Tender

Research into young people's experience of the labour market and minimum wages

LOW PAY COMMISSION

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

19 Dec 2025 at 19:13

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

19 Dec 2025 at 17:04

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Low Pay Commission (LPC), a public authority within the central government sector, is seeking tenders for a research project focused on young people's experiences in the labour market and the effects of minimum wage variations. This tender, initiated on 19th December 2025, provides an opportunity for research and development services specifically in the domain of labour market analysis. With the procurement currently in the tender phase, interested parties must submit their proposals by 2nd February 2026. The project, valued at up to £35,000 (exclusive of VAT), will culminate in the delivery of a final report by the end of December 2026. Located in London, this open competition calls for expertise to assess the impact of minimum wage increases on youth employment, leveraging alternative data sources due to recent disruptions in traditional data quality.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in research and consultancy services, particularly those with capabilities in econometric analysis, data innovation, and workforce policy consulting. SMEs and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are encouraged to participate, as the project is suitable for these organisations. Prospective bidders need to demonstrate a robust understanding of the requirements, develop a novel methodological approach, and ensure effective project delivery to meet the Most Advantageous Tender criteria, primarily focusing on quality and value for money. Success in this tender could bolster a firm's reputation in engaging with public contracts and fostering long-term relationships within government procurement.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Research into young people's experience of the labour market and minimum wages

Notice Description

In recent years, we have recommended a number of large increases to the 16-17 Year Old and 18-20 Year Old Rates of the minimum wage. In addition, the current government has an ambition to move to a single adult minimum wage rate for all workers aged 18 and above. Our most recent remit asked the LPC to balance this ambition with the Government's concern about current levels of youth unemployment when making our recommendations on the 18-20 Year Old Rate. Reducing the age of entitlement to the NLW to 18 would require significant increases in the wage floor for 18-20 year olds. It is therefore vital that the LPC has a robust evidence base for understanding the impact of recent increases in the youth rates of the minimum wage as well as the potential future impacts. The LPC carries out its own descriptive and econometric analysis of the youth labour market and the impact of minimum wage increases. However, some of the key data sources we rely on, including the Labour Force Survey, have suffered from data quality issues since the pandemic. We are therefore looking for research that would use alternative data sources and/or develop novel methods to provide robust quantitative estimates of the impact of increases in the youth rates of the minimum wage since 2020. The full requirement is set out in Schedule 07 of the Invitation to Tender document available on the Low Pay Commission website. We anticipate bids in the range PS20,000 to PS35,000 + VAT. The project will deliver final results in September 2026 (with a final report due later in 2026). A detailed description of the project requirements is provided in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) document published on the Low Pay Commission website. The pricing schedule template can be found alongside the ITT document.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05faee
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085176-2025
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£35,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£35,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Dec 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
2 Feb 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
2 Mar 2026 - 31 Dec 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
LOW PAY COMMISSION
Contact Name
Tim Butcher
Contact Email
lpc@lowpay.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E14 4PU
Post Town
East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI42 Tower Hamlets
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Tower Hamlets
Electoral Ward
Canary Wharf
Westminster Constituency
Poplar and Limehouse

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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