Published date: 16 March 2022

This notice was replaced on 15 June 2022

This notice does not contain the most up-to-date information about this procurement. The most recent notice is:

Awarded contract (published 15 June 2022)

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Contract summary

Industry

  • Research and experimental development services - 73100000

  • Research and development consultancy services - 73200000

  • Design and execution of research and development - 73300000

Location of contract

SN2 1FL

Value of contract

£150,000

Procurement reference

PS22041

Published date

16 March 2022

Closing date

22 April 2022

Closing time

11am

Contract start date

26 May 2022

Contract end date

28 October 2022

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (above threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements above the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

The final date and time for the submission of bids is 22nd April, 2022 year at 11:00

DO NOT apply directly to the buyer.

All tender information MUST be submitted through the Delta eSourcing Portal.

Brief Description of Requirement

The Future Research Assessment Programme has been initiated at the request of UK and devolved government ministers and funding bodies. This significant piece of work is led by the four UK higher education funding bodies (Research England, Scottish Funding Council, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and Department for the Economy, NI) and aims to explore possible approaches to the assessment of UK higher education research performance.

One strand of the programme involves reviewing the costs and benefits of REF 2021 for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and comparing them with those reported for REF 2014 and the RAE 2008 (available from Technopolis Group » REF Accountability Review: Costs, benefits and burden (technopolis-group.com) , Preparing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation: Approach and Evidence | RAND and Preparing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation: Findings and observations | RAND) where applicable.

This project should enable funding bodies and HEIs to understand how the balance of costs - against benefits played out in REF 2021 and the impact of changes made between REF 2014 and REF 2021. These insights will contribute towards policy development for future research assessment exercises.

To meet the requirements of this project, the project will involve working with a representative sample of HEIs to identify how REF submission preparation was managed within institutions, deriving suitable and robust methodologies for gathering quantitative and qualitative data, and analysing them. It will also be necessary to compare the findings between the different REF exercises in a consistent and fair manner; accounting for or explaining gaps in the analysis where it was not possible to make comparisons and explaining the reasons for such judgements.

Please ensure you review all attached information to ensure a full understanding of this requirement. All attachments can be found with the Document Uploads tab within the Delta eSourcing Portal.

This contract will be awarded based on the evaluation criteria as set out in the RFP document.

How to Apply

UK Research and Innovation will be using the Delta eSourcing Portal for this procurement.

To register on the Delta eSourcing portal please use the link https://www.delta-esourcing.com/ and follow the instructions to register.

If you are already registered on the Delta eSourcing Portal and wish to participate in this procurement, please use the link: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/ and the follow the instructions to 'Log in'

Once you are logged into the system you will be able to link yourself into this procurement using the Access Code: YJEY66Q59X

More information

Attachments

Links

Additional text

All submissions will be assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for procurement values that exceed Regulation 5 (Threshold amounts).

Responses must be received by the date and time in the tender documentation; responses received outside of the deadline or not sent via the Delta eSourcing portal will not be accepted or considered by the Contracting Authority further for this opportunity. Interested organisations should ensure that they allow a sufficiency of time, prior to the deadline to allow all sections to be completed in full and any attachments to be uploaded.

As a user of the Delta eSourcing Portal you will have access to the Delta messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you, as well as other messages and updates in relation to any specific tender event. Please note that any and all information secured outside of the messaging service, shall have no merit or worth and should not be relied upon by any organisation submitting a tender response.

Please note it is your organisations responsibility to access these messages on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information applicable to this opportunity.

The Contracting Authority expressly reserves the right:

i. not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and

ii. to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the procurement; and under no circumstances as part of your organisations participation in this opportunity, will the Contracting Authority be liable for any costs incurred by any organisation as a result. If the Contracting Authority decides to enter into a contract with any successful organisation(s), this does not mean that there is any guarantee of subsequent contracts being awarded. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of your organisation in doing so.

Closing date and time for Bidder to request RFP documents: 14:00, Thursday, 21st April 2022.

Closing date and time for Bidder to submit their response ('the deadline'): 11:00am, Friday, 22nd April 2022.

About UK Shared Business Services
UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) brings a commercial attitude to the public sector; helping our contracting authorities to improve efficiency, generate savings and modernise.
Where UK SBS is not named as the Contracting Authority within the documentation, UK SBS will be acting as an agent on behalf of the Contracting Authority.

Our broad range of expert services is shared by our customers. This allows our customers the freedom to focus resources on core activities; innovating and transforming their own organisations.

For full details of our partner base please review the following link: http://www.uksbs.co.uk/services/procure/contracts/Pages/default.aspx

About the buyer

Contact name

Joe Wightman

Address

Polaris House, North Star Avenue
SWINDON
SN21FF
England

Telephone

01793425052

Email

joseph.wightman@uksbs.co.uk