Published date: 2 October 2025

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 15 August 2025, 11am

Contract summary

Industry

  • Research and development services and related consultancy services - 73000000

Location of contract

Any region

Value of contract

£79,286.40

Procurement reference

tender_492788/1521130

Published date

2 October 2025

Closing date

15 August 2025

Closing time

11am

Contract start date

26 September 2025

Contract end date

26 March 2026

Contract type

Works

Procedure type

Call-off from a framework agreement

A mini-competition or direct purchase from a pre-established framework agreement.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes


Description

We are seeking an experienced external supplier to improve HMG's knowledge of the
international EB value chain and help us prioritise country engagement.

The project is split in two:
1. Mapping capabilities. Identify where in a set list of countries (provided below) there
are leading capabilities across the DSIT-defined engineering biology value chain.
This will be through a mixture of qualitative and quantitative analysis, covering the
research & commercial ecosystem.
2. Identify collaboration opportunities. Provide suggestions for mutually beneficial
collaborations with those countries to boost supply chain security and maintain
technological advantage. Utilise futures thinking to consider how technological &
geopolitical developments may affect things in the future (5-10 years).

The technologies in scope are:

- Analytical tools: Techniques, methods, and instruments for analysing and
understanding the behaviour and functionality of biological systems, particularly
those that have been engineered or modified.

- Automation and robotics: Robotics can be used in all laboratories, including
biomedical and engineering biology, to automate large parts of the work of
researchers and companies. In this context robots are used to physically manipulate
items, ranging from simple hand tools to entirely autonomous laboratories, including
cloud labs.

- Bioinformatics, data, AI, and supercomputing: Bioinformatics and omics in
engineering biology is the processing, storing, and analysing of biological data using
computational tools and statistical methods to interpret large datasets generated by
omics technologies. It can be roughly split into data, software (including AI), and
hardware (including supercomputing).

- Biological materials, reagents, and feedstocks: This includes unprocessed
primary commodities, processed primary commodities, processed intermediate
commodities, enzymes, and chemicals necessary for all engineering biology
operations.

- Nucleotide and protein synthesis: This includes the synthesis of genetic vectors
(such as RNA, DNA, plasmids) and proteins.

- Nucleotide and protein sequencing: This includes the sequencing of RNA and
DNA, as well as diagnostic platforms for metagenomics.
The countries in scope will be a subset of those in the following list: USA, Australia, Canada,
Denmark, France, Germany, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore & Switzerland. The
final selection will be made according to supplier capabilities and expertise, but G7 countries
should be prioritised.

The project will be delivered in two phases:

- Phase 1: an interim draft report roughly halfway through the project
- Phase 2: a final report


More information

Attachments


Award information

Awarded date

25 August 2025

Contract start date

26 September 2025

Contract end date

26 March 2026

Total value of contract

£79,286.40

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

ForgeFront

Address

Mansion House, Manchester Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4RW

Reference

No reference - other

Supplier is SME?

No

Supplier is VCSE?

No


About the buyer

Address

Trinity Bridge House, 2 Dearmans Place
Salford
M3 5BS
England

Email

SIGCommercialApprovals@dsit.gov.uk