Tender

UKRI -5498 TechFirst undergraduate and Sparck AI scholarships: Cohort Management Function (Lot 1), Recruitment Function (Lot 2)

UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION (UKRI)

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

22 Apr 2026 at 15:28

Planning

20 Mar 2026 at 09:35

Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process led by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) involves an open tender for delivering specialist scholarship programmes structured into two Lots: the Cohort Management Function and the Recruitment Function. The procurement is currently at the tender stage, with submissions accepted until 29th May 2026. UKRI seeks services across education and training, project-management, recruitment, and software development, among others, with the project covering the entirety of the United Kingdom. The initiative aims to support the TechGrad Scholars at undergraduate and Spärck AI Scholars at the master's level, with a high emphasis on quality and cost-effectiveness. Interested parties should note that the contract period commences on 15th July 2026 and ends on 31st August 2027, offering a considerable gross contract value of £6,516,602.

This tender is poised to open substantial business growth opportunities, particularly for firms specialising in education management, recruitment services, and software development. Organisations are encouraged to leverage their capabilities in delivering high-quality, scalable services to enhance participant experience and support strategic objectives. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) are seen as ideal contenders given UKRI's openness to diverse supplier types. The procurement process involves collaborative efforts, making it appealing to businesses with robust networking abilities and proven track records in managing multi-stakeholder engagements in the education sector.

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

Notice Title

UKRI -5498 TechFirst undergraduate and Sparck AI scholarships: Cohort Management Function (Lot 1), Recruitment Function (Lot 2)

Notice Description

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is procuring a managed service to support the delivery of its specialist scholarship programmes at scale. The procurement is structured into two Lots, covering recruitment and cohort management services. Lot 1 - Cohort Management Services: The appointed supplier will be responsible for the ongoing administration and management of scholarship cohorts. This includes hosting a student engagement platform, coordinating work placements, developing and delivering skills and knowledge-building activities, organising events, and managing relationships with multiple stakeholders. The cohort management service will support TechGrad Scholars (undergraduate) and Sparck AI Scholars (master's level). Lot 2 - Recruitment Management Services: The appointed supplier will be responsible for designing and delivering end-to-end recruitment campaigns across multiple scholarship programmes. This includes hosting and managing a recruitment platform, administering and assessing applications against criteria defined by UKRI (Innovate UK), identifying candidates best suited to the programmes, and collaborating with other managed service providers delivering elements of the wider programme. The supplier will also be required to report against agreed key performance indicators (KPIs). The recruitment service will support TechGrad Scholarships (undergraduate), Semiconductors Scholarships (undergraduate), and Sparck AI Scholarships (master's level). Across both Lots, suppliers will be expected to deliver high-quality, scalable services that enhance participant experience and contribute to the successful delivery of UKRI's strategic objectives.

Lot Information

Lot 1: Cohort Management Function

Focus: programme delivery, student engagement, events, placements, stakeholder management

Lot 2: Recruitment Function

Focus: recruitment campaigns, application management, candidate assessment

Planning Information

Market engagement Webinar

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066fdc
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036797-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender 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

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

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

80 - Education and training services

98 - Other community, social and personal services


CPV Codes

72212190 - Educational software development services

72230000 - Custom software development services

72316000 - Data analysis services

79421000 - Project-management services other than for construction work

79600000 - Recruitment services

79611000 - Job search services

79635000 - Assessment centre services for recruitment

80000000 - Education and training services

80500000 - Training services

98300000 - Miscellaneous services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£5,430,501 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£5,430,501 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Apr 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
29 May 20262 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
1 Apr 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
14 Jul 2026 - 31 Aug 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION (UKRI)
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

