Award

Focus group participant recruitment

OFFICE OF QUALIFICATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS REGULATION (OFQUAL)

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

26 Feb 2026 at 17:45

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) issued a procurement process titled "Focus group participant recruitment," focused within the market research services industry category. This process, pertinent to the West Midlands in the United Kingdom, has been completed, with an award granted on 30th October 2025 to Roots Research, a supplier based in Brighton. The procurement was conducted through an open procedure, allowing broad participation, and aimed to fulfil detailed participant recruitment for various projects without handling any meeting data. Ofqual, located in Coventry, facilitated these arrangements with a contract running from 1st November 2025 to 31st October 2028. The tender had previously closed on 23rd July 2025.

This tender provides substantial opportunities for business growth, especially for SMEs or Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) proficient in sourcing participants for market research across diverse projects. Suppliers who have expertise in fulfilling specific participant criteria and organising logistics for focus groups would be ideally suited to such a contract. The contract details highlight a clear opportunity for businesses to expand their market research services and enhance their presence by working with a well-established regulatory entity like Ofqual. Through this engagement, businesses can leverage the stability of a multi-year contract to forecast financial growth and build a credible portfolio.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Focus group participant recruitment

Notice Description

The nature of the work that the appointed supplier will be required to support Ofqual with the recruitment of participants for focus groups and interviews. The supplier will need to be able to source participants to the specific requirements of the individual projects (see specification for details) and arrange meetings on Ofqual's behalf. They will not be expected to attend meetings or handle any data collected in the meetings.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-04cbe5d2-26a7-4387-94a3-e056f833777f
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4f74a53b-48e5-415e-bc16-727e821087f0
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79310000 - Market research services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£16,536 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£16,536 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
23 Jul 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
30 Oct 20254 months ago
Contract Period
1 Nov 2025 - 31 Oct 2028 3-4 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
OFFICE OF QUALIFICATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS REGULATION (OFQUAL)
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
COVENTRY
Postcode
CV1 2GN
Post Town
Coventry
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG33 Coventry
Delivery Location
TLG West Midlands (England)
Local Authority
Coventry
Electoral Ward
St Michael's
Westminster Constituency
Coventry South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ROOTS RESEARCH

Further Information

Notice Documents

Notice URLs

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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. 

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-b5fd17-04cbe5d2-26a7-4387-94a3-e056f833777f-2026-02-26T17:45:07Z",
    "date": "2026-02-26T17:45:07Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-b5fd17-04cbe5d2-26a7-4387-94a3-e056f833777f",
    "language": "en",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "tender": {
        "id": "MT236732",
        "title": "Focus group participant recruitment",
        "description": "The nature of the work that the appointed supplier will be required to support Ofqual with the recruitment of participants for focus groups and interviews. The supplier will need to be able to source participants to the specific requirements of the individual projects (see specification for details) and arrange meetings on Ofqual's behalf. They will not be expected to attend meetings or handle any data collected in the meetings.",
        "status": "complete",
        "classification": {
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "id": "79310000",
            "description": "Market research services"
        },
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "West Midlands",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amount": 16536,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "procurementMethod": "open",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure",
        "tenderPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2025-07-23T17:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "contractPeriod": {
            "startDate": "2025-11-01T00:00:00Z",
            "endDate": "2028-10-31T23:59:59Z"
        },
        "suitability": {
            "sme": true,
            "vcse": true
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
    },
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-CFS-299483",
            "name": "Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual)",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual)"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "2nd Floor, One Friargate, Station Square",
                "locality": "Coventry",
                "postalCode": "CV1 2GN",
                "countryName": "England"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Procurement Department",
                "email": "procurement@ofqual.gov.uk",
                "telephone": "+44 2475091908"
            },
            "details": {
                "url": "http://ofqual.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ]
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-06659150",
            "name": "Roots Research",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "Roots Research",
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "06659150"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "50 Grand Parade, , Brighton"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-CFS-299483",
        "name": "Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual)"
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "ocds-b5fd17-04cbe5d2-26a7-4387-94a3-e056f833777f-1",
            "status": "active",
            "date": "2025-10-30T00:00:00Z",
            "datePublished": "2026-02-26T17:45:07Z",
            "value": {
                "amount": 16536,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-06659150",
                    "name": "Roots Research"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2025-11-01T00:00:00Z",
                "endDate": "2028-10-31T23:59:59Z"
            },
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "description": "Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder",
                    "url": "https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4f74a53b-48e5-415e-bc16-727e821087f0",
                    "datePublished": "2026-02-26T17:45:07Z",
                    "format": "text/html",
                    "language": "en"
                },
                {
                    "id": "2",
                    "documentType": "tenderNotice",
                    "description": "NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the myTenders Web Site at the link provided.",
                    "url": "https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB171041"
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}