← Back to search results

AwardedFind a Tender · award

Post Poll Candidate Survey

Buyer: The Electoral Commission →

BuyerThe Electoral Commission
StatusAwarded
DeadlineNot published
ValueValue not published
Published11 Mar 2026

What is being bought

Provision of specialist research services to design and deliver a post-poll survey of candidates standing in the May 2026 elections (English local elections, Scottish Parliament election and Senedd election). The services include: • Development and refinement of a candidate survey questionnaire aligned to the Electoral Commission's post-poll evaluation framework • Large-scale identification and compilation of publicly available candidate contact details, including manual collection of candidate email addresses • Data collection and survey administration within the statutory election timetable • Measures to maximise participation and minimise respondent burden within a small and hard-to-reach population • Data processing, quality assurance and dataset preparation • Analytical support and methodological advice to strengthen robustness and representativeness • Delivery of research outputs and datasets to the Authority The supplier will provide the services directly using specialist academic expertise and established candidate research methodologies. The services must be delivered within the defined election period, with contact data collection undertaken during the three-week window between the close of nominations and polling day.

Lot details

Lot 1

No lot description published.

Statuscomplete

Comparable-procurement analytics

No usable CPV category has been published, so a comparable market set cannot yet be built.

Procurement strategy & market signals

Framework agreementNot published
Dynamic purchasing systemNot published
Competitive procurementNot published
Recurring requirementNot published
Procurement method rationaleThe Electoral Commission requires specialist research services to deliver its 2026 post-poll Candidate Survey following the May 2026 English local elections, Scottish Parliament election and Senedd election. The survey forms part of the Commission's statutory post-poll research programme evaluating electoral processes and participant experience. Queen Mary University of London conducts an established independent programme of candidate surveys covering the same electoral events and engaging the same candidate population. Award to an alternative supplier would be likely to result in separate surveys being conducted using comparable methodologies and targeting the same limited population of election candidates. This creates a material risk of duplicated engagement, reduced participation rates, and lower overall data quality. A coordinated delivery model enables alignment of methodology and reduces duplication of research activity involving a small and specialised research population. The requirement includes identification of publicly available candidate contact information, including manual compilation of candidate email addresses, to support participation across the candidate population. This activity must be undertaken within the statutory election timetable, with data collection occurring during the period between the close of nominations and polling day. A market review undertaken in December 2025 did not identify alternative providers delivering candidate experience surveys with comparable scope, frequency, and electoral coverage across local and devolved elections. For these reasons, the Commission considers that competition is not feasible due to objective technical circumstances and proposes to enter into a direct award.
Rationale classificationsadditionalRepeatExtensionPartialReplacement, additionalRepeatFurtherFollowingCompetitiveProcedure
Special regimeconcession
Covered byNot published
Submission policyNot published
Selection criteriaNot published
Risk detailsNot published

Planning & early market engagement

BudgetNot published
No-engagement rationaleNot published
Planning documents0
Planning milestones0

No planning milestones published.

Related procurements

No linked framework, prior procurement or reprocurement published.

Awards

Documents & submission route

No documents are published in the current source record.

Source data inventory

Diagnostic view. “Not published” means this current release does not provide a value.

OCIDocds-h6vhtk-0667c6
Latest release ID022056-2026
Latest release timestampWed Mar 11 2026 18:05:27 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Sourcefind-a-tender
Official notice URLNot published
Tender statuscomplete
Procurement methoddirect
Procurement method detailsDirect award
Main procurement categoryNot published
Above thresholdNot published
Legal basis2023/54
Tender period: startNot published
Tender period: endNot published
Expression of interest deadlineNot published
Enquiry deadlineNot published
Award period: startNot published
Award period: endNot published
Submission method detailsNot published
Submission languagesNot published
Electronic catalogue policyNot published
Total tender valueNot published
Tender lots in source1
Tender items in source0
Tender documents in source0
Awards in latest release1
Contracts in latest release0
Parties in latest release2

Notice history

DateEventReference
11 Mar 2026award, contract022056-2026

All source data

Unmodified official OCDS data retained by Tenderline for this procurement process.

