Official UK procurement notice
Cancer Life Science · UK public procurement notice
Authority: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe project reference is C395670 and the closing date for submission of the completed Expression of Interest is open until 17:00pm, on Friday 6th February 2026.
Expression of interest request for Academic Partners
Midlands Life Science Hub
Partnership in Action. Innovation with Impact
CPV: Research and development services and related consultancy services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedPipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust buys Research and development services (CPV 73), and who usually turns up
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Research and development services (CPV 73) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means registered in East Midlands (authority’s region).
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered outside East Midlands.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 46 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid4%
2–326%
4–630%
7+39%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate63%
Within ±2%30%
Above estimate7%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1No real estimate
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 23 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid4%
2–326%
4–630%
7+39%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Below threshold
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 17 Dec 2025, 18:05 GMT
- Last source update
- 17 Dec 2025, 18:05 GMT
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-084071- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f860Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
17 Dec 2025 → 1 Apr 2026 · 4 dates- Planning notice published309 days ago17 Dec 2025, 18:05 GMT
- Tender notice expected204 days ago31 Mar 2026, 23:59 BST
- Market engagement204 days ago31 Mar 2026, 23:59 BST
The Midlands Life Science Hub has been commissioned by the Cancer Alliances to establish a partnership function, this has been a successful program, resulting in over 30 organisations expressing interest to work with the Hub and Cancer Alliances.
We are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to collaborate and partner with the Life Science Hub, hosted by University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) and Midlands Cancer Alliances in support of the Midlands cancer strategy and programme. Our initiative aims to accelerate progress towards earlier cancer performance targets across the Midlands, while establishing a robust framework to support the scaling and adoption of innovative solutions within the NHS now and the future.
The Midlands Cancer Alliances cover the East and West Midlands, for around 11million people and 23 NHS Trusts, 5 ICB clusters. The Cancer Alliances role is to enable improvement in access to integrated cancer care services, through developing clinically led innovation, performance improvement programs, across the Region with a strong focus on transfer of best practice and peer support.
As part of this programme, the Life Science Hub in collaboration with the Midlands Cancer Alliances is inviting organisations to engage as Academic Partners (AP), contributing specialist research capability to defined improvement opportunities across cancer pathways. We believe that by harnessing a diverse range of expertise, we can drive meaningful transformation in cancer care and outcomes.
Key points include:
- Driving Early Diagnosis & Screening Innovations
- Improving Diagnostic Pathways via Evidence-Based Design
- Embedding Digital & AI Tools Safely
- Reducing Health Inequalities Through Data & Behavioural Science
- Building Workforce Capacity & New Skills
- Informing Alliance-Level Planning and Decision-Making
- Contributing specific expertise to targeted challenge areas across the Alliances.
- Working collaboratively with system partners to evaluate, refine, and implement solutions.
- Supporting a structured model designed to help proven innovations scale effectively within the NHS.
- No investment requirement, ensuring accessibility for all partners.
We recognise the importance of linking clinical and academic input from the outset, and we are keen to engage with clinicians, academics, and organisations with relevant expertise. Several universities already hold government-funded grants in the cancer space, and there is ongoing research beyond biopharma, including technology tools and business-focused support, which could broaden the scope of opportunity. Reducing the gap between scientific/clinical teams and the business side remains a priority for us.
The aim of this initiative is to maximise the potential from the NHS, Academia , Industry and wider third sectors into innovation and transformation programs to achieve the ambition for our patients and populations. The hub provides a place where clinical teams, leaders, academics, and innovators are able to come together to understand the challenges faced and identify solutions that can provide impact.
This is not a procurement exercise, but a collaboration of experts who will build evidence for future commercial decision making
A core element of this vision is the focus on adoption and spread at scale across the Midlands for proven interventions and care models.
Together, we drive innovation in cancer and other major disease areas - uniting the NHS and industry to turn bold ideas into real-world impact for patients and communities.
Our primary objective is to accelerate delivery of the NHS planning targets by working together, allowing us to treat more patients and expand diagnostic capacity to reach this aim
Anticipated Benefits to Academic Partners
The NHS seeks to benefit from this program by bringing fresh thinking to bear to challenges faced by our health systems partners and front-line clinical teams. This program aims to deliver added value beyond the existing transformations underway, and adding additional capacity, capabilities to realise impact for patients.
This program gives an opportunity for Academic partners to co-develop research and development projects in the key challenge areas presented by clinical teams, it provides a unique opportunity to coalesce knowledge creation and application alongside front line teams and industry partners working with the Hub.
Engagement opportunities
The Hub offers leadership calls for a 121 discussion and question /answer on this opportunity
Book a call request
outlook.office.com/book/agemCancerAllia… ↗
Webinar briefing
21st January 10-30 to 11-30 am - please use the link below to register for this event
lifescience hub - academic partner briefing
events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b76f4ade-ac9b-… ↗
Academic Partner response- expression of interest
A clear outline of the capabilities proposed and the benefits envisaged. Plus details of the resources that you would bring to alongside the NHS and Industry partners in this program
Response is open at all times up until 17:00pm on the 6th February 2026 when this Expression of Interest closes
Partners are invited to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) proforma using the link below
forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx ↗
Expression of Interest for an Academic Partner : Cancer in the Midlands, Life Science Hub – Fill in form
Matching criteria will be used to assess any expression of interest will add value. This process however seeks to be inclusive and where possible match capabilities to the right need, rather than excluding a valuable contribution.
sway.cloud.microsoft/BvEoNHSrbHfMhs3r ↗
Matching Criteria - Supporting Information
An interested party that achieves 40% or more will be invited to the next stage of this process.
Clarification log
Please attend the briefing event to gain further information, we would be happy to set up a call and hold individual meeting to discuss further please feel free to request/book a call. Any partner with specific questions or queries can do this on by using clarification form link
forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx ↗
Contract Value
Total Value (Estimated)
£1.00 excluding VAT
£1.20 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
- Contract starts204 days ago1 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Preliminary market engagement notice published17 Dec 2025, 18:05 GMTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender