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UKRI-6157 - Employee Screening Service

UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

09 Oct 2026 at 09:53

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

01 Jul 2026 at 12:03

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is buying an employee screening service covering baseline security screening, pre-employment checks and checks before candidates are engaged. The work falls within investigation and security services and is intended to support UKRI’s recruitment and engagement processes. The service is for use across the United Kingdom. The procurement is arranged as a single contract rather than being divided into separate lots, so suppliers would need to cover the full screening requirement across the UK. UKRI is the buying organisation.

UKRI invited offers through a tender using an open procedure. The enquiry deadline set by the buyer was 28 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC, and the bid submission deadline was 9 November 2026 at 12:00 UTC. The contract is scheduled to run from 7 January 2027 to 6 January 2029, with options for two additional one-year extensions, giving a maximum term of four years. The estimated value is £1.4 million excluding VAT (£1.68 million including VAT). Evaluation gives quality a 70% weighting and price 30%. The planned award decision date was 9 December 2026. The procurement is above the relevant threshold and covered by the Government Procurement Agreement.

This requirement may suit small and medium-sized screening, security and background-check providers: UKRI has marked the single lot as suitable for SMEs. Suppliers need to be able to deliver baseline security screening as well as checks before employment and engagement, across the United Kingdom. The quality-led evaluation means providers should be able to demonstrate a dependable screening service and strong delivery against the buyer’s requirements, alongside competitive pricing. The contract’s potential four-year term favours businesses able to sustain service delivery over several years and manage the capacity needed to support UKRI’s candidate screening activity. No specific accreditation, technical standard or minimum experience requirement is stated in the procurement information.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

UKRI-6157 - Employee Screening Service

Notice Description

Provision of a baseline security screening service, plus a pre-employment and pre-engagement of candidate checks.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: The contract may be extended for up to two (2) additional one-year periods (2+1+1), to a maximum term of four (4) years.

Renewal: The contract may be extended for up to two (2) additional one-year periods (2+1+1), to a maximum term of four (4) years.

Planning Information

UKRI will be hosting a virtual Market Engagement presentation on 15th July 2026 from 10:00 to 11:00, providing an overview of the requirement and the opportunity for suppliers to ask questions. If required, separate individual Q&A sessions could also be organised. If you are interested in attending, please email your contact details to STFCprocurement@ukri.org, quoting the UKRI reference number, no later than 10th July 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c113
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095487-2026
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
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79700000 - Investigation and security services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,400,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,400,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Oct 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
9 Nov 20264 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
17 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
7 Jan 2027 - 6 Jan 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
2030-08-01

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION
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
Postcode Area
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

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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