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

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-h6vhtk-066fdc-2026-04-22T16:28:34+01:00",
    "date": "2026-04-22T16:28:34+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-066fdc",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PDQJ-7126-JDHG",
            "name": "UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PDQJ-7126-JDHG"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Polaris House",
                "locality": "Swindon, Wiltshire",
                "postalCode": "SN2 1FL",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKK14"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "corporateprocurement@ukri.org",
                "name": "Corporate Procurement"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "https://www.ukri.org/",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PDQJ-7126-JDHG",
        "name": "UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "Market engagement Webinar",
                "dueDate": "2026-04-01T23:59:59+01:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "025562-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025562-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-03-20T09:35:44Z",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "UKRI-5498",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "UKRI -5498 TechFirst undergraduate and Sparck AI scholarships: Cohort Management Function (Lot 1), Recruitment Function (Lot 2)",
        "description": "UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is procuring a managed service to support the delivery of its specialist scholarship programmes at scale. The procurement is structured into two Lots, covering recruitment and cohort management services. Lot 1 - Cohort Management Services: The appointed supplier will be responsible for the ongoing administration and management of scholarship cohorts. This includes hosting a student engagement platform, coordinating work placements, developing and delivering skills and knowledge-building activities, organising events, and managing relationships with multiple stakeholders. The cohort management service will support TechGrad Scholars (undergraduate) and Sparck AI Scholars (master's level). Lot 2 - Recruitment Management Services: The appointed supplier will be responsible for designing and delivering end-to-end recruitment campaigns across multiple scholarship programmes. This includes hosting and managing a recruitment platform, administering and assessing applications against criteria defined by UKRI (Innovate UK), identifying candidates best suited to the programmes, and collaborating with other managed service providers delivering elements of the wider programme. The supplier will also be required to report against agreed key performance indicators (KPIs). The recruitment service will support TechGrad Scholarships (undergraduate), Semiconductors Scholarships (undergraduate), and Sparck AI Scholarships (master's level). Across both Lots, suppliers will be expected to deliver high-quality, scalable services that enhance participant experience and contribute to the successful delivery of UKRI's strategic objectives.",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "79421000",
                        "description": "Project-management services other than for construction work"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80000000",
                        "description": "Education and training services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80500000",
                        "description": "Training services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "72212190",
                        "description": "Educational software development services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "98300000",
                        "description": "Miscellaneous services"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1",
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UK",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "id": "2",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "79600000",
                        "description": "Recruitment services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "79611000",
                        "description": "Job search services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "79635000",
                        "description": "Assessment centre services for recruitment"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "72230000",
                        "description": "Custom software development services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "72316000",
                        "description": "Data analysis services"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UK",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "2"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 6516602,
            "amount": 5430501.67,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-07-15T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2027-08-31T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "status": "active",
                "title": "Lot 1: Cohort Management Function",
                "description": "Focus: programme delivery, student engagement, events, placements, stakeholder management",
                "value": {
                    "amountGross": 3198287,
                    "amount": 2665239.17,
                    "currency": "GBP"
                },
                "awardCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Technical/Quality",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 80,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "cost",
                            "name": "Cost",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 20,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                }
            },
            {
                "id": "2",
                "title": "Lot 2: Recruitment Function",
                "description": "Focus: recruitment campaigns, application management, candidate assessment",
                "status": "active",
                "value": {
                    "amountGross": 3318315,
                    "amount": 2765262.5,
                    "currency": "GBP"
                },
                "awardCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Technical/Quality",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 80,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "cost",
                            "name": "Cost",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 20,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-07-15T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2027-08-31T23:59:59+01:00"
                }
            }
        ],
        "status": "active",
        "procurementMethod": "open",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure",
        "submissionMethodDetails": "To access this opportunity please click here https://ukri2.my.salesforce-sites.com/ProSpend__CS_ContractPage?SearchType=Projects&uid=a1MTm000009ljMHMAY&searchStr=&sortStr=Recently+Published&page=1&filters=&County= Please note the following steps for accessing this opportunity via the Atamis eSourcing platform: 1. Log in or create an account here: https://ukri2.my.site.com 2. Navigate to the opportunity in the Find an Opportunity section of the site or via the direct access link above. 3. Select Register Interest (you will not be able to view the tender documentation without registering an interest). 4. Go back to the main menu and navigate to the My Proposals and Quotes section of the site. 5. Select the opportunity from the list. Tender Documents for download are found in the Documents tab.",
        "submissionTerms": {
            "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
            "languages": [
                "en"
            ]
        },
        "tenderPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-05-29T14:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "enquiryPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-05-22T12:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "awardPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-06-15T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "lotDetails": {
            "awardCriteriaDetails": "Lot 1 for Cohort Management Lot 2 for Recruitment. Suppliers can bid for one lot or both lots."
        },
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest"
            },
            {
                "id": "036797-2026",
                "documentType": "tenderNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK4",
                "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036797-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-04-22T16:28:34+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "language": "en"
}