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- MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER FOR ADVERTISING ON THE TFL WEBSITE AND TFL GO APP
MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER FOR ADVERTISING ON THE TFL WEBSITE AND TFL GO APP
AI Summary
Transport for London (TfL) seeks a managed service provider to take full responsibility for the online advertising concession on its two primary digital platforms, the TfL website (tfl.gov.uk) and the TfL Go mobile application. These platforms are central to TfL’s digital engagement strategy, serving millions of Londoners and visitors with real‑time travel information, journey planning tools and account services. The provider will be expected to oversee all aspects of the advertising lifecycle, from programmatic operations through to direct sales, and to identify new revenue‑generation opportunities that align with TfL’s user‑experience and brand‑safety standards.
The appointed partner will manage programmatic campaigns using Google Ad Manager 360, which currently powers most of the web inventory, and will be responsible for expanding the monetised inventory to cover additional sections and device types, including the 76 % mobile‑first usage of the site. For the TfL Go app, the provider will integrate the Google Ad Manager SDK to enable programmatic displays and will explore a range of format opportunities such as banner, splash, native and contextual ads, as well as geo‑targeted notifications and first‑party data monetisation under GDPR. Balancing commercial performance against user satisfaction, brand safety, and full compliance with TfL’s advertising policy and regulatory obligations will be a core requirement.
Both platforms currently offer a combination of high‑impact formats—skies, billboards, leaderboards, mobile banners, MPUs and a singular venue‑tenancy model in the app—and the contractor will be expected to optimise the mix and delivery of these inventory types, ensuring adherence to TfL’s advertising policy, GDPR and brand‑safety standards.
Description
The appointed partner will be responsible for managing and optimising digital advertising operations, including programmatic advertising via platforms such as Google Ad Manager 360, delivering high-quality direct sales, and identifying new monetisation opportunities. The service must balance commercial performance with user experience, brand safety, and full compliance with TfL's advertising policy and regulatory obligations.
Scope of the Opportunity
TfL is seeking a partner to provide a fully managed service for advertising on both the TfL website and TfL Go app:
TfL Website (tfl.gov.uk)
Based on the monthly averages from October 2024 to September 2025, the TfL website has delivered:
~6.6 million unique users
~15.5 million visits
~62.7 million page views
~41.4 million ad impressions
Additional performance insights:
Approximately 60% of pages are currently monetised, with scope to expand
Device breakdown: 76% mobile, 22% desktop, 2% tablet
Advertising formats include skins, billboards, leaderboards, mobile banners, and MPUs
Ad operations run via Google Ad Manager 360
Revenue model: Predominantly programmatic, with direct sales contributing an average of 24% of total revenue over the 12-month period from October 2024 to September 2025
Future enhancements under consideration include high-impact programmatic formats, as well as section-based and geo-specific sponsorships
TfL Go Mobile App
~1.4 million monthly unique users (as of Sep 2025)
~11.2 million monthly visits (average Oct 2024-Sep 2025)
~57 million monthly page views (average Oct 2024-Sep 2025), rising to ~77 million in recent months (Jul-Sep 2025)
Currently features Promoted Places, a venue tenancy model - the app's sole advertising format to date
Commercial opportunities include banner ads, splash ads, native formats, contextual advertising, geo-targeted notifications, and first-party data monetisation (subject to GDPR compliance)
Google Ad Manager SDK integration is required to enable programmatic display advertising
Contract location: UKC
Engagement process description
Interested parties are asked to express their interest in taking part in this Early Market Engagement Exercise.
This exercise will include the completion of a short Market Sounding Questionnaire (MSQ).
Suppliers should confirm their interest in participating in this exercise by providing the following details via e-mail to
Phil.roddy@tube.tfl.gov.uk
Organisation name
Main contact name and job title
e-mail address
MSQ's will be issued to interested parties with completion and return required by 17.00 hours GMT on 26th November 2025.
The MSQ responses will help TfL assess market appetite, refine its approach, and ensure the future concession is commercially viable, technically robust, and strategically aligned.
Lot: 1
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: En