Award

DNO/493 - Labour Market Intelligence

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

30 Mar 2026 at 13:32

Award

24 Feb 2026 at 16:15

Award

20 Jan 2026 at 12:49

Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Defence, located in Bristol, has completed a procurement process titled "DNO/493 - Labour Market Intelligence" under the industry category of services, specifically targeting research consultancy within the UK Nuclear Sector. This procurement aims to assess the labour market to guide future recruitment strategies. The process reached the award stage on 30 March 2026, with the contract period running from 20 March 2026 to 31 March 2028. The direct award was granted to Cogent Skills Limited, an SME based in Warrington. Justified under the Procurement Act 2023, the direct award was considered necessary due to Cogent's unique expertise and historic data holdings relevant to the Nuclear Workforce Assessment, with the overall contract valued at £899,622.46, excluding VAT.

This procurement offers a significant opportunity for growth for businesses specialising in research consultancy, particularly those with unique capabilities or historic datasets related to niche industries like nuclear energy. Companies holding exclusive or proprietary methods and data stand to benefit from similar direct awards, highlighting the demand for specialised technical expertise within government contracts. Businesses that can position themselves as integral to government strategies, or those capable of offering continuity and value without incurring disproportionate costs, are well-placed to compete in such high-value contracts. The favourable procurement method underlines the value of unique competencies in securing governmental projects.

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Notice Title

DNO/493 - Labour Market Intelligence

Notice Description

UK Nuclear Sector labour market assessment to drive future recruitment strategy.

Procurement Information

In accordance with Schedule 5, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Authority considers a direct award to be justified on the basis that Cogent Skills Services Ltd are the only supplier capable of delivering the required Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA) service without disproportionate cost, delay, or risk to value for money. Cogent holds unique and non replicable capabilities essential to the successful delivery of this requirement, including: * Proprietary historic datasets underpinning the Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA), developed and maintained since 2015; * Specialist technical expertise in nuclear labour market modelling, built over multiple iterations of the NWA; and * Established relationships and data sharing arrangements with nuclear sector organisations formalised through the Nuclear Sector Executive Council (NSEC). Cogent has been the sole developer and publisher of the NWA for over a decade, independently refining the methodology and recovering costs directly from sector organisations through individual contributions. The Authority does not own, nor does it hold rights to, previous iterations of the NWA or the underlying datasets. Continuity of methodology and data is critical for tracking trends, ensuring comparability across years, and measuring the effectiveness of the Nuclear Skills Plan (NSP). No alternative provider could replicate the existing dataset or methodology without incurring substantial development time and cost, which would materially undermine both value for money and the timely delivery of the NSP. On this basis, Cogent is the only provider capable of delivering the required service in a way that preserves continuity, avoids duplication of cost, and protects the integrity of the sector-wide evidence base.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0609ed
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029148-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services


CPV Codes

73210000 - Research consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,152,500 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£899,622 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Mar 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
20 Jan 20263 months ago
Contract Period
20 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8JH
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

COGENT SKILLS

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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