL's SAP Ariba System, please e mail :
Timeline
17 Sept 2026 → 16 Aug 2027 · 6 dates- Planning notice published39 days ago17 Sept 2026, 16:04 BST
- Market engagement21 days ago5 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
Places for London invites interested suppliers to attend a supplier briefing event in relation to this opportunity. The briefing will provide an overview of the requirement, the proposed procurement process, and an opportunity for suppliers to ask questions. The event is currently expected to take place virtually on Tuesday 6th October via Microsoft Teams.
Suppliers wishing to attend the briefing session should register their interest by emailing SouthwarkPBSAOperatorTender@tfl.gov.uk.
Upon receipt of your expression of interest, further details of the event, including the Microsoft Teams joining link, will be provided.
When registering, please use the subject line:
Places_00228 Southwark PBSA Opportunity
Places intends to publish a future tender exercise in relation to this proposed sourcing activity using its procurement portal - SAP Ariba.
Interested parties will need to be registered on this system if they wish to participate in a future tendering activity at the below link:
s1-eu.ariba.com/Sourcing/Main/ad/sel… ↗
In the event of issues or difficulty with the registration please contact the SAP Ariba Supplier Registration Help Page:
help.sap.com/docs/sap-business-ne… ↗
If you have any queries regarding your registration, please contact:
Ariba_Supplier_Enablement@tfl.gov.uk
This exercise does not form part of any formal procurement process and is not a call for tender or a pre-qualification exercise. The information within this notice has been prepared solely for supplier engagement purposes and may not reflect the information ultimately presented in any future procurement process.
Direct or indirect canvassing of the Mayor, members of the Greater London Authority, or employees, directors, board members, agents and advisers of TfL and its subsidiaries concerning this market engagement exercise or any related procurement process, or any attempt to procure information from any of the foregoing, may result in the disqualification of the person and/or organisation from consideration during the market engagement exercise or any associated procurement.
- Tender notice published4 days ago22 Oct 2026, 08:10 BST
- Today27 Oct 2026
- Submission deadlinein 36 days2 Dec 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 275 days29 Jul 2027, 23:59 BST
- Contract startsin 292 days16 Aug 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
5 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 17 Sept 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published17 Sept 2026, 16:04 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published22 Oct 2026, 08:10 BSTUK4
- Status changed to active22 Oct 2026, 08:10 BST
- Procurement method changed22 Oct 2026, 08:10 BST
- Deadline published: 2 Dec 2026, 14:00 GMT22 Oct 2026, 08:10 BST
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
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender