Unlocking Space for Investment - Growth Pathway Market Engagement

Notice Information

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Notice Title

Notice Description

**Please note, the engagement event will now be held virtually, please see the Engagement section below for more information** The UK Space Agency (UKSA), part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), intends to run a competitive procurement to appoint a capable and experienced delivery partner (or consortium) to design and deliver the next phase of the Growth Pathway - a key initiative within the Unlocking Space for Investment (USI) programme. The Growth Pathway supports the investment readiness of UK space businesses through subsidised, tailored sell-side advisory services. The Advisory Scheme provides bespoke one-to-one support for growth-stage (Series A+) and high-potential space companies, focused on areas including commercial strategy, financial and capital planning, legal and IP, and investor engagement. The overarching aim is to help UK space scale-ups overcome access-to-finance barriers and attract private investment, supporting HM Government's mission of economic growth. The successful supplier will be responsible for: delivering robust diagnostics and bespoke advisory services to participating businesses; supporting marketing, communications and pipeline development; designing a transparent and flexible service menu; delivering structured engagement touchpoints between UKSA and industry participants; and contributing to monitoring, evaluation and learning activity. The Advisory Scheme was first piloted in FY2025/26, supporting six industry participants. This procurement seeks to build on lessons learned and scale delivery to support approximately 30 companies over the contract period. The full Specification of Requirements is available by requesting a copy from uksa.commercial@dsit.gov.uk. The Government Procurement Agency Management Consultancy Framework 4 (MCF4) RM6309, Lot 2 will be used to procure this contract. Suppliers with relevant experience and knowledge of sell-side advisory and the Space sector that are not currently on this framework are encouraged to explore forming consortia with organisations that are on the framework. Further detail is provided below.

Planning Information

Please note, this section has been updated: In light of the extreme heat warnings issued for this week, and following travel guidance from Transport for London and Network Rail urging passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary, we have taken the decision to switch the planned in-person session to a virtual format to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all attendees and staff. The session will go ahead virtually at the same time, 12:25–13:45 on Thursday 25 June. Joining details will be circulated in advance of the session in the form of an MS Teams invite. We recognise that a key focus of the in-person session was to promote networking and support consortia building between potential suppliers. To ensure this objective is not lost by moving to a virtual format, we will share details of attendees following the session – including names, email addresses, and a short description of the services offered by each company – to support post-session outreach, networking, and consortia development. The purpose of this session is to: • provide prospective suppliers with an overview of the Specification of Requirements (available on request), • outline the aims and scope of the Growth Pathway Advisory Scheme, and offer the opportunity to raise questions in advance of the formal tender process, and • facilitate consortia or new working relationships between suppliers who are appointed to MCF4 Lot 2 and suppliers with space sector specific knowledge. To register for the session, please use this link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/h6sABhnJMx Specification of Requirements: The Specification of Requirements for the Growth Pathway Advisory Scheme is available on request by emailing uksa.commercial@dsit.gov.uk. Prospective suppliers are encouraged to review this document ahead of the engagement session to inform their questions and to understand the full scope, objectives, and requirements of the contract. Advance Questions: We are inviting interested organisations to submit questions in advance by close of play Tuesday 23 June 2026 to allow us to prepare for the session. Questions should be submitted to: uksa.commercial@dsit.gov.uk All questions raised, whether submitted in advance or during the session itself, together with the corresponding answers, will be made available to bidders following the engagement session. This is to ensure full transparency and a level playing field for organisations that are unable to attend. Consortia and Networking: Our chosen route to market is RM6309 MCF4 Lot 2. We recognise that the breadth of skills and experience required by this procurement, spanning sell-side investment advisory, space and deep-tech market understanding, legal and regulatory expertise, and marketing and communications, may not reside within a single organisation. This engagement session is therefore also intended as an opportunity for organisations to network and explore forming suitable consortia. In particular, we encourage organisations that possess relevant specialist capabilities but are not currently on the MCF4 framework to attend, with a view to partnering with framework-listed organisations. Participation: This opportunity is of particular suitability for: • Management consultancy and financial advisory firms listed on Crown Commercial Service Management Consultancy Framework 4 (MCF4) RM6309, Lot 2, with demonstrable experience in sell-side investment advisory and capital-raising support for growth-stage businesses. • Specialist advisory firms – including those offering legal, regulatory, strategic, and commercial consultancy services that can complement the core financial advisory capability of MCF4 Lot 2 suppliers through consortium or subcontracting arrangements. • Space sector advisory and consulting firms with credible experience in space and deep-tech business strategy, technical due diligence, and investment advisory who can bring sector-specific knowledge and networks to strengthen consortium bids. The procurement will be conducted through MCF4 Lot 2 using the following filters: Business Case Development, Business Structure, Future Planning, Strategic Advice, Strategy; accordingly, the lead organisation in any bid must be a framework-listed supplier. Organisations not currently on MCF4 are encouraged to attend this engagement session to explore consortium or subcontracting partnerships with framework-listed firms. Please note: This market engagement opportunity is intended for organisations providing independent professional advisory and consultancy services. It is not suitable for organisations that are themselves active participants in the UK space industry (e.g., technology developers, satellite operators, launch providers, or other commercial space-tech enterprises), as the nature of the contract requires suppliers to operate in an impartial advisory capacity, independent of active technology development, proprietary commercial pursuits, or market positioning activities within the space sector.

Notice Details

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Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b552
Publication Source: Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059152-2026
Current Stage: Planning
All Stages: Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type: UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type: Standard
Procurement Category: Services
Procurement Method: Not Specified
Procurement Method Details: Not specified
Tender Suitability: Not specified
Awardee Scale: Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

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

CPV Codes

66171000 - Financial consultancy services

79411100 - Business development consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value: £4,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value: Not specified
Awards Value: Not specified
Contracts Value: Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date: 23 Jun 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline: Not specified
Future Notice Date: 30 Jun 20265 days to go
Award Date: Not specified
Contract Period: 31 Aug 2026 - 31 Mar 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence: Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status: Planning
Lots Status: Planning
Awards Status: Not Specified
Contracts Status: Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

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Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
Contact Name: Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email: Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone: Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality: LONDON
Postcode: SW1A 2EG
Post Town: South West London
Country: England
Major Region (ITL 1): TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2): TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3): TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location: Not specified
Local Authority: Westminster
Electoral Ward: St James's
Westminster Constituency: Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059152-2026
23rd June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056336-2026
15th June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Notice URLs

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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