Find a TenderClosedTender notice
Published 9 Jul 2026, 16:25 BST

Official UK procurement notice

UKRI-5492 - Future Leaders Fellowships Development Network Supplier Contract 3

Official notice

Authority: UK Research and Innovation (Central government)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Published estimate£6,300,000≈ £2.1m / year · £7,560,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 7 Sept 2026
Contract term 3 yrsends 7 Oct 2029 · up to 8 Oct 2031 with extensions · starts 8 Oct 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

UKRI are looking for a supplier to deliver the next iteration of the Future Leaders Fellowship Development Network. The Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) scheme was launched in 2018 and is a major cross-UKRI investment with the aim of developing the next generation of research and innovation leaders.

It supports researchers and innovators with outstanding potential based in universities, eligible UK registered businesses, and other research and user environments including charities and research councils' institutes laboratories. The FLF Scheme has funded over 700 fellows since its inception. Initially, FLF awards were predominantly made to academic hosted fellows, the number business-hosted fellows have grown year on year and now comprise a significant part of the cohort.

The supplier must demonstrate the capability to deliver a programme that engages a broad range of stakeholders across UKRI’s landscape including academia, business and other sectors.

The delivery model must ensure access to appropriate expertise across disciplines, sectors and organisational types, reflecting the diversity of the cohort supported by UKRI.

The Contract duration shall be for a period of three (3) years with an optional extension of a two (2) year period following a mid-point review, which will assess progress against the agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and wider objectives (see further information below). The value of the opportunity is: £3,780,000.00 for the first 3 years, with a further £2,520,000.00 available for the final two years should the review be successful. The supplier will also hold and administer flexible funds to enable fellows to act on opportunities presented by the cohort themselves, maximising the impact of their work via a grant funding agreement, totaling up to £378,000.00 for the first 3 years, with a further £252,000.00 available for the final two years should the review be successful.

CPV: Business and management consultancy services · Research and development services and related consultancy services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Renewal 3 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£6,300,000
Contract period: 8 Oct 2026 – 7 Oct 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 8 Oct 2031 with extensionsValue: £6,300,000 exc. VAT · £7,560,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
Extensions: Two year extension subject to approval · Two year extension subject to approval

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids were scored
Quality: 90%Price: 10%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 10 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 1 point. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

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
Closed
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
9 Jul 2026, 16:25 BST
Last source update
9 Jul 2026, 16:26 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 8 Oct 2026
Authority reference
UKRI-5492
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-064884
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Business and management consultancy servicesResearch and development services and related consultancy services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c7ec Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: UKRI eSourcing
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free
Submission deadline
7 Sept 2026, 11:00 BST
Clarification deadline
7 Sept 2026, 11:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

9 Jul 2026 → 8 Oct 2026 · 5 dates
  1. Tender notice published110 days ago
    9 Jul 2026, 16:25 BST
  2. Clarification questions by51 days ago
    7 Sept 2026, 11:00 BST
  3. Submission deadline51 days ago
    7 Sept 2026, 11:00 BST
  4. Contract starts20 days ago
    8 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
  5. Award decision expected by19 days ago
    8 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 9 Jul 2026
  1. Tender notice published
    9 Jul 2026, 16:25 BST
    UK4
  2. Tender notice published
    9 Jul 2026, 16:26 BST
    UK4
Published amendments (1)

Minor change to title

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PDQJ-7126-JDHG Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire, South West, SN2 1FLContact name, email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender