Official UK procurement notice
Expert Networks Long Term Provision
Authority: National Wealth Fund Limited (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Authority is seeking to procure Expert Network Services to provide on‑demand access to vetted and pre‑qualified subject‑matter experts across a broad range of industry sectors, to support informed decision‑making in relation to investment activity and wider financial, strategic, and operational matters.
The Services will primarily support the Authority’s Investment & Advisory function, comprising its Banking & Investment team and its Local Authority Advisory & Lending team. The Services may also be utilised by other functional teams across the Authority, including Portfolio Management, Risk, and Impact teams.
The Supplier will be required to provide access to a diverse network of subject‑matter experts, including (without limitation) founders, senior executives, high‑level officials, and academics. The Services will enable the Authority to engage directly with selected experts to obtain targeted insights on companies, assets, sectors, technologies, markets, and wider industry developments.
The Supplier shall facilitate project‑specific requests and provide shortlists of relevant experts aligned to defined project profiles. The Authority will select experts for direct one‑to‑one meetings, typically of up to 60 minutes’ duration, delivered via online meetings or, where appropriate and agreed, in‑person meetings. The Authority must have the option to withhold or anonymise its identity when engaging with experts.
Where meetings are conducted online, the Authority requires the option to record consultations and to generate audio recordings and written transcripts, using artificial intelligence and/or human transcription services. The Authority must be able to access, download, and retain such recordings and transcripts for internal use.
The Supplier must provide an intuitive and secure online platform to support delivery of the Services, enabling expert search, project request management, meeting facilitation, and access to recordings and transcripts.
Where suitable expertise is not available within the Supplier’s existing network, the Supplier must be capable of sourcing, vetting, onboarding, and contracting additional experts, including those nominated by the Authority, to equivalent standards of credibility, compliance, and relevance.
The Services are expected to cover a wide range of industry sectors, including but not limited to advanced materials, aerospace supply chains, artificial intelligence, battery manufacturing and electric vehicle supply chains, carbon capture, critical minerals, defence, energy infrastructure, hydrogen, life sciences, nuclear, offshore wind, place‑based regeneration, ports, power networks, semiconductors, solar, sustainable aviation fuels, transport infrastructure, and water. This list is non‑exhaustive and may evolve during the contract term.
Further detail is included in the procurement documents pack made available by NWF in respect of the tender notice.
It should be noted that the value of these contracts represents their maximum value, as opposed to committed spend.
- How the procedure runs: This procurement will be conducted using the competitive flexible procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. The Authority reserves the right to structure and conduct the procedure in accordance with the tender documentation and, at its discretion, may decide not to proceed to any subsequent stage or round of the tendering process. The procurement will comprise two stages, as described below. Stage 1: Invitation to Tender (“ITT”) At Stage 1, the Authority will issue an Invitation to Tender inviting Tenderers to submit a Tender comprising the following separate envelopes: • Qualification Envelope, including o Procurement-Specific Questionnaire (including information-only and pass/fail questions) o Confidential and Commercially Sensitive Information o Form of Tender o Certificate of Non-Collusion and Non-Canvassing • Technical Envelope, including: o Technical Questionnaire o Compliance Matrix • Commercial Envelope, including: o Pricing Schedule The Authority will evaluate all Tenders submitted in response to the ITT in accordance with the evaluation methodology and award criteria set out in the ITT documentation. In respect of the Qualification Envelope, Tenderers will be required to respond to a series of information-only questions and pass/fail questions. Tenderers must successfully pass all pass/fail questions in order for their Technical and Commercial Envelopes to be evaluated. The Technical and Commercial Envelopes will be evaluated to identify the most advantageous Tenders in accordance with the award criteria specified in the ITT. The Authority has appointed an evaluation panel comprising individuals with relevant subject-matter expertise. Not all evaluators will assess every question; however, the Authority will ensure that each question is evaluated by