Official UK procurement notice
Provision of External Impact Evaluation Services
Authority: HIGH VALUE MANUFACTURING CATAPULT (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe HVM Catapult is a strategic research and innovation organisation for UK manufacturing. Established and supported by Innovate UK, it operates as a co-ordinated national network of six technology and innovation centres, working with industry, academia and government to accelerate industrial transformation and contribute to national missions.
The HVM Catapult centres are:
- CPI;
- Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC);
- National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS);
- NCC;
- University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC); and
- Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG).
Each centre provides distinct technological specialisms, sectoral focus and regional reach, while operating within a single Catapult framework. In addition to centre-level delivery, the Catapult undertakes network-wide functions including strategic leadership, cross-centre co-ordination, portfolio management, engagement with government and alignment with national missions.
HVM Catapult is looking to commission an independent evidence-based evaluation of the impact delivered through its core grant-funded activities with the report due by March 2027.
HVM Catapult require an Early Findings Report, due by 18 December 2026, focusing on validating the evaluation framework, evidencing the rationale for intervention and establishing baseline measures for subsequent impact assessment. This early stage is intended to support strategic decision-making and will not be a substitute for the final evaluation.
The final evaluation report should focus on four strategic priority areas and consider how they deliver workstreams, centre activities and therefore outputs, outcomes and KPIs. The four strategic priority areas to be considered are:
- Industrial sustainability;
- Net zero: clean energy transition;
- Healthy living; and
- National security capability.
HVM Catapult may also, at its discretion, call off optional formative and learning evaluation services under the contract. These optional services are within the scope of the contract as awarded and will be provided at pre-agreed rates. HVM Catapult is under no obligation to call off any of the optional services.
- Not divided into lots: The contract has not been divided into lots. The evaluation requires a single coherent methodology and a single line of accountability for the findings. The optional formative and learning evaluation services are a small, discretionary extension of the core evaluation, dependent upon it and drawing on the same evidence base; separate competition would be disproportionate. The pool of suppliers with the requisite impact evaluation expertise is limited.
CPV: Economic research services · Research and development services and related consultancy services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£310,000
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).
Published sub-criteria (3)
- Methodology, analytical approach and evaluation judgment: 37.5%
- Delivery capability, resourcing and contingency arrangements: 37.5%
- Price- Fixed Price for the core evaluation services: 25%
Published award criteria (3)
- Methodology, analytical approach and evaluation judgment
- Delivery capability, resourcing and contingency arrangements
- Price- Fixed Price for the core evaluation services
- Price carries 25 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open 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
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 27 Jul 2026, 11:27 BST
- Last source update
- 8 Sept 2026, 15:45 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 17 Sept 2026
- Authority reference
HVMC/EVAL/2026/01- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-070704- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d41bFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 21 Aug 2026, 16:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
All enquiries and tender submissions must be made electronically via the designated procurement portal.
Any interested party should express their interest by emailing [email protected], providing the name and email address of the individuals within their organisation that they would like access to the portal granted to.
All access requests will be granted, following which parties will have the ability to view the tender documents, ask questions, view question answers and upload tender submissions within the portal.
Timeline
27 Jul 2026 → 28 Sept 2026 · 7 dates- Tender notice published86 days ago27 Jul 2026, 11:27 BST
- Submission deadline61 days ago21 Aug 2026, 16:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent44 days ago8 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published43 days ago8 Sept 2026, 15:45 BST
- Award decision expected by34 days ago17 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Standstill ends34 days ago17 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts24 days ago28 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
4 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 27 Jul 2026- Tender notice published27 Jul 2026, 11:27 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published8 Sept 2026, 15:45 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete8 Sept 2026, 15:45 BST
- Contract signature expected18 Sept 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SQW LimitedSME28 Sept 2026 – 27 Sept 2028 · up to 27 Sept 2029Extensions: Option for HVM Catapult to extend the contract by up to one year, on not less than three months' written notice given prior to expiry of the initial term. · Options: Option for HVM Catapult to extend the contract by up to one year, on not less than three months' written notice given prior to expiry of the initial term. | £310,000 | 8 Sept 2026standstill to 17 Sept 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9final-stage tenders · 10 at stage one | 7 | 1 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- SQW LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender