How public sector organisations procure group travel
- Last reviewed
- 6 min read
- For universities, schools, corporate groups, event organisers
The short answer
Public bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that buy group travel now do so under the Procurement Act 2023, which has applied since 24 February 2025. Whether a full competition is required depends mainly on the estimated contract value, including VAT, set against thresholds that were updated on 1 January 2026. Check with your procurement team first, because status as a contracting authority and your own standing orders decide the route.
Key takeaways
- The Procurement Act 2023 regime has applied to new procurements since 24 February 2025, and notices are published on the free Find a Tender service.
- From 1 January 2026 the services threshold is £135,018 for central government authorities and £207,720 for sub-central authorities, both including VAT.
- Below those thresholds, contracts worth £12,000 or more (central government) or £30,000 or more (sub-central) are 'notifiable below-threshold contracts' with their own publication duties.
- Public sector buyers can use a Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Service) travel agreement, RM6342, or run their own competition.
- A clear specification with fixed assumptions, such as minimum numbers and dates, is what makes group travel bids comparable.
Do public procurement rules apply to group travel?
If you work for a body that counts as a contracting authority, buying group travel is usually a procurement, because you are paying a supplier for services. GOV.UK's supplier guide says the new rules apply to central government departments, the NHS, local authorities, universities, schools, police and fire services and others. Whether your particular university, academy trust or college is a contracting authority is a legal question, so confirm it with your procurement or legal team rather than assuming.
The Procurement Act 2023 covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own procurement legislation, so Scottish bodies should use Scottish Government guidance. Private organisations, including most sports clubs and production companies, are outside these rules, although a publicly funded client may pass its requirements down the contract chain.
What are the thresholds and notices?
The Act sets value thresholds, and they include VAT. The figures below came into effect for procurements that commence on or after 1 January 2026, according to GOV.UK procurement policy note PPN 023.
| Measure | Value including VAT | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Goods and services threshold | £135,018 | Central government authorities |
| Goods and services threshold | £207,720 | Sub-central authorities, such as local authorities |
| Notifiable below-threshold contract | £12,000 and above | Central government, including NHS bodies |
| Notifiable below-threshold contract | £30,000 and above | Sub-central authorities |
Because the figures include VAT, work out the value of the whole requirement, including VAT you cannot recover, before deciding the route. Notices are published on Find a Tender, the central digital platform, which is free to use. Many buyers publish through third-party eSender software instead, and each notice carries the buyer's public procurement organisation number. For how VAT is treated on travel supplied by a tour operator, see the Tour Operators' Margin Scheme explained.
Which routes can you use to buy?
- Framework or agreement: the Government Commercial Agency publishes RM6342, Travel, Transport, Accommodation and Venue Solutions, for public sector use. It went live on 16 October 2024 with a three-year term and an option to extend by one year. Its lots cover travel booking, venue finding and accommodation for approved programmes. Check that its scope fits group trips and that your organisation can call off from it.
- Your own competition: the Act introduced a 'competitive flexible procedure', which lets you design the stages and allows negotiation, within the limits of the Act. Above threshold, you also publish a tender notice.
- Quotes below threshold: for lower-value contracts, internal standing orders usually set how many quotes you need. Notifiable below-threshold contracts still carry notice duties.
- Direct award: allowed only in the limited circumstances the Act sets out. Do not treat a supplier you already know as a reason to skip competition without advice.
How should you write a group travel specification?
Bids from different companies are only comparable if they answer the same question. State your assumptions rather than leaving suppliers to invent them.
- Describe the trip or programme: purpose, dates or date window, origin and destinations.
- Fix the numbers: the minimum and maximum travellers, and how staff places are counted.
- List what must be priced: flights or rail, accommodation, transfers, activities, insurance arrangements, and any support during the trip.
- Set the commercial rules: payment schedule, cancellation terms you will accept, treatment of exchange rates and any price review.
- Add safeguarding, risk assessment, data protection and emergency-support requirements, tied to your own policies.
- Publish the award criteria and weightings, for example price and quality, before bids come in.
Our guide to how to compare group travel quotes shows how to set out a like-for-like price sheet, and group travel contract terms lists clauses worth fixing in advance.
What do suppliers need to provide?
Suppliers register once on Find a Tender and reuse their details across bids. GOV.UK says registration asks for items such as a Companies House number, postal address, recent accounts and details of connected persons. For notifiable below-threshold contracts awarded from 1 April 2026, authorities must obtain a supplier's unique identifier and publish it in the contract details notice. Build time into your timeline for supplier registration, clarification questions and evaluation, and see the group travel budget guide for what a complete cost list should cover.
How Roamly can help
Roamly's consulting service can help you turn a trip into a clear written requirement, with assumptions, deadlines and a pricing template, that you can use in your own process. Our free group travel calculator and trip timeline builder help you estimate value and plan procurement lead times. To discuss a specific requirement, contact us.
Sources
- GOV.UK: The Procurement Act 2023, a short guide for suppliers
- GOV.UK: PPN 023, 2026 threshold amounts
- GOV.UK: New legislative requirements under the Procurement Act 2023
- GOV.UK: Contracting authorities, an overview of the Central Digital Platform
- Government Commercial Agency: Travel, Transport, Accommodation and Venue Solutions (RM6342)
General guidance only, checked against the sources above on 30 October 2026. Entry rules, airline policies and official advice change, so confirm the current position with the linked source before you travel.