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Travel Management, Meetings & Events Services

Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS) · Local or regional public body

In brief

Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS) has announced plans to buy travel and leisure and events work. This is an early notice: there is nothing to bid on yet, but it tells you a tender may follow.

It is a framework worth up to £800,000,000 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 3 April 2028.

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.

Can I win this?

Competition

Usually high: a median of 6 bids per contract for travel contracts across the UK (from 71 awards in the last 12 months).

Framework

Winning puts you on a list of suppliers the buyer can call on; it does not guarantee work. The £800,000,000 is the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers over the framework's life, not one contract.

What the notice says

The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise is to engage with the market to understand current supplier capability, market developments and potential approaches to the delivery of travel management services. SUPC is seeking to gather information to help inform the scope, lotting structure, commercial model and service requirements of the proposed framework, including the potential provision of business travel, student travel, meetings and events, and associated services. The proposed framework will provide higher and further education institutions and other public sector organisations with access to a range of travel management services. The final scope and lotting…Read the full description
The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise is to engage with the market to understand current supplier capability, market developments and potential approaches to the delivery of travel management services. SUPC is seeking to gather information to help inform the scope, lotting structure, commercial model and service requirements of the proposed framework, including the potential provision of business travel, student travel, meetings and events, and associated services. The proposed framework will provide higher and further education institutions and other public sector organisations with access to a range of travel management services. The final scope and lotting structure will be informed by member requirements, supplier engagement and wider market intelligence. Information gathered through this exercise will help SUPC to develop the procurement strategy and specification. The PME is not a tender and does not constitute a commitment by SUPC to proceed with any particular approach or award a contract. The resulting framework agreement would be available to all members of the regional consortia that comprise UKUPC (APUC, LUPC, NEUPC, NWUPC, SUPC, TEC and TUCO). Members span a range of public sector organisations and include higher education institutions, schools and colleges, government departments, local authorities, charitable organisations, housing associations, NHS trusts, and others.

How to bid

  1. Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
  2. Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
  3. Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.

Timeline

  1. Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 082440-2026

About the buyer

Similar open tenders

All open travel tenders
  1. Exam venues centres on the Isle of Man

    British CouncilLondonTravel and accommodation, Leisure, culture and events

    Open12 days leftSmall contractFramework

    £51kframework ceiling
  2. South Africa Conference

    London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondonTravel and accommodation, Leisure, culture and events

    Open26 days left2 lotsSuitable for SMEs

    £288kestimated

From notice 082440-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 1 September 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.