Complete current OCDS release JSON
{
  "id": "022056-2026",
  "tag": [
    "award",
    "contract"
  ],
  "date": "2026-03-11T18:05:27Z",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0667c6",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PHYY-1292-MMXL",
    "name": "The Electoral Commission"
  },
  "awards": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "items": [
        {
          "id": "1",
          "relatedLot": "1",
          "deliveryAddresses": [
            {
              "region": "UK",
              "country": "GB",
              "countryName": "United Kingdom"
            }
          ],
          "additionalClassifications": [
            {
              "id": "73110000",
              "scheme": "CPV",
              "description": "Research services"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "value": {
        "currency": "GBP",
        "amountGross": 50997
      },
      "status": "pending",
      "documents": [
        {
          "id": "022056-2026",
          "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022056-2026",
          "format": "text/html",
          "noticeType": "UK5",
          "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
          "documentType": "awardNotice",
          "datePublished": "2026-03-11T18:05:27Z"
        }
      ],
      "suppliers": [
        {
          "id": "GB-COH-RC000710",
          "name": "QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON"
        }
      ],
      "milestones": [
        {
          "id": "1",
          "type": "futureSignatureDate",
          "status": "scheduled",
          "dueDate": "2026-03-19T23:59:59Z"
        }
      ],
      "relatedLots": [
        "1"
      ],
      "aboveThreshold": false,
      "contractPeriod": {
        "endDate": "2027-03-30T23:59:59+01:00",
        "startDate": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+01:00"
      },
      "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
    }
  ],
  "tender": {
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-0667c6",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "complete"
      }
    ],
    "title": "Post Poll Candidate Survey",
    "status": "complete",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "description": "Provision of specialist research services to design and deliver a post-poll survey of candidates standing in the May 2026 elections (English local elections, Scottish Parliament election and Senedd election).\nThe services include:\n• Development and refinement of a candidate survey questionnaire aligned to the Electoral Commission's post-poll evaluation framework\n• Large-scale identification and compilation of publicly available candidate contact details, including manual collection of candidate email addresses\n• Data collection and survey administration within the statutory election timetable\n• Measures to maximise participation and minimise respondent burden within a small and hard-to-reach population\n• Data processing, quality assurance and dataset preparation\n• Analytical support and methodological advice to strengthen robustness and representativeness\n• Delivery of research outputs and datasets to the Authority\nThe supplier will provide the services directly using specialist academic expertise and established candidate research methodologies.\nThe services must be delivered within the defined election period, with contact data collection undertaken during the three-week window between the close of nominations and polling day.",
    "specialRegime": [
      "concession"
    ],
    "procurementMethod": "direct",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
    "procurementMethodRationale": "The Electoral Commission requires specialist research services to deliver its 2026 post-poll Candidate Survey following the May 2026 English local elections, Scottish Parliament election and Senedd election. The survey forms part of the Commission's statutory post-poll research programme evaluating electoral processes and participant experience.\nQueen Mary University of London conducts an established independent programme of candidate surveys covering the same electoral events and engaging the same candidate population.\nAward to an alternative supplier would be likely to result in separate surveys being conducted using comparable methodologies and targeting the same limited population of election candidates. This creates a material risk of duplicated engagement, reduced participation rates, and lower overall data quality.\nA coordinated delivery model enables alignment of methodology and reduces duplication of research activity involving a small and specialised research population.\nThe requirement includes identification of publicly available candidate contact information, including manual compilation of candidate email addresses, to support participation across the candidate population. This activity must be undertaken within the statutory election timetable, with data collection occurring during the period between the close of nominations and polling day.\nA market review undertaken in December 2025 did not identify alternative providers delivering candidate experience surveys with comparable scope, frequency, and electoral coverage across local and devolved elections.\nFor these reasons, the Commission considers that competition is not feasible due to objective technical circumstances and proposes to enter into a direct award.",
    "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
      {
        "id": "additionalRepeatExtensionPartialReplacement"
      },
      {
        "id": "additionalRepeatFurtherFollowingCompetitiveProcedure"
      }
    ]
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PHYY-1292-MMXL",
      "name": "The Electoral Commission",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKI43",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "EC1Y 8YZ",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "3 Bunhill Row"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PHYY-1292-MMXL",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "procurement@electoralcommission.org.uk"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-COH-RC000710",
      "name": "QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON",
      "roles": [
        "supplier"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKI42",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "E1 4NS",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "327 Mile End Road"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "http://www.qmul.ac.uk",
        "vcse": false,
        "scale": "large"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "RC000710",
        "scheme": "GB-COH"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "consultancy@qmul.ac.uk"
      },
      "additionalIdentifiers": [
        {
          "id": "PZRH-9379-HRWX",
          "scheme": "GB-PPON"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "initiationType": "tender"
}
Complete JSON history (1 releases)
