--- title: "OCHRE Research scoping partnerships and opportunities" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "DSIT" published: "2025-10-02" --- # OCHRE Research scoping partnerships and opportunities Buyer: DSIT Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592.json) ## Summary The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) conducted a public procurement process titled "OCHRE Research scoping partnerships and opportunities," focused on research and development services within the engineering biology sector. This selective procurement was executed as a call-off from a framework agreement, culminating in an award stage on 2nd October 2025. The contract was valued at £79,286.40 and spanned from 26th September 2025 to 26th March 2026. This procurement was dedicated to identifying research capabilities and collaboration opportunities in countries, with a focus on G7 nations. The contract aims to enhance the UK's knowledge of the international engineering biology value chain and support technological advancements. The project will result in interim and final reports outlining findings and recommendations. This tender offers an opportunity for growth, especially for businesses skilled in analytical tools, automation, bioinformatics, and the synthesis and sequencing of biological materials. Businesses, including SMEs and VCSEs, stand to benefit by contributing to mapping global engineering biology capabilities and fostering international collaborations. The tender is ideal for enterprises that have expertise in data analysis, biotechnology, and international trade, given its focus on navigating geopolitical and technological advancements over the next 5-10 years. ForgeFront, a large-scale company, has already been awarded the contract, showcasing the opportunity for diverse organisations to participate and compete in such global research and innovation initiatives. ## Notice We are seeking an experienced external supplier to improve HMG's knowledge of the international EB value chain and help us prioritise country engagement. The project is split in two: 1. Mapping capabilities. Identify where in a set list of countries (provided below) there are leading capabilities across the DSIT-defined engineering biology value chain. This will be through a mixture of qualitative and quantitative analysis, covering the research & commercial ecosystem. 2. Identify collaboration opportunities. Provide suggestions for mutually beneficial collaborations with those countries to boost supply chain security and maintain technological advantage. Utilise futures thinking to consider how technological & geopolitical developments may affect things in the future (5-10 years). The technologies in scope are: - Analytical tools: Techniques, methods, and instruments for analysing and understanding the behaviour and functionality of biological systems, particularly those that have been engineered or modified. - Automation and robotics: Robotics can be used in all laboratories, including biomedical and engineering biology, to automate large parts of the work of researchers and companies. In this context robots are used to physically manipulate items, ranging from simple hand tools to entirely autonomous laboratories, including cloud labs. - Bioinformatics, data, AI, and supercomputing: Bioinformatics and omics in engineering biology is the processing, storing, and analysing of biological data using computational tools and statistical methods to interpret large datasets generated by omics technologies. It can be roughly split into data, software (including AI), and hardware (including supercomputing). - Biological materials, reagents, and feedstocks: This includes unprocessed primary commodities, processed primary commodities, processed intermediate commodities, enzymes, and chemicals necessary for all engineering biology operations. - Nucleotide and protein synthesis: This includes the synthesis of genetic vectors (such as RNA, DNA, plasmids) and proteins. - Nucleotide and protein sequencing: This includes the sequencing of RNA and DNA, as well as diagnostic platforms for metagenomics. The countries in scope will be a subset of those in the following list: USA, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore & Switzerland. The final selection will be made according to supplier capabilities and expertise, but G7 countries should be prioritised. The project will be delivered in two phases: - Phase 1: an interim draft report roughly halfway through the project - Phase 2: a final report ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/73ff03ca-1d9c-4983-9e3a-ef676de6724e | | Notice type | Award Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Works | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Large | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 2 Oct 2025 | | Submission deadline | 15 Aug 2025 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 24 Aug 2025 | | Contract period | 25 Sep 2025 - 26 Mar 2026 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £79,286 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | £79,286 | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DSIT | | Locality | SALFORD | | Post town | Manchester | | Postcode | M3 5BS | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester | | ITL 3 | TLD34 Greater Manchester South West | | Local authority | Salford | | Electoral ward | Blackfriars & Trinity | | Westminster constituency | Salford | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | FORGEFRONT | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ## Release History - 2 Oct 2025 at 10:05 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/73ff03ca-1d9c-4983-9e3a-ef676de6724e ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/73ff03ca-1d9c-4983-9e3a-ef676de6724e 2nd October 2025 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/cdb4b42d-bfac-4d18-b389-55b1f4aed296 n/a ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592.json.