Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 4 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST

Official UK procurement notice

UKRI-4643 UK- wide Celebration of Research and Innovation.

Official notice

Authority: UK Research and Innovation (Central government)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Published estimate£3,300,000≈ £550k / year · £3,960,000 inc. VAT0.1% below final estimate
Submissions closed 4 Sept 2025awarded 4 Dec 2025
Awarded to British Science Association2 awards
Contract term 6 yrsends 14 Oct 2031 · starts 15 Oct 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

UKRI want to commission a supplier to deliver a new UK-wide celebration to engage the public, particularly young people, with research and innovation(R&I). This will be delivered through the following 5 work packages over the duration of the six years:

  • Work package 1: coordinated UK-wide activities that celebrate and showcase R&I and supports people

Main Category

(particularly young people and those from minoritised communities and those underrepresented in R&I) to engage with R&I through co-produced local and regional activity.

  • Work package 2: grants programmes to support those from minoritised communities and underrepresented groups to engage with R&I through community-led events and local activities in schools throughout the year.
  • Work package 3: a programme of deliberative dialogues with young people to explore their views and concerns about R&I, providing unique insights into young people’s relationship with R&I and enabling their views to inform and influence decision-making in R&I.
  • Work package 4: support for sharing learning between this programme of activity and existing knowledge festivals, museums, science centres and other relevant organisations.
  • Work package 5: summative and formative evaluation to understand and share what works in informal engagement with R&I.

N.B. UKRI will require the successful supplier to deliver all the work packages detailed above.

  • No preliminary market engagement: Not required

CPV: Business and management consultancy services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Awarded 6 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£3,300,000
Contract period: 15 Oct 2025 – 14 Oct 2031 (6 yrs)Value: £3,300,000 exc. VAT · £3,960,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids were scored
Quality: 90%Price: 10%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Quality: 90%
  • Price: 10%
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 10 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 1 point. 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
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
4 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST
Last source update
30 Sept 2026, 15:28 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 1 Oct 2025
Authority reference
UKRI-4643 UK- wide Celebration of Research and Innovation.
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-045743
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Business and management consultancy services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05808d Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: UKRI eSourcing
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free
Submission deadline
4 Sept 2025, 11:00 BST
Clarification deadline
21 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

4 Aug 2025 → 30 Sept 2026 · 8 dates
  1. Tender notice published
    4 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST
  2. Clarification questions by
    21 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST
  3. Submission deadline
    4 Sept 2025, 11:00 BST
  4. Award decision expected by386 days ago
    1 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
  5. Contract starts373 days ago
    15 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
  6. Assessment summaries sent323 days ago
    4 Dec 2025
  7. Standstill ends311 days ago
    15 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
  8. Latest notice published22 days ago
    30 Sept 2026, 15:28 BST

Notice history

5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 4 Aug 2025
  1. Tender notice published
    4 Aug 2025, 16:00 BST
    UK4
  2. Contract award notice published
    4 Dec 2025, 14:43 GMT
    UK6
  3. Status changed to complete
    4 Dec 2025, 14:43 GMT
  4. Contract signature expected
    8 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled
  5. Contract details notice published
    30 Sept 2026, 15:28 BST
    UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 2
Awarded value £3,297,3841 contract exc. VAT · 1 repeated publication of the same award counted once
Bids received 129 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 3 Sept 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
British Science Association8 Jan 2026 – 7 Jan 2032£3,297,384same award published again · counted once4 Dec 2025standstill to 15 Dec 2025Standstill
British Science Association£3,297,384 †—Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 2 · British Science Association

    Signed
    3 Sept 2026
    Value
    £3,297,384
    Period
    4 Sept 2026 – 31 Aug 2032
    Status
    active

    No agreed KPIs: N/A

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
12final-stage tenders91—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PDQJ-7126-JDHG Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire, South West, SN2 1FLContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • British Science AssociationAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PBPR-1971-VLWT Wellcome Wolfson building, 165 Queen's gate, London,, London, London, SW7 5HDContact email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender