Official UK procurement notice
Sponsorship Agency Services Framework Agreement
Authority: Transport for Greater Manchester (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis procurement exercise relates to the establishment of a Framework, to cover Sponsorship Agency Services.
CPV: Advertising and marketing services · Market research services · Marketing management consultancy services · Public relations services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Places
- up to 6 suppliers · 5 bids received (0.8 per place) · 5 appointed
- Framework period
- 3 yrs · up to 4 yrs from 1 Sept 2025
Published description of the framework
This Sponsorship Agency Services Framework will run for an initial term of 3 years, with the option for a further 1 year extension thereafter.
Capped pricing will be required through tender submissions to establish 'Framework pricing', which will remain fixed for the initial 3 year term and will be subject to review for any extension options, in accordance with the guidance set out in the tender information. Pricing is based on a Total Rate Card Price and the Maximum percentage commission rate that can be charged at any time.
Please note that all awards under this Framework will be subject to requirements and will be sourced through either a direct award or further competition, pursuant to the guidance set out in the Invitation to Tender documentation. Call-off Contracts awarded following a further competition will be subject to the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) evaluation criteria.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£800,000
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 Assessment: 70%
- Price: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical Assessment: Technical (Quality) assessment includes a 5% weighting attributed to Social Value.
- Price
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “Sponsorship Agency Services Framework Agreement” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 6 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 12 Mar 2025, 14:18 GMT
- Last source update
- 18 Mar 2026, 08:02 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 20 Aug 2025
- Authority reference
DN767153- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-035716- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04ec2fFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 4 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 21 Jul 2025, 16:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
This Tender will be conducted via the ProContract procurement portal. Suppliers can register for free using the following link: procontract.due-north.com/Register ↗.
Upon registration, the tender information (including tender documentation and submission instructions) can be found using the following project reference: DN767153.
Tender responses are required by no later than 4pm on Monday 4th August 2025, via the ProContract portal.
Timeline
12 Mar 2025 → 27 Mar 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published12 Mar 2025, 14:18 GMT
- Market engagement31 Mar 2025, 23:59 BST
Through this procurement process, TfGM is engaging with potential suppliers to participate in a preliminary market engagement exercise, to provide TfGM with an understanding of the current sponsorship marketplace, the optimum ways of working with agencies to maximise income and provide examples of the tools and skills agencies have, to support TfGM's in-house team.
This market engagement exercise will be conducted via the ProContract procurement portal. Suppliers can register for free using the following link: procontract.due-north.com/Register ↗.
Upon registration, the market engagement information (including an RFI and details on how to submit responses) can be found using the following project reference: DN767153.
Market engagement responses are required by no later than 4pm on Monday 31st March 2025, via the ProContract portal.
- Next notice expected21 Apr 2025, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published27 Jun 2025, 11:56 BST
- Clarification questions by21 Jul 2025, 16:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown4 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST
- Award decision expected by20 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts1 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent224 days ago17 Mar 2026
- Latest notice published223 days ago18 Mar 2026, 08:02 GMT
- Standstill ends213 days ago27 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
Notice history
8 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Mar 2025- Planned procurement notice published12 Mar 2025, 14:18 GMTUK3
- Preliminary market engagement notice published12 Mar 2025, 14:34 GMTUK2
- Tender notice published27 Jun 2025, 11:56 BSTUK4
- Status changed to active27 Jun 2025, 11:56 BST
- Deadline moved to 4 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST27 Jun 2025, 11:56 BST+75 days · was 21 May 2025, 16:00 BST
- Contract award notice published18 Mar 2026, 08:02 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete18 Mar 2026, 08:02 GMT
- Contract signature expected28 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-03: 1 release · 12 Mar 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phar Partnerships LtdSME, Project50, Reg & Co LtdSME, THE ORCHARD MEDIA & EVENTS GROUP LIMITEDSME, The Superlative Group, Inc.29 Mar 2026 – 28 Mar 2029 · up to 28 Mar 2030Extensions: 1 year framework extension permitted. · Options: As a framework agreement, call-off contracts are permitted in line with the specification of the framework agreement. An optional extension to the framework term is permitted. | £800,000 | 16 Mar 2026standstill to 27 Mar 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5final-stage tenders | 3 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
5 commercial parties on the notice- PHAR PARTNERSHIPS LTDFramework contractor
- Project50Framework contractor
- REG & CO. LIMITEDFramework contractor
- THE ORCHARD MEDIA & EVENTS GROUP LIMITEDFramework contractor
- The Superlative Group, Inc.Framework contractor
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender