Published date: 19 October 2015

This notice was replaced on 19 October 2015

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

Awarded contract (published 22 March 2018)

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 development services and related consultancy services - 73000000

Location of contract

London

Value of contract

£100,000 to £550,000

Procurement reference

UK SBS OJEU-CR150073BIS

Published date

19 October 2015

Closing date

20 November 2015

Contract start date

11 December 2015

Contract end date

9 June 2017

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure

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

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

The Government announced in the Summer Budget 2015 its intention to invite consortia of universities, cities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and businesses to map strengths and identify potential areas of strategic focus for different regions through a series of Science and Innovation Audits (SIAs). The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) wishes to issue a contract for analytical expertise to support consortia in the development of these SIAs.

BIS has regularly assessed the overall impact of its science and research investments and the performance of the UK research base, publishing reports on the international competitiveness of the UK research base. The latest of these was published in 2013 .

The Government will soon invite consortia to undertake analysis at a local level in the form of Science and Innovation Audits (SIAs) . Through these SIAs, consortia will map local research and innovation strengths and infrastructure, providing new innovative ways to identify and build on areas of greatest potential across the UK. Elsevier (2015) carried out a study looking at the comparative advantage of Amsterdam compared to other key European cities in terms of research and innovation , which bidders may find useful to consider when developing their approach to SIAs.

This specification is for rigorous analytical support to the consortia as they develop their SIAs. Drawing on the expertise and analytical support of the contractor, the consortia will use local level data or local subsets of national data to identify strengths and potential areas of strategic focus for their areas. As well as mapping future growth potential, the SIAs will examine the current mechanisms through which investment in science and innovation in their area leads to local productivity, international trade and investment, and growth, and any barriers to this growth being realised. This will be done by linking the following:

• Excellence in science and research highlighting areas of world leading strengths
• Strengths in innovation activity
• Science and innovation assets including institutes and facilities
• Local industrial strengths and capacity especially in nascent industries and emerging disruptive technologies
• Local strengths in international trade and attracting international investment
• The ability to work collaboratively across the science and innovation landscape
• Level of engagement with and by the business community
• Coherence with other existing or planned local or national activity to support research and innovation including the development of local infrastructure
• The comparative strengths on which to build future innovation, growth and prosperity

More information

Attachments

Additional text

UK Shared Business Services eSourcing

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About the buyer

Contact name

UK SBS Professional Services team

Address

North Star House
North Star Avenue
Swindon
SN2 1FF
England

Email

research@uksbs.co.uk