---
title: "DNO/493 - Labour Market Intelligence"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0609ed"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0609ed"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0609ed.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0609ed.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE"
published: "2026-03-30"
---

# DNO/493 - Labour Market Intelligence

Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0609ed

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence, located in Bristol, has completed a procurement process titled "DNO/493 - Labour Market Intelligence" under the industry category of services, specifically targeting research consultancy within the UK Nuclear Sector. This procurement aims to assess the labour market to guide future recruitment strategies. The process reached the award stage on 30 March 2026, with the contract period running from 20 March 2026 to 31 March 2028. The direct award was granted to Cogent Skills Limited, an SME based in Warrington. Justified under the Procurement Act 2023, the direct award was considered necessary due to Cogent's unique expertise and historic data holdings relevant to the Nuclear Workforce Assessment, with the overall contract valued at £899,622.46, excluding VAT.

This procurement offers a significant opportunity for growth for businesses specialising in research consultancy, particularly those with unique capabilities or historic datasets related to niche industries like nuclear energy. Companies holding exclusive or proprietary methods and data stand to benefit from similar direct awards, highlighting the demand for specialised technical expertise within government contracts. Businesses that can position themselves as integral to government strategies, or those capable of offering continuity and value without incurring disproportionate costs, are well-placed to compete in such high-value contracts. The favourable procurement method underlines the value of unique competencies in securing governmental projects.

## Notice

UK Nuclear Sector labour market assessment to drive future recruitment strategy.

### Procurement Information

In accordance with Schedule 5, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Authority considers a direct award to be justified on the basis that Cogent Skills Services Ltd are the only supplier capable of delivering the required Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA) service without disproportionate cost, delay, or risk to value for money. Cogent holds unique and non replicable capabilities essential to the successful delivery of this requirement, including: * Proprietary historic datasets underpinning the Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA), developed and maintained since 2015; * Specialist technical expertise in nuclear labour market modelling, built over multiple iterations of the NWA; and * Established relationships and data sharing arrangements with nuclear sector organisations formalised through the Nuclear Sector Executive Council (NSEC). Cogent has been the sole developer and publisher of the NWA for over a decade, independently refining the methodology and recovering costs directly from sector organisations through individual contributions. The Authority does not own, nor does it hold rights to, previous iterations of the NWA or the underlying datasets. Continuity of methodology and data is critical for tracking trends, ensuring comparability across years, and measuring the effectiveness of the Nuclear Skills Plan (NSP). No alternative provider could replicate the existing dataset or methodology without incurring substantial development time and cost, which would materially undermine both value for money and the timely delivery of the NSP. On this basis, Cogent is the only provider capable of delivering the required service in a way that preserves continuity, avoids duplication of cost, and protects the integrity of the sector-wide evidence base.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029148-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 30 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 Jan 2026 |
| Contract period | 20 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,152,500 |
| Contracts value | £899,622 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MINISTRY OF DEFENCE |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS34 8JH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire |
| Local authority | South Gloucestershire |
| Electoral ward | Stoke Park & Cheswick |
| Westminster constituency | Filton and Bradley Stoke |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | COGENT SKILLS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73210000 - Research consultancy services

## Release History

- 30 Mar 2026 at 13:32 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029148-2026
- 24 Feb 2026 at 16:15 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016623-2026
- 20 Jan 2026 at 12:49 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004801-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029148-2026
  30th March 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016623-2026
  24th February 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004801-2026
  20th January 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
- 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-0609ed. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0609ed.json.