AwardedAwarded 14 September 2026

Printed Book Production/CFP/PRO/2026

In brief

The Open University awarded printing work to Hobbs the Printers Limited and Sterling Press Limited on 14 September 2026.

It is a framework worth up to £6,500,000 including VAT: the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers, not one contract.

The contract runs for 2 years, up to 4 years with extensions, starting 5 October 2026.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

What the notice says

The Open University intends to award a closed framework for the supply of printed book production (to include paper supply, printing, finishing and binding) of educational materials for delivery into the The Open University's warehouse. The framework will support the production of printed learning materials for The Open University's students, with annual production volumes across a range of publication formats. The framework will be awarded for an initial period of two (2) years, with the option to extend by up to two further twelve (12) month periods, to a maximum duration of four (4) years.

Who won

Winner	Value	Dates
Hobbs the Printers Limited (SME) Sterling Press Limited (SME) 6 bids received	£6,500,000	Awarded 14 September 2026

Values as the award notice gives them, excluding VAT where stated.

Timeline

28 January 2026Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 007760-2026
10 March 2026Tender notice · UK4, notice 021564-2026
14 September 2026Contract award notice · UK6, notice 087028-2026

About the buyer

The Open UniversityLast 12 months

Procurements

Awards

Suppliers it has used most for printing

Hobbs the Printers Limited1 contract
Sterling Press Limited1 contract

All tenders and awards from The Open University

From notice 007760-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 28 January 2026, last updated 14 September 2026. We last checked for changes on 27 September 2026.