11 Mar 2026 · 022056-2026 · award, contract
{
  "id": "022056-2026",
  "tag": [
    "award",
    "contract"
  ],
  "date": "2026-03-11T18:05:27Z",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0667c6",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PHYY-1292-MMXL",
    "name": "The Electoral Commission"
  },
  "awards": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "items": [
        {
          "id": "1",
          "relatedLot": "1",
          "deliveryAddresses": [
            {
              "region": "UK",
              "country": "GB",
              "countryName": "United Kingdom"
            }
          ],
          "additionalClassifications": [
            {
              "id": "73110000",
              "scheme": "CPV",
              "description": "Research services"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "value": {
        "currency": "GBP",
        "amountGross": 50997
      },
      "status": "pending",
      "documents": [
        {
          "id": "022056-2026",
          "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022056-2026",
          "format": "text/html",
          "noticeType": "UK5",
          "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
          "documentType": "awardNotice",
          "datePublished": "2026-03-11T18:05:27Z"
        }
      ],
      "suppliers": [
        {
          "id": "GB-COH-RC000710",
          "name": "QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON"
        }
      ],
      "milestones": [
        {
          "id": "1",
          "type": "futureSignatureDate",
          "status": "scheduled",
          "dueDate": "2026-03-19T23:59:59Z"
        }
      ],
      "relatedLots": [
        "1"
      ],
      "aboveThreshold": false,
      "contractPeriod": {
        "endDate": "2027-03-30T23:59:59+01:00",
        "startDate": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+01:00"
      },
      "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
    }
  ],
  "tender": {
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-0667c6",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "complete"
      }
    ],
    "title": "Post Poll Candidate Survey",
    "status": "complete",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "description": "Provision of specialist research services to design and deliver a post-poll survey of candidates standing in the May 2026 elections (English local elections, Scottish Parliament election and Senedd election).\nThe services include:\n• Development and refinement of a candidate survey questionnaire aligned to the Electoral Commission's post-poll evaluation framework\n• Large-scale identification and compilation of publicly available candidate contact details, including manual collection of candidate email addresses\n• Data collection and survey administration within the statutory election timetable\n• Measures to maximise participation and minimise respondent burden within a small and hard-to-reach population\n• Data processing, quality assurance and dataset preparation\n• Analytical support and methodological advice to strengthen robustness and representativeness\n• Delivery of research outputs and datasets to the Authority\nThe supplier will provide the services directly using specialist academic expertise and established candidate research methodologies.\nThe services must be delivered within the defined election period, with contact data collection undertaken during the three-week window between the close of nominations and polling day.",
    "specialRegime": [
      "concession"
    ],
    "procurementMethod": "direct",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
    "procurementMethodRationale": "The Electoral Commission requires specialist research services to deliver its 2026 post-poll Candidate Survey following the May 2026 English local elections, Scottish Parliament election and Senedd election. The survey forms part of the Commission's statutory post-poll research programme evaluating electoral processes and participant experience.\nQueen Mary University of London conducts an established independent programme of candidate surveys covering the same electoral events and engaging the same candidate population.\nAward to an alternative supplier would be likely to result in separate surveys being conducted using comparable methodologies and targeting the same limited population of election candidates. This creates a material risk of duplicated engagement, reduced participation rates, and lower overall data quality.\nA coordinated delivery model enables alignment of methodology and reduces duplication of research activity involving a small and specialised research population.\nThe requirement includes identification of publicly available candidate contact information, including manual compilation of candidate email addresses, to support participation across the candidate population. This activity must be undertaken within the statutory election timetable, with data collection occurring during the period between the close of nominations and polling day.\nA market review undertaken in December 2025 did not identify alternative providers delivering candidate experience surveys with comparable scope, frequency, and electoral coverage across local and devolved elections.\nFor these reasons, the Commission considers that competition is not feasible due to objective technical circumstances and proposes to enter into a direct award.",
    "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
      {
        "id": "additionalRepeatExtensionPartialReplacement"
      },
      {
        "id": "additionalRepeatFurtherFollowingCompetitiveProcedure"
      }
    ]
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PHYY-1292-MMXL",
      "name": "The Electoral Commission",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKI43",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "EC1Y 8YZ",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "3 Bunhill Row"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PHYY-1292-MMXL",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "procurement@electoralcommission.org.uk"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-COH-RC000710",
      "name": "QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON",
      "roles": [
        "supplier"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKI42",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "E1 4NS",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "327 Mile End Road"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "http://www.qmul.ac.uk",
        "vcse": false,
        "scale": "large"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "RC000710",
        "scheme": "GB-COH"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "consultancy@qmul.ac.uk"
      },
      "additionalIdentifiers": [
        {
          "id": "PZRH-9379-HRWX",
          "scheme": "GB-PPON"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "initiationType": "tender"
}