Official UK procurement notice
Scale of Measurement Study
Authority: NPL Management Limited (Public body)
NPL is undertaking this Preliminary Market Engagement exercise to better understand market capability, explore suitable datasets and methodologies, identify innovative analytical approaches, validate the proposed scope, gain insight into indicative pricing and delivery models, and identify any risks and dependencies that may affect successful delivery. Core Deliverables:
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNPL is undertaking this Preliminary Market Engagement exercise to better understand market capability, explore suitable datasets and methodologies, identify innovative analytical approaches, validate the proposed scope, gain insight into indicative pricing and delivery models, and identify any risks and dependencies that may affect successful delivery.
Core Deliverables:
The main deliverables are the following metrics:
Labour Input
- Share of total UK employment in measurement-related occupations, and the total compensation this represents as a share of GDP
- Concentration of measurement occupations within specific industries (e.g., R&D, Defence)
- Growth rate of measurement employment vs. overall employment growth over the decade
- Employment and total pay specifically within the calibration & testing sector
- Trend in real pay for measurement-service employees over the decade
Investment
- Annual investment in instrumentation as a share of investment in productive/tangible assets and in machinery & equipment
- Split of investment by instrument type (share of total)
- Gross capital stock of instrumentation as a share of UK's total gross capital stock, and its split by instrument type
Intermediate Demand
- Growth in total intermediate demand for instrumentation over the period, in real terms
- Split between domestic and imported instrumentation, and the trend toward import dependence
Research & Development
- Total measurement-related R&D expenditure, and the split between business vs. non-business (government/academic) performers
- Share of UK granted patents that are measurement-related, and the total count over the decade
- Share of published journal articles that are measurement-related, and the total count, plus its declining trend
- UK's revealed comparative advantage (RCA) in measurement patents relative to international peers
A previous example of the analysis and the methodology can be found in the “Quantifying Measurement activity” paper (eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/9064/ ↗).
The analysis needs to have the following additions:
The inclusion of data after 2017.
Better sector classifications than traditional SIC codes, such as Data City RSICs or Beauhurst Industries Classifications to name a few examples.
Better job classifications than traditional SOC codes (for example – lightcast data).
Segmentation of the stats by UK NUTS1 Region
An investigation into NUTS2 feasibility would be of interest.
An assessment of the number of measurement-related standards (link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s106… ↗).
Innovative approaches not considered in the prior report can also be considered.
Any opportunity to automate the analysis and ensure easier repeatability should also be considered.
Beyond the update to the prior metrics, there are also a few other metrics that we want to see UK versions of:
Scrap Rate and/or Rework rate
Rebate rate:
In final demand (customers with a defective item being compensated)
In intermediate demand (parts used in the production process being faulty and sent back)
Probability of type 1 or 2 errors in the production process.
Statistical Power and Confidence Level of testing in production
In-house routine spend on calibration services/reference materials.
The deliverables should take the form of:
A full, academic-style report, detailing background, context, literature review, methodology, results (with a range of visualisations and regional heat maps) and technical annex – much like the (eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/9064/ ↗.
A slide deck/presentation pack to present the methods and results in a summarised manner.
An infographic detailing the results in a summarised manner like www.npl.co.uk/getattachment/460a36… ↗
Complete datasets with traceability to public/paywalled/private datasets.
The deliverables listed above should include:
A detailed methodology report.
A register of all datasets used.
Assumptions, limitations and confidence assessments.
Classification methodologies employed.
Quality assurance and validation approaches.
Recommendations for future repeatability and automation.
As a potential future development, the analysis could consider:
Export analysis of measurement instrumentation
Ecosystem mapping of the measurement sector
Start-ups in this space (compared to broader economy, health of these firms, who’s buying them)
Stock market analysis of instrumentation/measurement firms (e.g. trend analysis, composite dummy index of these firms) – a way to assess the “pulse” of these firms
Patent analysis – with regards to instrumentation
Comparisons with foreign countries in this space
Link to the UKRI 5 critical tech areas
Socio-economic objective of these
Exposure to AI for the Measurement Firms
Stock market analysis of instrumentation/measurement firms (e.g. trend analysis, composite dummy index of these firms) – a way to assess the “pulse” of these firms
Patent analysis – with regards to instrumentation
Comparisons with foreign countries in this space
Link to the UKRI 5 critical tech areas
Socio-economic objective of these
Exposure to AI for the Measurement Firms
To help manage potential risks, please comment on:
New datasets generated since 2017
Availability and up-to-dateness of historical data
Potential classification challenges (for sectors, regions or measurement-related standards)
Indicative pricing and delivery timescales
Suppliers should note that NPL is likely to require ownership or unrestricted usage rights for all deliverables, methodologies, models and outputs produced under any future contract.
CPV: Economic research services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedPipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How NPL Management Limited buys Market research services (CPV 7931), and who usually turns up
NPL Management Limited’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Market research services (CPV 7931) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 48 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid15%
2–325%
4–621%
7+39%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate48%
Within ±2%43%
Above estimate9%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 7931Published estimate£100k
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 145 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid15%
2–325%
4–621%
7+39%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Below threshold
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 3 Nov 2026, 16:29 GMT
- Last source update
- 3 Nov 2026, 16:29 GMT
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-104407- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-079707Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
3 Nov 2026 → 5 Jan 2027 · 3 dates- Planning notice published1h ago3 Nov 2026, 16:29 GMT
- Today3 Nov 2026
- Market engagementin 14 days17 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
Prior to initiating the procurement, NPL wishes to establish the level of market interest in
the forthcoming procurement process.
Suitably qualified and experienced suppliers who may have an interest in this project are
invited to register for this Preliminary Market Engagement.
The purpose of the market engagement is to help assess the reaction of the market, to
understand risks and future possibilities to ensure a future proofed procurement strategy
and resulting contract.
Any submission received in response to this exercise will not constitute any contractual
agreement between the respondent and NPL. Nor does the receipt of a response
automatically include the respondent in the procurement process.
Interested parties shall bear their own costs of participation in this Market Engagement of
whatever nature. NPL shall not be liable for the costs, expenses or losses howsoever
arising (including, without limitation, any loss of profit or other economic loss incurred),
regardless of the outcome of the Market Engagement.
The next stage in the process will be considered once this exercise has been completed.
Questions:
Your Organisation
- What is your organisation's name?
- What is your name and role at the organisation?
- Please Provide a brief description of your Organisation
- Please provide the location (s) of your organisations operational facilities (e.g.
headquarters, prominent locations).
Capabilities
- Does your organisation have the capability to deliver a solution in line with the
requirements described in the Scope section of this document.
a. If yes, please provide an estimated lead time for delivery from the point of contract
award.
b. Are there any current or upcoming commitments, capacity constraints, or resource
limitations that may affect your ability to submit an offer or deliver the project.
Scope Delivery & Budget Alignment
- Would your organisation be able to deliver the full project scope independently?
If not, please specify which elements would require sub-contracting and identify any
anticipated delivery partners (if known).
- Are there any risks, issues, or opportunities that you believe NPL should consider in
relation to the delivery of this project?
- NPL's estimated budget for this project is £100,000 excluding VAT. Please confirm if
delivery within this budget is feasible. If not please provide an indicative budget for a
project of this nature.
If you have any questions or would like to provide a response to the above, please email
etenders@npl.co.uk to request a Preliminary Market Engagement Supplier Questionnaire
"FOR RESPONSES" excel spreadsheet. Please include the notice reference number.
Please return all responses by 17.00, 27th October 2026.
- Contract startsin 62 days5 Jan 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Preliminary market engagement notice published3 Nov 2026, 16:29 GMTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender