Award

UKRI-5371 CREST Award scheme

UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION (UKRI)

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

02 Feb 2026 at 15:24

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

02 Feb 2026 at 12:01

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) has completed a direct award procurement for the CREST Award scheme, with the formal contract scheduled to commence on 13th February 2026 and run until 30th September 2026. Based in Swindon, Wiltshire, UKRI is a central government public authority awarding this contract to support the delivery of CREST Awards, falling under the services industry category with business and management consultancy services as a key component. The British Science Association, located in London, was selected as the supplier due to intellectual property and exclusive supply rights. The contract award has a total gross value of £1,200,000 and is currently in the award stage, with the notice published on 2nd February 2026.

This tender provides significant opportunities for businesses specialising in consultancy services, particularly those with expertise in educational or scientific programme delivery. SMEs could find this contract particularly beneficial due to its specific suitability classification. Companies with a strong background in managing large-scale educational initiatives or those possessing unique intellectual rights in related fields are well-suited to pursue similar opportunities, enhancing their business portfolio and expanding their involvement in governmental contracts. This strategic engagement can lead to substantial growth and increased sectoral influence for these businesses.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

UKRI-5371 CREST Award scheme

Notice Description

We seek to make a direct award to support the delivery of the CREST Awards through to the end of September 2026

Procurement Information

Sch 5 para 4 (a)due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b)there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or work

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-061412
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009069-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79410000 - Business and management consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,000,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Feb 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
29 Jan 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
13 Feb 2026 - 30 Sep 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION (UKRI)
Contact Name
Corporate Procurement
Contact Email
corporateprocurement@ukri.org
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
SWINDON, WILTSHIRE
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

BRITISH SCIENCE ASSOCIATION

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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