---
title: "Areas of Research Interest Database"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05fb36"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05fb36"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05fb36.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05fb36.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY"
published: "2026-01-14"
---

# Areas of Research Interest Database

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05fb36

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## Summary

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, a central government public authority based in London, has completed a direct award procurement process for the "Areas of Research Interest Database". This contract is for the development and ongoing maintenance of an important database platform, intended to support government departments in publishing and accessing research questions and to coordinate across departments. The procurement was undertaken without competition under a single supplier method, as specified by legal criteria that restrict competition due to exclusive supplier rights. The contract is classified within the goods category and encompasses services related to a database management system. The contract started on 7 January 2026 and will run until 8 January 2029, with the possibility of extension by up to 24 months, if necessary.

This procurement process represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in database management systems, particularly those with unique intellectual property that meets specific governmental needs. The awarded supplier, Open Policy Limited (Overton), is a large-scale entity well-suited for this contract due to its exclusive capabilities. This single-source contract illustrates the potential for growth for businesses that can leverage proprietary technology to meet specialised public sector requirements. Companies looking to expand in public contracts should ensure they possess unique offerings that cater to specific demands, thus positioning themselves for similar future tenders where direct procurement may apply.

## Notice

The Government Office for Science (GOS) is awarding a service contract for the development and maintenance of the Areas of Research Interest (ARI) database, Ari.org.uk. The database supports government departments in publishing and accessing ARI questions, primarily for external experts but also to be used by Civil Servants to improve coordination across departments. The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract: Section 41, Schedule 5, Paragraph 5 - Single Supplier: (a) due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. VAT is recoverable on this contract.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003109-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 16 Dec 2025 |
| Contract period | 7 Jan 2026 - 8 Jan 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £45,000 |
| Contracts value | £45,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1A 2EG |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | OPEN POLICY LIMITED (OVERTON |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48612000 - Database-management system

## Release History

- 14 Jan 2026 at 13:41 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003109-2026
- 22 Dec 2025 at 10:08 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085253-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003109-2026
  14th January 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085253-2025
  22nd December 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-10291

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-05fb36. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05fb36.json.