University College Dublin (UCD) Media Strategy, Planning and Buying Services

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

University College Dublin (UCD) requires professional Media Strategy, Planning, and Buying Services to support its marketing and communications objectives. The selected tenderer will provide strategic, evidence-based media planning, buying, campaign management, optimisation, measurement, and reporting across traditional, digital, mobile, social media, and emerging communication channels.

The contractor will collaborate with UCD's Central Marketing Team, appointed creative agencies, technology providers, and media owners. Key activities include:

• Strategic Media Recommendations: Developing evidence-based recommendations to support campaign objectives.
• Integrated Media Strategies and Plans: Creating plans across traditional, digital, mobile, social media, and emerging channels.
• Audience Analysis: Identifying, segmenting, and analysing target audiences for media planning.
• Channel Strategy and Investment: Developing channel strategies and recommending media investments to maximise effectiveness and value.
• Media Planning, Negotiation, and Buying: Planning, negotiating, buying, and managing media across all paid channels.
• Market Intelligence: Providing audience insight, market intelligence, and media consumption analysis.
• Campaign Execution: Developing media schedules, targeting strategies, and budget allocations.
• Campaign Management and Optimisation: Monitoring, optimising, and managing live campaigns against objectives and KPIs.
• Reporting: Providing timely, accurate, and comprehensive reports on campaign delivery, performance, optimisation, and budget expenditure.
• Financial Control: Implementing robust financial management, budget control, and reconciliation processes.
• Compliance: Ensuring all media activity adheres to legislation, advertising standards, platform policies, data protection, and UCD's brand guidelines.
• Service Level Reviews: Facilitating at least half-yearly reviews with UCD's marketing team.
• AI and Search Strategy: Demonstrating an approach to developing AI and emerging search strategies, including LLMs and AI-powered search platforms.
• Creative Asset Timelines: Providing indicative creative asset delivery timelines for proposed media channels.

The scope excludes creative concept development, creative production, copywriting, branding services, and website design/development, except for limited creative adaptation for media placement. The contractor must nominate a dedicated Account Director and Account Manager.

3. Background & buyer context

University College Dublin (UCD), established in 1854, is a leading research-intensive university ranked within the top 1% globally. It serves over 38,000 students from 152 countries, with over 5,000 based outside Ireland. UCD's strategic plan for 2025-2030 outlines its future direction. The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted higher education norms, with increasing understanding of alternative entry routes alongside traditional degrees.

UCD has recently developed new brand guidelines, which are being applied to internal and 'below the line' communications. This procurement aims to implement these new guidelines "above the line" through a media strategy, planning, and buying framework. The marketing function operates with a Central account team and a Smurfit School account team, each with distinct media spend profiles. This framework seeks to leverage efficiencies and maximise cost savings over a four-year period.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered:

• Turnover requirement: A minimum average annual turnover of €250,000 in any one of the three previous financial years.
• Insurance:
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million
• Professional Indemnity: €1 million
• Cyber Security: €1 million
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel:
• Dedicated Account Director
• Dedicated Account Manager
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), determined by a combination of quality and price. The specific weighting and scoring mechanism are detailed in Section 6 of the tender documents.

The lowest cost tender that meets all minimum qualitative award criteria will receive the maximum score for the price criterion.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit the following:

• Pricing Schedule: Completed Appendix 2, including a single minimum guaranteed discount for each media category and a Blended Hourly Rate (BHR) fixed for the framework duration.
• Form of Tender: Completed and signed Appendix 3.
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD): Completed Appendix 4.
• Award Criteria Responses: All information required under each Award Criterion as detailed in Section 6 of the ITT.
• Other Information: Any other information deemed relevant by the tenderer.
• Declarations: ESPD, Bona Fides, Tax clearance, Conflict of Interest declarations are implicitly required through the ESPD and other sections.
• Submission Portal: Tenders must be submitted through the eTenders web portal at www.etenders.gov.ie. Electronic documents must not be corrupt.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: Initial contract for two years, with a maximum potential framework duration of four years.
• Extensions: The Contracting Authority may, at its discretion, award additional contracts under the framework, with durations potentially extending beyond the framework expiry.
• Payment: Monthly invoicing supported by detailed timesheets/volume usage records.
• SLAs/KPIs: A Service Level Agreement (SLA) with agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will be established to measure performance. KPIs will be agreed with the successful tenderer.
• Liquidated Damages: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to terminate the framework agreement in accordance with agreed contractual terms.
• IP Ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting: Not specified for this tender.
• Guarantees/Bonds: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Framework No Guarantee: The framework agreement does not guarantee a specific quantity of services will be procured. UCD reserves the right to operate outside the framework if it offers better value.
• Award to Runner-up: UCD can award the contract to the next highest-ranked tenderer if the initial successful tenderer cannot adequately deliver services.
• Confidentiality Strictness: High emphasis on confidentiality, with strict requirements for employees post-employment.
• No Clarification on Interpretation: UCD may not respond to queries seeking interpretation of the ITT document.
• Tender Validity: A 12-month tender validity period is required.
• Sustainability Championing: UCD intends to partner with companies that champion sustainability.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is open to economic operators of any size capable of providing media strategy, planning, and buying services. The turnover requirement of €250,000 suggests that small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with established track records in media services could be eligible. Consortium bidding or sub-contracting is not explicitly mentioned but is generally permissible under open procedures unless stated otherwise.

The bid preparation effort is likely moderate to high, requiring detailed responses to award criteria, a media plan based on a provided brief (Appendix 1), and a comprehensive pricing schedule. The "Pwin" signal is neutral; there is no explicit mention of an incumbent, and the open procedure suggests a competitive process. The key is demonstrating strategic capability, media planning expertise, and a clear understanding of UCD's objectives and target audiences.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: [ITT for Media Buying 26.08.26 Final.docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: UCDOPP5615
• Contact Email / Clarification Portal: [email protected] / www.etenders.gov.ie
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1 – Media Brief for the Purposes of Evaluation
• Appendix 2 – Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 4 – European Single Procurement Document