Award

CR20063 - Strength in Places Fund (SIPF)

UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

31 Mar 2026 at 09:36

Award Notice
Award

13 Jan 2021 at 14:22

Award Notice
Planning

04 Sep 2020 at 09:33

Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process for the Strength in Places Fund (SIPF) is overseen by UK Shared Business Services Limited (UKSBS), located in Swindon, England. This initiative falls under the category of research and development consultancy services, specifically aimed at fostering regional economic growth through place-based research and innovation funding. The procurement stage has progressed from planning to award, with Frontier Economics Limited being the successful supplier. The process utilises a selective procurement method via a call-off from the CCS Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) framework agreement RM6018. Key dates include the contract award on 18 December 2020 and start on 4 January 2021, with the end date recently extended from 31 December 2026 to 31 March 2028. The original engagement event took place on 17 September 2020.

This tender presents significant opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the fields of research and market analytics, particularly those with expertise in economic evaluations and consultancy services. The project aims to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of the UKRI's Strength in Places Fund, spanning impact and process evaluation to maximise the value of public funding and guide future policy improvements. Businesses proficient in research methodologies and economic impact analysis are well-suited to compete for similar opportunities in the future, enhancing their portfolio and contributing to national policy development. Given the ongoing nature of the fund, participating organisations have the potential to establish long-term relationships within government sectors.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

CR20063 - Strength in Places Fund (SIPF)

Notice Description

***Modification of the Contract*** 001 - Contract has been to modified to change original milestone for Phase 2 Baseline 002 - to extend the contract end date from 31 Dec 2026 to 31 March 2028 **** ** THIS TENDER IS CLOSED ** Award of contract via the CCS DPS Agreement RM6018 via further competition. DO NOT apply directly to the buyer. All tender information MUST be submitted through the Delta eSourcing Portal. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have a requirement to procure a programme evaluation of the UKRI Strength in Places Fund (SIPF). The SIPF is a new competitive funding scheme that takes a place-based approach to research and innovation funding, to support significant regional economic growth. The aim of the evaluation is to inform ongoing and future improvements to the fund, to maximise the value of public funding (in particular, the possibility of future growth of the SIPF), to demonstrate what the fund delivered for taxpayers, and to help UKRI build the evidence base on 'what works' in place-based funding of Research and Innovation (R&I) as part of UKRI's wider efforts to understand 'what works' in R&I policy and delivery. The evaluation will consist of both impact and process evaluation, and will be at the fund-level, covering Waves 1 and 2 of the SIPF.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-033d9867-0ca6-46f1-8008-6a5e440330b6
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/327d1ef9-9297-48ee-b952-27e01c5a8279
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Call-off from a framework agreement
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

79300000 - Market and economic research; polling and statistics

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£799,987 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
31 Mar 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
2 Dec 2020Expired
Future Notice Date
17 Sep 2020Expired
Award Date
18 Dec 20205 years ago
Contract Period
4 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2028 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
SWINDON
Postcode
SN2 1FL
Post Town
Swindon
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK71 Swindon
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Swindon
Electoral Ward
Rodbourne Cheney
Westminster Constituency
Swindon North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FRONTIER ECONOMICS

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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