more than one evaluator, taking appropriate expertise into account, and that a consistent evaluation approach is applied across all Tender submissions. Following the initial evaluation, a moderation process will be undertaken on a question-by-question basis. This moderation will be chaired by an independent moderator and will involve evaluators reaching a consensus score for each Tenderer in respect of each question. No comparative assessment between Tenderers will be undertaken, and no average scores will be applied. Tenders must be submitted strictly in accordance with the procurement timetable and the instructions set out in the ITT and any supplementary information issued by the Authority. Following the deadline for submission of Tenders, the Authority will complete its Stage 1 evaluation and will identify the Tenderers to be invited to participate in Stage 2. The Authority intends to shortlist a maximum of four (4) Tenderers, being the highest-scoring Tenderers following Stage 1. All Tenderers will be notified in writing of the outcome of Stage 1. Tenderers who are not shortlisted will be provided with feedback in respect of their Stage 1 scores. Stage 2: Invitation to Participate in Negotiation / Dialogue and Best and Final Offer (“BAFO”) Stage 2 will commence with the issue of a formal written invitation to those Tenderers successfully shortlisted following Stage 1. Only shortlisted Tenderers (up to a maximum of four) will be invited to participate in Stage 2. Stage 2 will comprise a BAFO stage incorporating a negotiation and dialogue process in relation to pricing and contractual terms. During Stage 2, shortlisted Tenderers will be invited to review and, where appropriate, revise the pricing proposals submitted at Stage 1. This stage provides an opportunity for Tenderers to submit improved commercial offers, including more competitive pricing. Pricing submitted at Stage 2 may be maintained or reduced but must not be increased. The Authority will engage separately with each shortlisted Tenderer in a negotiation and dialogue process to finalise the contractual arrangements for the Services. This process will include agreement of the final terms and wording of the Letter of Appointment (“LoA”) and the Supplier Terms. The objective of this stage is to ensure clarity, mutual agreement, and contractual completeness prior to contract award. Where the Authority is unable to agree final contractual terms with a Tenderer, the Authority reserves the right to exclude that Tenderer from the procurement. Stage 2 will conclude with the Authority issuing written notification to all participating Tenderers confirming the outcome of the procurement. The Authority intends to enter into contracts with the two highest-scoring Tenderers following completion of Stage 2. The Authority intends that one contract will operate as a primary contract and the other as a secondary contract. In the first instance, requirements will be allocated to the Supplier appointed under the primary contract. Where the Authority determines that the primary Supplier is unable to fulfil a requirement — including, without limitation, due to conflicts of interest, lack of suitable expert availability, or inability to meet required timescales — the Authority may allocate the requirement to the Supplier appointed under the secondary contract. The secondary contract is intended to ensure continuity of service and the fulfilment of urgent or sensitive requirements that cannot be met by the primary Supplier. The Authority shall determine, at its sole discretion, when such circumstances apply. Where the financial value of the primary contract is exhausted, the Authority may utilise the secondary contract until such time as a new procurement is completed.
- No preliminary market engagement: Previous PIN was published under PCR15 regime: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/037382-2024
CPV: Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedPublished value£450,000
- Economic & financial standing
Please see the conditions of participation in Appendix H – Procurement Specific Questionnaire included within the Invitation To Tender document.
- Technical & professional ability
Please see the functional and non-functional requirements fully detailed in Appendix B - The Authority’s Detailed Requirement within the Invitation To Tender document.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- Technical: Weightings information is further detailed and attached as separate document as part of this Invitation To Tender at Attachment 1 - Assessment Process and Award Criteria. Technical quality covers Requirements Understanding & Proposed Solution, Expert Identification and Matching Process, Compliance and Risk Management, Technology Platform, Contract Terms, Social Value - Sustainable procurement practices
- Commercial: Weightings information is further detailed and attached as separate document as part of this Invitation To Tender at Attachment 1 - Assessment Process and Award Criteria.
- Economic & financial standing
Please see the conditions of participation in Appendix H – Procurement Specific Questionnaire included within the Invitation To Tender document.
- Technical & professional ability
Please see the functional and non-functional requirements fully detailed in Appendix B - The Authority’s Detailed Requirement within the Invitation To Tender document.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 24 Apr 2026, 10:40 BST
- Last source update
- 16 Sept 2026, 13:22 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 6 Jul 2026
- Authority reference
C1244- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-037438- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-068a6aFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
Payment terms will be in accordance with the published procurement documents
- How it runs
This procurement will be conducted using the competitive flexible procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. The Authority reserves the right to structure and conduct the procedure in accordance with the tender documentation and, at its discretion, may decide not to proceed to any subsequent stage or round of the tendering process.
The procurement will comprise two stages, as described below.
Stage 1: Invitation to Tender (“ITT”)
At Stage 1, the Authority will issue an Invitation to Tender inviting Tenderers to submit a Tender comprising the following separate envelopes:
- Qualification Envelope, including
o Procurement-Specific Questionnaire (including information-only and pass/fail questions)
o Confidential and Commercially Sensitive Information
o Form of Tender
o Certificate of Non-Collusion and Non-Canvassing
- Technical Envelope, including:
o Technical Questionnaire
o Compliance Matrix
- Commercial Envelope, including:
o Pricing Schedule
The Authority will evaluate all Tenders submitted in response to the ITT in accordance with the evaluation methodology and award criteria set out in the ITT documentation.
In respect of the Qualification Envelope, Tenderers will be required to respond to a series of information-only questions and pass/fail questions. Tenderers must successfully pass all pass/fail questions in order for their Technical and Commercial Envelopes to be evaluated.
The Technical and Commercial Envelopes will be evaluated to identify the most advantageous Tenders in accordance with the award criteria specified in the ITT.
The Authority has appointed an evaluation panel comprising individuals with relevant subject-matter expertise. Not all evaluators will assess every question; however, the Authority will ensure that each question is evaluated by more than one evaluator, taking appropriate expertise into account, and that a consistent evaluation approach is applied across all Tender submissions.
Following the initial evaluation, a moderation process will be undertaken on a question-by-question basis. This moderation will be chaired by an independent moderator and will involve evaluators reaching a consensus score for each Tenderer in respect of each question. No comparative assessment between Tenderers will be undertaken, and no average scores will be applied.
Tenders must be submitted strictly in accordance with the procurement timetable and the instructions set out in the ITT and any supplementary information issued by the Authority.
Following the deadline for submission of Tenders, the Authority will complete its Stage 1 evaluation and will identify the Tenderers to be invited to participate in Stage 2. The Authority intends to shortlist a maximum of four (4) Tenderers, being the highest-scoring Tenderers following Stage 1.
All Tenderers will be notified in writing of the outcome of Stage 1. Tenderers who are not shortlisted will be provided with feedback in respect of their Stage 1 scores.
Stage 2: Invitation to Participate in Negotiation / Dialogue and Best and Final Offer (“BAFO”)
Stage 2 will commence with the issue of a formal written invitation to those Tenderers successfully shortlisted following Stage 1. Only shortlisted Tenderers (up to a maximum of four) will be invited to participate in Stage 2.
Stage 2 will comprise a BAFO stage incorporating a negotiation and dialogue process in relation to pricing and contractual terms.
During Stage 2, shortlisted Tenderers will be invited to review and, where appropriate, revise the pricing proposals submitted at Stage 1. This stage provides an opportunity for Tenderers to submit improved commercial offers, including more competitive pricing. Pricing submitted at Stage 2 may be maintained or reduced but must not be increased.
The Authority will engage separately with each shortlisted Tenderer in a negotiation and dialogue process to finalise the contractual arrangements for the Services. This process will include agreement of the final terms and wording of the Letter of Appointment (“LoA”) and the Supplier Terms. The objective of this stage is to ensure clarity, mutual agreement, and contractual completeness prior to contract award. Where the Authority is unable to agree final contractual terms with a Tenderer, the Authority reserves the right to exclude that Tenderer from the procurement.
Stage 2 will conclude with the Authority issuing written notification to all participating Tenderers confirming the outcome of the procurement. The Authority intends to enter into contracts with the two highest-scoring Tenderers following completion of Stage 2.
The Authority intends that one contract will operate as a primary contract and the other as a secondary contract. In the first instance, requirements will be allocated to the Supplier appointed under the primary contract. Where the Authority determines that the primary Supplier is unable to fulfil a requirement — including, without limitation, due to conflicts of interest, lack of suitable expert availability, or inability to meet required timescales — the Authority may allocate the requirement to the Supplier appointed under the secondary contract. The secondary contract is intended to ensure continuity of service and the fulfilment of urgent or sensitive requirements that cannot be met by the primary Supplier. The Authority shall determine, at its sole discretion, when such circumstances apply. Where the financial value of the primary contract is exhausted, the Authority may utilise the secondary contract until such time as a new procurement is completed.
- Risks
Potential risks affecting contract performance could include: conflicts or interest, capacity, available pool of experts, IT failures, financial health
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 27 May 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 7 May 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
To gain access to the documentation and submit your proposal for this opportunity, please register on Atamis, available on the following link: atamis-3929.my.site.com/s/Welcome ↗ and send an email to [email protected] to be included and once the event is live, we will add you to the event to view the documentation. This will then be visible on the 'View our Live Opportunities' from the home page on Atamis.
If you are not already registered on the system, you will need to do so before gaining full access to the documentation and being able to submit your response.
The tender documents provided are as follows, with associated appendixes:-
- Invitation to Tender
- Appendix A - Procurement Terms And Conditions
- Appendix B - The Authority’s Detailed Requirement
- Appendix C: Letter of Appointment
- Appendix D: Glossary
- Appendix E: Form Of Tender
- Appendix F: Certificate Of Non-collusion And Non-canvassing
- Appendix G: Commercially Sensitive Information
- Appendix H: Procurement Specific Questionnaire
- Appendix I: Technical Questionnaire
- Appendix J: Compliance Matrix
- Appendix K: Pricing Schedule
Please note that, as part of your response to Appendix H: Procurement Specific Questionnaire, your organisation must be registered on the Central Digital Platform (CDP) and hold an active account containing complete, accurate, and up‑to‑date organisational information. You will be required to generate a Share Code for sharing with NWF and to download your supplier information file for onward submission to NWF. If you are unfamiliar with the CDP, please refer to the guidance here: www.gov.uk/government/publicati… ↗
Timeline
24 Apr 2026 → 16 Sept 2026 · 7 dates- Tender notice published183 days ago24 Apr 2026, 10:40 BST
- Clarification questions by170 days ago7 May 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline150 days ago27 May 2026, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by109 days ago6 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts86 days ago30 Jul 2026, 00:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent38 days ago16 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published38 days ago16 Sept 2026, 13:22 BST
Notice history
4 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 24 Apr 2026- Tender notice published24 Apr 2026, 10:40 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published16 Sept 2026, 13:22 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete16 Sept 2026, 13:22 BST
- Contract signature expected29 Sept 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guidepoint Global, LLCExpert Networks Long Term Provision - Primary Contract29 Sept 2026 – 28 Sept 2030 | £300,000 | 10 Sept 2026 | Awarded |
| Gerson Lehrman Group Inc.Expert Networks Long Term Provision - Secondary Contract29 Sept 2026 – 28 Sept 2030 | £150,000 | 10 Sept 2026 | Awarded |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- Gerson Lehrman Group Inc.Awarded supplier
- Guidepoint Global, LLCAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender