--- title: "Call for concept notes - Future horn, future Sudans: Multiple and competing centres" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "CHEMONICS INTERNATIONAL, INC." published: "2025-09-11" --- # Call for concept notes - Future horn, future Sudans: Multiple and competing centres Buyer: CHEMONICS INTERNATIONAL, INC. Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-b5fd17-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7.json) ## Summary The procurement process initiated by Chemonics International, Inc. involves a call for concept notes titled "Future Horn, Future Sudans: Multiple and Competing Centres." This tender focuses on research services aimed at exploring the dynamics of multiple and competing centres in the Horn of Africa and their implications for regional conflict and state governance. The project is based in London, United Kingdom, with funding of up to £120,000 per award available. The procurement method is an open procedure, and the tender period ends on 25 September 2025, with projects scheduled between December 2025 and December 2026. This opportunity is particularly accessible to SMEs and VCSEs, indicating a broad inclusion for smaller and community-oriented enterprises. This tender presents significant opportunities for growth for businesses involved in research services, particularly those with expertise in geopolitical studies, economic dynamics, and regional security issues. Organisations and individuals capable of conducting in-depth analysis on conflict dynamics and regional governance can benefit from the financial support and framework provided by this tender. It encourages applications from those who can offer innovative insights into how state formations and conflict dynamics can be better understood and managed. The focus on diverse perspectives and potential for impactful policy developments makes this an attractive opportunity for businesses aimed at influencing policy through evidence-based research. ## Notice This XRF call for proposals will support the development of three to five research projects that explore the rise of multiple and competing centres in the Horn of Africa and beyond, and the implications for the future of the states in the region, and the nature of the state itself. Research under this call is expected to deepen the body of XCEPT-supported work on contested borderlands in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia and the wider Horn, including Horn-Red Sea dynamics. Comparative case examples from the conflict-affected areas of the Middle East and Asia, which help deepen insight on broader dynamics outlined here also are welcome. Applicants are invited to propose research that explores the following primary question and related sub-questions: How does the emergence of multiple centres in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region reshape conflict dynamics? Sub-themes and questions include: 1. Emergence and evolution: What drives the emergence of these centres? What dynamics drive their growth and under what conditions do they decline or disappear? 2. Economic drivers: How do shifting commodity chains, digital finance systems, diaspora revenue flows and other economic forces contribute to the rise or fall of these centres? 3. Maritime and security dimensions: What roles do maritime trade, port-centric investment, and regional security deployments (especially in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden) play in shaping these dynamics? 4. Political and social implications: How do these centres affect political settlements, centre-periphery relations, and incentives for violence? What are the implications for state formation and governance? Proposals need not address all the above sub-questions. Applicants are encouraged to focus on aspects most relevant to their expertise or interest. However, all submissions should engage with the core theme related to the emergence of hubs / centres and their implications for conflict dynamics in the region. Additionally, all submissions also should indicate how research will surface actionable considerations for policy and programme responses. The latter may include how an understanding of multiple and competing centres might support more inclusive future political settlements and more sustainable conflict mitigation efforts. Funding support up to PS120,000 is available per award, depending on the scope of the research and methods employed. Applications are welcome from both individuals and organisations. Interested applicants can read more about this opportunity here: https://www.xcept-research.org/grants_post/call-for-concept-notes-future-horn-future-sudans-multiple-and-competing-centres/ The deadline for submission is Thursday 25 September 2025, 10:00 BST ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/93ade2fb-a149-41f0-a072-95e0dcdec912 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure (above threshold) | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 11 Sep 2025 | | Submission deadline | 24 Sep 2025 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2026 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £120,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | CHEMONICS INTERNATIONAL, INC. | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | Central London | | Postcode | EC1M 5QL | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East | | ITL 3 | TLI43 Haringey and Islington | | Local authority | Islington | | Electoral ward | Clerkenwell | | Westminster constituency | Islington South and Finsbury | | Delivery location | TLI London | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73110000 - Research services ## Release History - 11 Sep 2025 at 08:32 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/93ade2fb-a149-41f0-a072-95e0dcdec912 - 11 Sep 2025 at 08:26 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/93ade2fb-a149-41f0-a072-95e0dcdec912 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/93ade2fb-a149-41f0-a072-95e0dcdec912 11th September 2025 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/c09fa85b-4fbb-424a-9e2a-70f2c9bc1081 - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/f593d48e-b587-41a4-b1fe-09a2b2f3bfcd Application form for individuals - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/74fa8205-5c32-461c-b1c6-bb1e841b16a4 Application form for organisations ## Notice URLs - https://www.xcept-research.org/grants_post/call-for-concept-notes-future-horn-future-sudans-multiple-and-competing-centres/ ## 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-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cf91caa2-12bc-4361-9c3e-c8e42aeacdc7.json.