Official UK procurement notice
Senior Recruitment Services for Medicines Discovery Catapult
Authority: MEDICINES DISCOVERY CATAPULT LIMITED (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionMedicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) are establishing an Executive and Senior Search contract to meet MDC's requirements. MDC do not guarantee any volume or value of work from this Executive and Senior Search contract; however, it is MDC's intention to use the contract for the search and replacement of specific roles. However, the MDC reserve the right to procure services outside of the contract if it sees fit.
The contract includes the search, headhunting and recruitment of roles within MDC to source senior or specialist staff. The typical scope of roles / vacancies will include, but are not limited to:
Board roles
CEO
C suite
Senior Leadership roles across all disciplines
Niche / specific roles
All of the above to include:
Permanent staff;
Fixed Term Staff;
Temporary Staff; and
Contractors.
MDC do not guarantee any volume or value of work from this contract. The value of work is calculated at a potential average of four senior hires per year, along with any interim requirements. With a significant portion of the calculated estimated value based on interim staff members approved hours where the chosen
supplier makes payment to the interim staff member on behalf of MDC.
CPV: Recruitment services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Framework period
- 2 yrs · up to 4 yrs from 9 Feb 2026
Published description of the framework
For each individual requirement, MDC will select a supplier based on their ranking according to their final evaluated scores and where the supplier is capable of meeting the requirement. Any further allocation decisions will be made on the basis of objective factors such as urgency, capacity, value and the nature of the role required. MDC will keep an audit record of the method chosen for each requirement.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£1,800,000
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality
- Price
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “Senior Recruitment Services for Medicines Discovery Catapult” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
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
- Cancelled
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 19 Nov 2025, 14:56 GMT
- Last source update
- 24 Apr 2026, 13:40 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 19 Jan 2026
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-075300- Latest notice
- Procurement termination notice (UK12)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e48fFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 16 Dec 2025, 15:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 2 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
procontract.due-north.com/Advert ↗
Please email procurement@md.catapult.org.uk if you have any issues accessing.
Timeline
19 Nov 2025 → 24 Apr 2026 · 6 dates- Tender notice published341 days ago19 Nov 2025, 14:56 GMT
- Clarification questions by328 days ago2 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Admission / appointment period ends314 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown16 Dec 2025, 15:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by280 days ago19 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts260 days ago9 Feb 2026
- Latest notice published185 days ago24 Apr 2026, 13:40 BST
Notice history
4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 19 Nov 2025- Tender notice published19 Nov 2025, 14:56 GMTUK4
- Tender notice published19 Nov 2025, 15:00 GMTUK4
- Procurement termination notice published24 Apr 2026, 13:40 BSTUK12
- Status changed to complete24 Apr 2026, 13:40 BST
Published amendments (1)
Added a link to the Proactis Advert for suppliers to locate the opportunity.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| supplier not published | — | 24 Apr 2026 | CancelledFollowing internal review, MDC has decided to discontinue this procurement process due to: • A change in organisational requirements • The need to revise the service specification • Budgetary and funding considerations This decision has been made in accordance with the principles of transparency, equal treatment, and proportionality under PA23. |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Procurement termination notice Procurement termination notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender