Official UK procurement notice
SFC Research and Evaluation Services Framework
Authority: Scottish Funding Council (Local council)
What is being bought3 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionWe are seeking to establish a framework of suppliers with the experience, skills, and capacity to deliver evaluation services (including both quantitative and qualitative analysis), and effectively report on findings and recommendations.
CPV: Economic research services · Evaluation consultancy services · Research services · Social research services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Places
- up to 18 suppliers · 36 bids on the busiest of 3 lots (2.0 per place) · 11 appointed
Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure
3 lots · no lot values published · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Large Scale Research and Evaluation ProjectsCancelledRenewal
Large Research and Evaluation Projects. Including but not limited to, designing and implementing multi-year evaluations, developing an evaluation framework for large, long-term programmes.
Lot #2Medium Scale Research and Evalution ProjectsCancelledRenewal
Projects may include but are not limited to, Mixed methods evaluations of SFC investments including document analysis, surveys, focus groups and interviews, lasting 6-12 months. Value for money or cost benefit analysis projects. Targeted stakeholder surveys
Lot #3Small Scale Research and Evaluation ProjectsCancelledRenewal
Typical projects include but are not limited to, Desk-based work such as conducting literature reviews, synthesising and analysing evidence. Conducting focus groups and analysing and reporting on findings. Conducting one to one interviews and analysing and reporting on findings.
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 (4)
- Operation & Management of the Framework Agreement: 15%
- Responsible Procurement: 5%
- Service Delivery: 40%
- price: 40%
Published award criteria (4)
- Operation & Management of the Framework Agreement: 15
- Responsible Procurement: 5
- Service Delivery: 40
- Price: 40
- Condition of participationno text publishedMinimum: Successful Tenderer’s will be required to provide two years of audited accounts or equivalent prior to award to the Framework Agreement. This information will be used to assess the Tenderers economic and financial standing and is deemed a minimum standard and is mandatory. Failur…
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “SFC Research and Evaluation Services Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 18 suppliers, not a single contract.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 8 Jul 2025, 08:55 BST
- Last source update
- 12 Dec 2025, 16:58 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- 18 Aug 2025 – …
- Authority reference
SFC 25-26 002 Q1- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-082679- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-055ac4Find a Tender
Publisher note: (SC Ref:818466)
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 29 Aug 2025, 13:00 BST
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 150 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 18 Aug 2025, 14:00 BST
Timeline
18 Aug 2025 → 12 Dec 2025 · 3 dates- Bids opened18 Aug 2025, 14:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown29 Aug 2025, 13:00 BST
- Notice published314 days ago12 Dec 2025, 16:58 GMT
Notice history
2 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 16 Jul 2025- Deadline moved to 29 Aug 2025, 13:00 BST16 Jul 2025, 12:33 BST+11 days · was 18 Aug 2025, 13:00 BST
- Status changed to complete12 Dec 2025, 16:58 GMT
Published amendments (2 · 1 deadline change)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | DeadlineTime limit · IV.2.2 | 18 Aug 2025 | 29 Aug 2025 | +11 d |
| — | Bid openingConditions for opening of tenders · IV.2.7 | 18 Aug 2025 | 29 Aug 2025 | +11 d |
Updated following supplier requests and internal discussion at SFC.
Amendment to III.1) Conditions for participation Amendment to III.1) Conditions for participation III.1.2) Economic and financial standing Please note changes to Minimum level(s) of standards required. Text should now read: Successful Tenderer’s will be required to provide two years of audited accounts or equivalent prior to award to the Framework Agreement. This information will be used to assess…
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-07: 1 release · 8 Jul 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast3 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.
Contracts
All 3 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £400,000, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.
Large Scale Research and Evaluation Projects
- Signed
- 27 Oct 2025
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Medium Scale Research and Evalution Projects
- Signed
- 27 Oct 2025
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Small Scale Research and Evaluation Projects
- Signed
- 27 Oct 2025
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Large Scale Research and Evaluation Projects | 21bids · 21 electronic | 20 | — | — |
| 2 · Medium Scale Research and Evalution Projects | 36bids · 35 electronic | 35 | — | — |
| 3 · Small Scale Research and Evaluation Projects | 34bids · 34 electronic | 33 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Edinburgh Sheriff CourtReview body
Framework contractors & participating bidders
11 commercial parties on the notice- ANT ConsultingFramework contractor
- Additional ResearchFramework contractor
- Alba Partners LimitedFramework contractor
- CIVICFramework contractor
- Ekos LtdFramework contractor
- IFF Research Ltd.Framework contractor
- Pye Tait Ltd (trading as Pye Tait Consulting)Framework contractor
- R Denny Consulting LimitedFramework contractor
- Rocket Science UK LtdFramework contractor
- The Lines Between Ltd.Framework contractor
- Trueman Change ManagementFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.