Defra Special Project - Stakeholder Engagement

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    "date": "2026-01-27T16:18:36Z",
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                "description": "Pipeline notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074424-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-11-17T14:18:53Z",
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                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
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                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074543-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-11-17T16:49:38Z",
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                "id": "074653-2025",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074653-2025",
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                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "1. EXPRESSION OF INTEREST We require information on the market's capability, capacity and interest to provide the services detailed below. Please advise if you are interested in bidding for this opportunity. If you are not interested in bidding, please provide reason(s) as this will be valuable feedback. 2. PROCUREMENT TIMETABLE EOI publication date: 17/11/2025 EOI return date: 24/11/2025 Anticipated Route to Market: Competitive Flexible Procedure High Level Overview Defra is responsible for managing a confidential and sensitive project that is exploring options to deliver organisational change to support a long-term strategic objective. The project is complex, multi-year, and involves stakeholders who are accustomed to current arrangements and may be resistant even to the discussion of change. We require an experienced Stakeholder Engagement Adviser to provide strategic advice and support in shaping and delivering an engagement approach that helps to build trust, address concerns, and guide stakeholders through a common-sense discussion of the options and their benefits/disbenefits, and potentially also a sensitive transition process. Defra has already completed stakeholder mapping but requires support in engagement planning, advisory services, and risk management. We are seeking to identify a suitable adviser with the following attributes: 3. HIGH-LEVEL CREDENTIALS & REQUIREMENTS Demonstrable expertise in stakeholder engagement and advisory services in complex, sensitive, or confidential government or organisational projects. Proven track record in navigating resistance to change and creating constructive dialogue with stakeholders. Experience in designing and delivering engagement strategies that support decision-making at senior levels. Strong understanding of the cultural, behavioural, and organisational dynamics that underpin stakeholder concerns. Experience of or familiarity with working on a project within a government context. Ability to travel to London 4. COLLABORATIVE WORKING Ability to work collaboratively with policy teams, governance boards, and external advisers to ensure a joined-up approach. Must have an adaptive and flexible approach, ensuring engagement outputs align with evolving project timelines and changes. 5. KEY OUTPUTS Support the project team in reviewing existing and potential engagement options and approaches. Provide advice on: Strengths, weaknesses, risks, and opportunities of each engagement approach. Communication methods most likely to build trust and reduce resistance. Cultural and organisational considerations that may affect stakeholder responses. Dependencies between stakeholder groups and what other stakeholder groups could be brought into the mix. Ability to build constructive relationships with stakeholders who may be initially unwilling to engage. Plan and run a minimum of 2 engagement events 6. RISK MANAGEMENT Identification and planned mitigation of stakeholder-related risks (e.g., reputational, operational, governance). Development of early warning mechanisms to detect emerging resistance or issues. Provision of strategies to address misinformation, distrust, or disengagement. 7. PLANNING Advice on priority stakeholder groups and tailored engagement approaches. Guidance on sequencing of communications and interventions to maximise effectiveness. Identification of additional areas where independent advisory input would strengthen outcomes. Event planning 8. REPORTING Provision of a monthly highlight report setting out progress, insights, risks, and recommendations. Delivery of knowledge transfer towards the end of the contract to ensure all lessons and approaches are embedded in the core team. 9. CROSS FUNCTIONAL WORKING Alongside this engagement adviser contract, the project will also require support from legal, policy, and operational advisers. It is anticipated that there will be dependencies between the contract deliverables, and the successful supplier will be expected to work closely with these parties to ensure alignment. 10. NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT Due to the sensitive and commercially confidential nature of this project, suppliers are required to enter into a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to receive a copy of the Invitation to Tender documentation which will be required as part of the PQQ stage. Timeframes The contract is anticipated to commence in March/April 2026 for a period of 12 months. Questions As part of your registration of interest, we are asking suppliers to respond to the below questions. This is to support our knowledge of the market prior to tender. Based on your experience, what mix of skills or team structure tends to work best for a project of this nature (e.g., senior strategic adviser vs. a small delivery team)? What delivery models or approaches would you recommend for this type of project? Are there any commercial constraints or considerations we should be aware of? From your experience, what are the biggest risks when managing stakeholder engagement around sensitive organisational change? What early warning mechanisms or engagement tools do you find most effective in managing stakeholder resistance or misinformation? Do you hold any certifications (e.g. ISO, Cyber Essentials)? How do you manage data protection and security? What suggestions do you have for improving the scope or approach of the future tender? Are there any barriers to participation we should consider? Responses Please respond to this EOI and the questions within via the following MS forms link by the deadline outlined above. Expression of Interest for a Defra Special Project - Stakeholder Engagement - Fill in form https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=UCQKdycCYkyQx044U38RAr80PcDqZuJCsMgBqu0dYXJURDJNSTVWTUIzWk84MFJLWlZTRTBGTktKUy4u",
                "dueDate": "2025-11-24T23:59:59Z",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
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    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PNBD-3289-CDGX",
            "name": "DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS",
            "identifier": {
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                "id": "PNBD-3289-CDGX"
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            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "SW1P 4DF",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI32"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "katie.thompson@defra.gov.uk",
                "name": "Katie Thompson"
            },
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        "title": "Defra Special Project - Stakeholder Engagement",
        "description": "Defra is responsible for managing a confidential and sensitive project that is exploring options to deliver organisational change to support a long-term strategic objective. The project is complex, multi-year, and involves stakeholders who are accustomed to current arrangements and may be resistant even to the discussion of change. We require an experienced Stakeholder Engagement Adviser to provide strategic advice and support in shaping and delivering an engagement approach that helps to build trust, address concerns, and guide stakeholders through a common-sense discussion of the options and their benefits/disbenefits, and potentially also a sensitive transition process. Defra has already completed stakeholder mapping but requires support in engagement planning, advisory services, and risk management.",
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                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Technical",
                            "description": "50% of the quality weighting will be allocated to the technical criteria and questions (a percentage of this weighting will be allocated to stage 3 Virtual Pitch). 10% will be allocated to Social Value",
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                            "description": "40% - Commercial Evaluation will use relative scoring methodology as set out in the bidder pack. All Suppliers who have been successful at stage 2 (virtual pitch) will be commercially evaluated. Suppliers will be required to provide a quotation for the work using the rates on the rate card which they will also be required to submit. Both will be covered by a single document \"the pricing schedule\". Both will need to correlate with one another clearly demonstrating how the rates have been used to quote for the requirement. Rates on the rate card and the quote will be for specified grades/roles e.g. Director, which will be pre-determined by the contracting authority in order that all suppliers provide the same information for equal and fair evaluation. The commercial evaluation will be the total combined day rate on the rate card (e.g. All-day rates added together) + the total value of the quote excl non-staff costs. This recommended approach ensure that both the rate card and the quote are commercially evaluated. Non-staff costs on the quote will need to be reflected on the rate card as these will be fixed for the duration of the contract also but will not be commercially evaluated as non-staff cost may differ between suppliers.",
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                            "description": "40% - Commercial Evaluation will use relative scoring methodology as set out in the bidder pack. All Suppliers who have been successful at stage 2 (virtual pitch) will be commercially evaluated. Suppliers will be required to provide a quotation for the work using the rates on the rate card which they will also be required to submit. Both will be covered by a single document \"the pricing schedule\". Both will need to correlate with one another clearly demonstrating how the rates have been used to quote for the requirement. Rates on the rate card and the quote will be for specified grades/roles e.g. Director, which will be pre-determined by the contracting authority in order that all suppliers provide the same information for equal and fair evaluation. The commercial evaluation will be the total combined day rate on the rate card (e.g. All-day rates added together) + the total value of the quote excl non-staff costs. This recommended approach ensure that both the rate card and the quote are commercially evaluated. Non-staff costs on the quote will need to be reflected on the rate card as these will be fixed for the duration of the contract also but will not be commercially evaluated as non-staff cost may differ between suppliers.",
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                            "description": "Suppliers must hold Cyber Essentials Certification."
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                            "description": "Suppliers must hold Cyber Essentials Certification."
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        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2025-12-02T23:59:59Z"
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            "features": "IMPORTANT PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU CONTINUE - Please be advised this project is subject to the Ministerial approval (anticipated date May/June 2026). We reserve our right to withdraw the tender at any place in the procurement process. We ask that you bare this in mind when considering tendering for this opportunity. Stage 1 - Selection Questionnaire Stage This stage will include Yes/No questions to help down-select suppliers invited to full tender based on their responses to the questions which will focus on required skills, qualifications and experience. In addition to Yes/No questions, there will be some written responses which will be formally evaluated using the standard evaluation scoring criteria. Suppliers must meet a minimum consensus score of 70 on the written questions in addition to passing all the Yes/No questions to be taken through to Stage 2. All successful suppliers at stage 1 will be taken through to Technical Evaluation (stage 2). Stage 2 - Full written tender submission All successful suppliers from stage 1 (PSQ) will be invited to submit their written bid for the tender. This will be subject to them signing and returning the NDA within 5 working days of receipt. Failure to return a signed NDA within this timeframe will result in disqualification from the tender process. Tenders must agree to this as part of Stage 1. They will be required at this stage to also submit their commercial bid however this will only be evaluated if they are successful at stage 2 and invited to stage 3 (Virtual pitch). Commercial submissions will be requested upfront to avoid delays at the next stage. Stage 3 - Virtual Pitch All suppliers will then be invited to present a virtual pitch on a specified question outlined in the bidder pack. The question will be based on a scenario and will help to demonstrate and provide confidence to the contracting authority that they have the capability to deliver the requirement to a high standard. Stage 4 - Commercial Evaluation All Suppliers who have been successful at technical stage 2 (virtual pitch) will be commercially evaluated,"
        },
        "submissionMethodDetails": "The procurement documents are available for access, free of charge, at https://atamis-9529.my.site.com/s/Welcome Please note that the full bidder pack/specification will not be available to view until stage 2 and will only be released to successful tenders at stage 1 who have signed and returned an NDA to the Authority. Any questions, requests to participate or tender submissions must be submitted electronically via this portal.",
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                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
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                "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
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        "riskDetails": "Risk that Ministerial Approval won't be given. There is a risk that Ministerial approval of the overarching project won't be obtained in May/June. In this event the procurement may be withdrawn"
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