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Care-full Synthesis

The University Of Kent

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

13 Aug 2026 at 10:58

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

13 Aug 2026 at 10:42

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Kent commissioned research consultancy services for the Care-full Synthesis project, funded by the Wellcome Trust. The work concerns public engagement around the large-scale synthesis of human genomes and is delivered in the UK and internationally. It covers recruiting participants and delivering focus groups in the UK, facilitating recruitment and groups in other countries, and providing expert consultation on data analysis, outputs and dissemination. The supplier is expected to co-design, co-organise and co-deliver focus groups with members of the public in three to four countries, including the UK. Activities also include preparing discussion guides and stimulus materials, facilitating discussions, synthesising findings, drafting reports and contributing to white papers, primers, policy papers and other project reports.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded on 5 August 2026 to Sense About Science. The University of Kent used a direct award because it considered that, for technical reasons and without reasonable alternatives, only a particular supplier could provide the required services. The award value is £261,960 gross, including the stated taxes, and the service category is research consultancy. The awarded contract period runs from 27 August 2026 to 1 September 2029. One lot was completed and the award is active. A contract signature was scheduled for 26 August 2026. The evaluation basis was the direct-award justification rather than a competitive tender, with the requirement linked to a single supplier for technical reasons.

This requirement demonstrates demand for specialist public-engagement and research-consultancy capability in sensitive, technically complex scientific subjects. A credible competitor would need to recruit and facilitate diverse public focus groups across several countries, work collaboratively with academic project teams, and turn discussions into clear, robust findings. Relevant strengths include co-designing engagement activity, preparing accessible discussion materials, managing participant recruitment, facilitating conversations where evidence may be misunderstood, and synthesising qualitative insights for researchers and policymakers. The work also favours organisations able to contribute to white papers, primers, policy papers and other dissemination outputs. Sense About Science’s stated experience spans more than 20 years and is grounded in a public-led, expert-fed approach, indicating the level of engagement expertise and mission alignment that satisfied this buyer.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Care-full Synthesis

Notice Description

Sense about Science will be supporting the project by organising and delivering focus groups relating to the Wellcome Trust funded project Care-full Synthesis (370 28894). This includes: 1) lead focus group participant recruitment and focus group delivery in the UK, 2) facilitating focus group participant recruitment and focus group delivery in other countries, and 3) proving expert consultation on data analysis, output and dissemination. The work is in line with Sense about Science's charitable mission of promoting the public interest in sound science and evidence. Sense about Science is an independent charity that promotes the public interest in sound science and evidence. It works with decision-makers, world-leading researchers and community groups to raise the standard of evidence in public life. Sense about Science has over 20 years' experience in helping the public make sense of complex and challenging issues relating to evidence. It has pioneered a 'public-led, expert-fed' approach to public engagement, which involves engaging early and directly with the public's questions and concerns and meeting people where they are in the discussion. This approach helps to ensure that the public's questions are heard and answered. This experience will be particularly valuable when engaging the public on a topic as sensitive and potentially open to misunderstanding as the large-scale synthesis of human genomes. Sense about Science will be responsible for co-designing, co-organising and co-delivering a series of focus group discussions with members of the public in 3-4 countries, including the UK, in collaboration with other members of the project team. This will involve: identifying and organising the recruitment of focus group participants; co-drafting discussion guides and managing the preparation of stimulus and other materials; co-organising and facilitating the focus group discussions; and co-drafting reports of the discussions and synthesising key findings. Sense about Science will also provide input and insights, drawing on its public engagement experience, into key documents, including white papers, primers, policy papers and other reports that the project team will produce throughout the life of the project.

Procurement Information

Due to an absence of competition for technical reasons and provided there are no reasonable alternatives, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e354
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077115-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73210000 - Research consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£261,960 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
5 Aug 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
27 Aug 2026 - 1 Sep 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
The University Of Kent
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CANTERBURY
Postcode
CT2 7NZ
Postcode Area
Canterbury
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ44 East Kent
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Canterbury
Electoral Ward
Blean Forest
Westminster Constituency
Canterbury

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SENSE ABOUT SCIENCE

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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