Pre Market Engagement: Exhibitions, Events, Promotions and Sampling

This PIN is for pre-market engagement and has been issued by Network Rail (NR) and SE Trains Ltd (both to mean the “Customer”).

The Customer is looking to deliver engaging and exciting customer focused exhibitions, events, promotions and sampling in Stations. This supports the aims of the NR “Putting Passengers First” programme by ensuring we are more responsive to the needs and experience of our passengers.

This opportunity will generate sustainable income from the estate for investment in our rail infrastructure. The Customer wishes to engage with Suppliers on this opportunity prior to going out to tender.

The Customer is looking for a Supplier who will be responsible for the full end-to-end service from sales and strategy to the operation and maintenance of all exhibition spaces and associated exhibition equipment.

The Customer will hold a Supplier Day in London on the 10th of June 2022 where Suppliers will learn more about this opportunity.

The core service will be provided within dedicated exhibition spaces within selected NR and Southeastern station buildings. The Customer also wishes to explore ways to maximise use of the NR station perimeters, such as the use of selected owned station car parks. An indicative list of the individual locations is included within the RFI document that accompanies this notice which is available on the opportunities section of the NR Bravo Platform located at: https://networkrail.bravosolution.co.uk (view current opportunities)

The Customer is seeking to understand the types of Suppliers that work in this market, their strategy for delivering a range of activities, how they would manage exhibition spaces in collaboration with other station events occurring, and how they would attract exciting non-profit or social value activations such as Art and Culture.

The Supplier is anticipated to be responsible for:

• Advertising, promoting and selling exhibitions spaces;
• Managing and maintaining a shared calendar to update station teams and working with station teams to plan internal events; and
• Managing all associated paperwork to ensure brands and agencies are onboarded correctly.

The purpose of this RFI is to engage with the supply base and request information relating to the existing solutions available in the market, specifically this RFI will look to address the following areas:

• Identify suitable suppliers available in the market;
• Identify the functionality and capabilities of the suppliers available in the market;
• Understand how the supplier will take our combined estate to market and the sales strategy they may use;
• Preferred contractual model (e.g concession agreement / management agreement / other);
• Identify any additional services or concepts that the Customer has not considered – this information may then be considered to support the Customer in developing its specification for the future tender;
• Understand how suppliers work in a safe and sustainable manner; and
• Understanding what commercial models currently used for this type of service and what does/doesn’t work well.

Please note that any content received in response to this RFI will be used purely for information purposes only and will not be deemed as forming part of any proposed bid now, or any potential future tender.

The Customer anticipates commencing a tender for this requirement in the near future. Any potential tender event in relation to this requirement will be issued via the Network Rail procurement platform Bravo.

Please note that should a formal competition ultimately be announced all participants will be provided with the same information irrespective of whether or not they have participated in the RFI. The Customer is committed to ensuring fairness, openness and transparency, and to following EU procurement regulations. The Periodic Indicative Notice (PIN) is issued solely for the purpose of conducting pre-procurement market engagement via a request for information and does not constitute any commitment to undertake any procurement in the future. Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to the PIN event and a response to this PIN does not guarantee any invitation to participate in this event or any future procurement.

This PIN does not constitute a call for competition to procure any services, supplies or works mentioned in this PIN and the Customer will not accept any proposals offered in response to this PIN. Additional information: The Customer is not liable for any costs, fees, or expenses incurred by any party in replying to or attending any PIN event. Any procurement of any services, supplies or works by the Customer will be carried out strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016.