Research consultancy services: UK Tenders, Buyers & Competition

CPV 73210000Services · classin Research & Development (R&D)

Codes and neighbouring classes

The 8-digit CPV codes notices in this class actually use, and the other classes of the same division

Who buys

All notices carrying this code · official UK_CA_TYPE where published (NHS bodies are central government authorities), else derived from the authority name

Buyer type
  • Central government 36% (175 notices)
  • Local authorities 19% (92 notices)
  • Other public bodies 17% (83 notices)
  • Education & universities 3% (17 notices)
  • Charities 1% (7 notices)
  • Not classified 23% (112 notices)
Contracting authorityTypeNoticesLast 12 monthsOpen now
Historic EnglandCentral government23174
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authoritynot classified2100
Defra Network eTendering Portalnot classified1800
Scottish Governmentnot classified1621
ARMED FORCES COVENANT FUND TRUSTEE LIMITEDCentral government1230
National Highways LimitedCentral government1220
Department for Energy Security & Net ZeroCentral government1131
Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh GovernmentCentral government1001
British CouncilLocal authorities1060
Nuclear Waste Services LimitedOther public bodies910

238 distinct authorities in total · the ten most active shown.

Where the work is delivered

Delivery regions (ITL1) published on 244 of 496 notices · a notice covering several regions counts in each · competition columns: contracts awarded in the last 36 months, lots delivered in the region

RegionNoticesBids / lotSME winsLocal wins
Scotland46 · 19%
South East England41 · 17%
Wales (Cymru)38 · 16%
Northern Ireland34 · 14%
West Midlands27 · 11%
Yorkshire and the Humber26 · 11%
South West England24 · 10%
Greater London24 · 10%
North East England21 · 9%
North West England20 · 8%
East Midlands15 · 6%
East of England15 · 6%

Local wins = the winner’s registered region is the delivery region. Dashes: fewer than ten observations.

How it is bought

Commercial tool, procedure route and threshold as published on the notice, not a legal-regime claim

Commercial tool
  • Contract 79% (394 notices)
  • Framework 19% (93 notices)
  • Dynamic purchasing system 2% (9 notices)
Procedure route
  • Open 68% (335 notices)
  • Route not published 20% (97 notices)
  • Selective 8% (40 notices)
  • Limited / restricted 5% (24 notices)
Threshold
  • Above threshold 29% (50 notices)
  • Below threshold 71% (120 notices)
Typical tender window29 daysrobust · n=144median, notice to deadline

Competition

Contracts published in the last 36 months (252) · bid counts per lot from award notices · values are net contract awards, framework and DPS ceilings excluded · SME and local status as declared

Bids per lot · n=88
  • 1 bid 14% (12)
  • 2–3 27% (24)
  • 4–6 34% (30)
  • 7 or more 25% (22)
Contract value, net
p25 £50,700median £144,763p75 £438,901
interquartile range of 147 awards · p90 £2,305,318
Typical bids per lot4robust · n=85middle half 2–6
Competed94%robust · n=252open or selective route, no direct-award transparency notice
Bids from SMEs62%robust · n=362of bids on lots publishing an SME split
Awards won by SMEs58%robust · n=132single-supplier awards with a declared scale
Won locally39%robust · n=67winner registered in the delivery region
Winning award vs estimate3% below the estimaterobust · n=8948 below · 2 above
Abandoned0%robust · n=252cancelled, unsuccessful or terminated without an award
Frameworks & DPS: bidders per lot16robust · n=2259 vehicle procedures · admission to a panel, not a contest

Who wins

Ranked by distinct procedures won on notices carrying this code, then award records · 377 awards to 262 suppliers · the five most frequent winners hold 9% of contract awards in the last 36 months

Where to submit

E-sourcing portals named in the submission address · 190 of 496 notices name one · each portal page explains registration

In-tend Electronic Procurement48 notices · 25% · 5 open
JAGGAER / BravoSolution32 notices · 17% · 3 open
EU-Supply Complete Tender Management25 notices · 13% · 1 open
Public Contracts Scotland (PCS)23 notices · 12% · 1 open
Delta eSourcing19 notices · 10%
Sell2Wales13 notices · 7% · 4 open
eTendersNI9 notices · 5%

Open tenders in research consultancy services

16 live at the nightly build · soonest deadline first

NoticeAuthorityDeadlineDays leftPublished value
Investment Zone Skills ProgrammeSouth East Wales Corporate Joint Committee28 Sept 20268d£4,120,000
Scottish Government Centres of Expertise x 4 Lots4 lotsScottish Government30 Sept 202610d£37,229,386
Wrexham Library and Information Service Feasibility Study (Proc-26-128)Wrexham County Borough Council7 Oct 202617d£70,000
PQ0705 - Behavioural Systems MappingBirmingham City Council8 Oct 202618d£45,000
DfT National Freight ModelDepartment for Transport9 Oct 202619d£1,950,000
ITT - Investigation into case studies of AVCLs installed in buildings of traditional construction - UID 333MHistoric England12 Oct 202622d£15,000
Strategic nature-based water quality improvement assessment - Lower Western Cleddau / Asesiad strategol gwella ansawdd dŵr yn seiliedig ar natur - Rhan Ifaf Cleddau WenPembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority12 Oct 202622d£38,000
Child Poverty Action Plan - Programme EvaluationNorth East Combined Authority12 Oct 202622d£220,000
CSP26751 - Delegates for International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programme4 lotsDepartment for Energy Security & Net Zero13 Oct 202623d£147,934
ITT - Taxation and reuse - UID 350Historic England15 Oct 202625d£29,167
ITT - Delivery of a Heritage Schools Programme in the South East of England - UID 359Historic England16 Oct 202626d£25,000
ITT - Delivery of a Heritage Schools Programme in the South West of England - UID 354Historic England16 Oct 202626d£25,000
Consultancy and Professional ServicesFramework10 lotsGovernment Commercial Agency9 Nov 202650d£5,000,000,000 ceiling
Natural Resources Dynamic Purchasing System (Applications 2023 to 2027)DPSLlywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government18 Oct 2027393d£20,000,000 ceiling
Management Consultancy Dynamic MarketDPS2 lotsUnited Utilities Water Limited4 Aug 20301413d
Dynamic Purchasing System for the provision of Specialist Professional ServicesDPS20 lotsLondon Borough of Waltham Forest15 May 20342794d£20,000,000 ceiling

Method

What the numbers on this page are and are not

Which notices count?

Every Find a Tender notice that carries a CPV code starting 7321. A notice with several codes counts in each sector it names. Earliest notice 2021; latest 18 Sept 2026.

Competition figures

From the 36-month lot-grain contest statistics: a lot counts where its own CPV codes (or, for single-class notices, the procedure’s) start 7321. Bids per lot come from the award notice’s bid statistics; “competed” means an open or selective route with no direct-award transparency notice; contract values are net, on single-supplier awards, with framework and DPS ceilings excluded. Frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems are reported separately because their “bids” are admissions to a panel.

Why no total value or month-by-month chart?

Sums of notice estimates repeat framework ceilings and mix net with gross. Monthly volumes per sector are not shown yet: the catalogue’s CPV coverage per notice changed in May 2026 (compiled records carry every lot’s codes), so a curve would show the catalogue, not the market.