---
title: "(NU/1433-16) NunaBio: Commercialisation of university research through provision of management skills to assist in successful spin-out company creation"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-028796"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-028796"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-028796.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-028796.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY"
published: "2021-01-05"
---

# (NU/1433-16) NunaBio: Commercialisation of university research through provision of management skills to assist in successful spin-out company creation

Buyer: NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-028796

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## Summary

Newcastle University is procuring consultancy services aimed at the commercialisation of university research through enhanced management skills to assist in the successful creation of spin-out companies, as outlined in the tender titled "(NU/1433-16) NunaBio". The procurement process is currently in the Award stage, and is classified under business and management consultancy services (CPV code 79400000). The eligible delivery location for bids is the UK, with a budget funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The contract was signed on 18 December 2020, with a total value of £26,000, involving the successful bidder, The Attic Consultancy Limited, which is also an SME.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses focused on management consultancy and those experienced in aiding research institutions with commercialisation efforts. Companies that can develop robust business plans, navigate university approval processes, and secure necessary funding will find themselves well-positioned to compete. There is a particular emphasis on quality and equity in the award criteria, which favours businesses that can demonstrate innovation and value addition in their proposals, making this a compelling opportunity for SMEs within these sectors.

## Notice

NunaBio Ltd has developed an enhanced DNA sensing platform technology and associated IP that will find application in many market sectors that require increased confidence in the sensitive detection of target DNA sequences. Consumers of diagnostic devices require their device to be sensitive and accurate. While 100% accuracy is possible, existing approaches require highly trained staff, expensive labs and significant lead time to results. These drawbacks are key drivers for the development of point-of-use devices which aim to support better decision making, reduce cost (social and economic) and time to action. The utility of such devices and therefore consumer confidence in the results they produce is highly dependent on their accuracy. Exemplified by the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent unmet need for advanced confidence. We are looking for an executive and the initial brief of the executive will be to: (1) Produce a viable 5 year business plan; (2) Obtain university approval for the venture; (3) a. Act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all company formation matters; b. Obtain founder academics' and Newcastle University (including the Head of Company Creation) approval for appointment as CEO. c. Provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for ERDF reporting requirements; (4) Secure (venture capital and other) funding

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Newcastle, Durham, Sunderland and Northumbria universities, in common with universities throughout the UK, have advanced relevant systems and procedures and also dedicate significant public resource to both research and commercialisation of that research. A key route to commercialisation is the creation of a new business (a spin-out company) wherein the intellectual property (IPR) developed exclusively licenced to a university start-up company in exchange for (founders) shares in that company. The universities ill engage suitably qualified and experienced executives through the DPS as and when required over the DPS period. The specific requirements will be detailed in each further competition. The initial brief of the executive for which he/she will be paid, dependent upon the scope of the specific project engagement sought, either a payment or a combination of a payment and a share/stock option will typically be to: (a) produce a viable business plan; (b) obtain university approval for the venture; (c) act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all the company formation matters; (d) provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for ESIF and Research England reporting requirements; (e) secure (venture capital and/or other) funding in accordance with the business plan.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000080-2021 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Dynamic |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Restricted procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Jan 2021 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 18 Dec 2020 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £26,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY |
| Additional buyers | DURHAM UNIVERSITY; EUROPEAN UNION; NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY NEWCASTLE; UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND |
| Locality | NEWCASTLE |
| Post town | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE1 7RU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Electoral ward | Monument |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | THE ATTIC CONSULTANCY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

## Release History

- 5 Jan 2021 at 08:52 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000080-2021

## Notice URLs

- http://www.ncl.ac.uk
- https://Sunderland.ac.uk
- https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:016574-2019:TEXT:EN:HTML
- https://www.durham.ac.uk
- https://www.northumbria.ac.uk

## 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-h6vhtk-028796. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-028796.json.