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Education Recruitment Advertising and Resourcing Services

“Education Recruitment Advertising and Resourcing Services” is an open UK public-sector tender from Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS) in UKJ11. Bids are due by 19 February 2027 at 12:00. The estimated value is £80,000,000. It was published on Find a Tender on 22 October 2026.

By Denise Daví, Founder of DAVIA · Published · Updated

This page is compiled automatically from the official notice and checked against DAVIA's verification rules (open, verified, not a duplicate). The template and rules are maintained by Denise Daví; individual notices are not edited by hand.

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Buyer
Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS)
Location
UKJ11
Submission deadline
19 February 2027 at 12:00
Estimated value
£80,000,000
Published
22 October 2026
Procedure
Competitive flexible procedure
Sector
Marketing & PR, Creative & design
Category codes
79340000, 79000000, 79300000, 79341000, 79341100, 79341200, 79341400, 79341500, 79342000, 79342100, 79342200, 79342300, 79342310, 79342311, 79342320, 79342400, 79342410, 79600000, 79800000, 79810000, 79811000, 79820000, 79821000, 79821100, 79822500, 79900000
Official notice ID
100165-2026
Last updated at source
22 October 2026 at 16:34

Summary from the buyer

For the supply of Education Recruitment Advertising, Marketing, Attraction and Student Recruitment Services

View the official notice ↗

Before you decide to bid

For a UK creative, digital or marketing agency, the tender “Education Recruitment Advertising and Resourcing Services” from Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS) is only worth pursuing if three conditions hold. First, the agency must be able to submit a complete response before 19 February 2027 at 12:00; late bids are normally rejected without being read. Second, the published value of £80,000,000 has to cover the work described, including the unpaid hours it takes to write and check a public-sector bid. Third, the agency should already hold the evidence buyers usually ask for: recent case studies of similar work, insurance certificates and, for many contracts, a social value commitment. Under the Procurement Act 2023, buyers publish their award criteria in the tender documents, so read those criteria on Find a Tender before writing anything. If one of the three conditions fails, skipping this tender is usually the better use of the agency's time.

Timeline to the deadline

There are about 105 days left, which is enough for a considered response. Use the first week to read the full pack and send clarification questions before the buyer's clarification deadline, then draft, gather evidence and price, and keep the final three days for review and an early submission.

What the value tells you

The estimated value of about £80,000,000 is large for most agencies. Check whether it is split into lots, whether the buyer sets a minimum turnover (often around twice the annual contract value), and whether a consortium or subcontracting arrangement would make the bid credible.

How this procedure works

This procedure can run in stages. A first stage usually checks suitability (experience, finances, insurance) before only shortlisted suppliers are invited to submit a full response, so the first-stage answers decide whether you get to bid at all.

The notice is classified under the category codes 79340000, 79000000, 79300000, 79341000, 79341100. These CPV codes are how Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS) tells search tools what it is buying. Save them as alert terms: buyers often reuse the same codes for the next contract of the same kind.

Checklist before you start writing

  • Download every document from Find a Tender: specification, questionnaire, pricing schedule, terms and conditions.
  • Note the clarification deadline, which is usually several days before the submission deadline.
  • List the mandatory pass/fail items (insurance levels, accreditations, minimum turnover) and confirm you meet each one.
  • Find the weighting of each question and spend your time in proportion to it.
  • Pick two or three case studies that match the scope, with results you can show.
  • Check that your organisation is registered on the Central Digital Platform if the notice was published under the Procurement Act 2023.
  • Plan to submit at least a day early: portals can be slow close to the deadline, and late bids are normally excluded.

Sources

Always check the official notice for the full requirements and latest changes before bidding.

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