My request is about the agreement which covers Transport for London’s advertising, as reported by the Financial Times in 2016: ‘Exterion wins £2bn advertising contract for London Underground’, link. I would like to learn about the tender process for the agreement - how many companies applied, how long the process took, and who provided the final sign off on the agreement on TfL’s side. If you cannot or will not answer these questions I require an explanation as to why. If you cannot process this request because of the format please explain why. If the administrative cost of this request puts me outside the appropriate limit please let me know and I will readily revise the request. Equally, I require a response within 20 working days as per the legislation however I also require any delay(s) to be communicated clearly and in good time. I look forward to hearing from you.

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TfL Refs: FOI- 1255-2021 / 1256-2021 / 1257-2021 / 1258-2021

Thank you for your requests of 2^nd October 2020 asking for information about the London Underground advertising contract.

Your requests have been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.

Your questions are answered in turn below:

Case ref FOI-1255-2021

You wrote:

“My request is about the agreement which covers Transport for London’s advertising, as reported by the Financial Times in 2016: ‘Exterion wins £2bn advertising contract for London Underground’.

I would like to learn about the tender process for the agreement - how many companies applied, how long the process took, and who provided the final sign off on the agreement on TfL’s side.”

Answer: The tender process for the ‘Advertising Partnership Agreement’ started in 2015 and completed in 2016, taking a total of eleven months to complete. Four companies submitted a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). The Approval for the contract award was made by TfL’s Board.

Case ref FOI-1256-2021

You wrote:

“My request is about the agreement which covers Transport for London’s advertising, as reported by the Financial Times in 2016: ‘Exterion wins £2bn advertising contract for London Underground’.

I would like to know how TfL judges the ‘success’ of the deal - by what metrics are you measuring it delivering value for money?

Answer: The structure of the Advertising Partnership Agreement and the financial aspects are set-out within the TfL Board Paper dated 17 March 2016, titled ‘New Advertising Agreement’. A copy can be found online here:

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-160317-item17-advertising-p1.pdf

Case ref FOI-1257-2021

You wrote:

“My request is about the agreement which covers Transport for London’s advertising, as reported by the Financial Times in 2016: ‘Exterion wins £2bn advertising contract for London Underground’.

I would like to know how often the agreement is reviewed, internally and externally? What deliverables must Exterion and other parties follow through on to maintain their side of the agreement?”

Answer: The Advertising Partnership Agreement expires in March 2025. A summary of the contractual obligations for TfL and our Media Partner are contained within the TfL Board Paper referenced in the answer above.

Case ref FOI-1258-2021

You wrote:

“My request is about the agreement which covers Transport for London’s advertising, as reported by the Financial Times in 2016: ‘Exterion wins £2bn advertising contract for London Underground’.

I would like to see a copy of the full agreement - can I therefore request a full, unredacted copy?”

A redacted copy of the contract is attached. The redactions have been made under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, the exemption which protects against the release of information that would unfairly prejudice commercial interests. Material has been redacted where release would prejudice TfL’s commercial position in future negotiations. Section 43(2) is a “qualified exemption”, meaning we have to consider whether the greater public interest rests in applying the exemption and withholding the material, or in releasing it in any case. We appreciate that there may be some limited interest in the material (evidenced by your request), and the fact it has been requested under FOI is an argument in itself for release. However, TfL is a publicly funded body and it is imperative that in commercial negotiations we are able to secure the best value for the public purse. We believe that withholding the redacted material will allow us to do this. In this case, therefore, we believe that the greater public interest is served by applying the exemption.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely,

David Wells

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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