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Innovation Marketplace

Crown Commercial Service

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Planning

12 Aug 2026 at 12:06

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

27 Jul 2026 at 08:06

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Planning

09 Jul 2026 at 08:43

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Government Commercial Agency, working with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, intends to establish an Innovation Marketplace for public sector buyers. It will provide a compliant route to identify and procure innovative products, services and solutions addressing operational, service delivery and policy challenges. The expected scope includes establishing and operating a Dynamic Market for innovation, allowing eligible suppliers to apply to join throughout the arrangement’s life. It may cover a broad range of innovative technologies, products, services and solutions supporting public sector transformation, improved outcomes, efficiency and economic growth. The arrangement is intended for central government departments, arm’s length bodies and other eligible public sector organisations across the United Kingdom. It is expected to support pilots, proofs of concept and other evidence-building activity.

This procurement is at the planning stage: the buyer has announced an intention to procure and is undertaking preliminary market engagement, rather than inviting tenders. Supplier and customer engagement is planned through webinars, surveys and focus groups during August and September 2026, with engagement activity scheduled from 25 August to 16 September 2026. The buyer expects the next notice to be published by 17 February 2027. The planned arrangement is a Dynamic Market, with the procurement marked as above threshold. The estimated value is £900 million excluding VAT, or £1.08 billion including VAT. One planned lot is expected to run from 17 March 2027 to 16 March 2033, with a possible extension to 16 March 2035. Renewal is envisaged.

The arrangement is intended for suppliers able to provide innovative research, experimental development, research consultancy, and related technologies, products, services or solutions. It should suit organisations that can help public bodies define challenges, test ideas, develop pilots, produce proofs of concept, build evidence and scale successful solutions. The buyer is seeking leaders in innovation and research and development, across all market sectors, with the ability to support public sector transformation, better outcomes, efficiency and economic growth. SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups are specifically encouraged to engage, alongside larger organisations, voluntary, community and social enterprises, academia, innovation hubs and accelerators. Suppliers that can work with public sector customers and contribute to designing the future arrangement should prepare to participate in the engagement process.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Innovation Marketplace

Notice Description

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST) and the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) are working together to establish an Innovation Marketplace, providing a compliant route for public sector buyers to identify and procure innovative products, services and solutions that address operational, service delivery and policy challenges. This requirement supports wider government work to improve how innovation is identified, tested and scaled, while reducing barriers for innovative suppliers, including SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups, to access public sector opportunities. The scope is expected to include establishing and operating a Dynamic Market for innovation, enabling eligible suppliers to apply to join throughout the life of the arrangement. The Innovation Marketplace may cover a broad range of innovative technologies, products, services and solutions that support public sector transformation, improved outcomes, efficiency, and economic growth. The Innovation Marketplace is intended to be used by central government departments, arm's length bodies and other eligible public sector organisations. It is expected to support procurement following pre-market engagement, challenge definition, pilots, proofs of concept or other evidence-building activity. The arrangement is expected to complement the Innovation Hub (Commercial Innovation Hub - Find a Tender) by providing a transparent, fair and compliant commercial route for buyers to procure relevant innovative solutions. Our ambition is to make the government a more strategic buyer of innovation. The result is a more connected innovation ecosystem where innovative suppliers can scale more quickly, government can access better solutions faster, and public money works harder to support both public service transformation and economic growth. When contacting GCA regarding this agreement, please ensure that you reference the agreement details in all correspondence.

Planning Information

GCA will undertake supplier and customer engagement during August and September 2026 via webinars, surveys and focus groups. The dates for these events are as follows: Supplier Webinars: 25th & 26th August 2026 Supplier Focus Groups: ● Start Ups and Scale Ups - 1 September 2026 ● SMEs - 1st and 2nd September ● Large Organisations -2nd and 3rd September ● VCSE’s, Academia, Innovation Hubs, Accelerators etc - 3rd September Customer Engagement Sessions: 27 August 28 August 1 September 2 September 3 September 4 September 8 September Customer Focus Group Drop in sessions: 9 September 10 September 11 September 15 September 16 September We are keen to engage with suppliers of all sizes and market sectors who are leaders in innovation and research and development activities and can help us design this agreement.SMEs and startups are encouraged to express their interest in this opportunity. In express your interest in taking part in this engagement process, please contact GCA via the email address in this notice confirming the following information Organisation Name Organisation industry/market sector Primary Contact Name Primary Contact Email Address Primary Contact Tel No

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c6e7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076686-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Dynamic
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

73100000 - Research and experimental development services

73110000 - Research services

73120000 - Experimental development services

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

73210000 - Research consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£900,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
17 Feb 20276 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
17 Mar 2027 - 16 Mar 2033 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Crown Commercial Service
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LIVERPOOL
Postcode
L3 9PP
Postcode Area
Liverpool
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD7 Merseyside
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD72 Liverpool
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Liverpool
Electoral Ward
City Centre North
Westminster Constituency
Liverpool Riverside

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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