---
title: "STEP Interim Socio-economic Evaluation"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-069127"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-069127"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069127.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069127.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "UK FUSION ENERGY LTD"
published: "2026-05-05"
---

# STEP Interim Socio-economic Evaluation

Buyer: UK FUSION ENERGY LTD  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-069127

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## Summary

UK Fusion Energy Ltd, a sub-central government public authority, is inviting tenders for the "STEP Interim Socio-economic Evaluation" project. Located in Abingdon, United Kingdom, this evaluation consultancy service falls under the industry category for services. The procurement process is in the tender stage with an open procurement method. Key dates include the enquiry period ending on 18th May 2026, the tender submission deadline on 1st June 2026, and the contract award anticipated by 12th June 2026. The contract will commence on 22nd June 2026 and run until 18th May 2027, providing a substantial opportunity with a budget of up to £600,000.

This procurement presents significant growth opportunities for businesses equipped to deliver evaluation consultancy services, particularly those specializing in socio-economic assessments. The open procedure favours businesses that can effectively demonstrate technical expertise, including social value delivery, as well as competitive commercial pricing. This tender is especially suited for SMEs and VCSEs, offering the chance to contribute to high-profile governmental evaluation work, potentially enhancing their credentials and positioning them for future competitive tenders. Businesses meeting the economic and technical criteria outlined in the ITT documentation stand to benefit greatly from participation in this strategically valuable project.

## Notice

The purpose of this procurement is for UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced supplier to design and deliver an independent interim socio-economic evaluation of the STEP programme. The evaluation shall comprise a Baseline Evaluation, a Process Evaluation and an Interim Impact Evaluation and will be conducted in accordance with UK Government evaluation, appraisal and assurance guidance including the Magenta Book. The evaluation will provide, a robust, proportionate and reproducible evidence base to support: *accountability for public investment, *organisational learning and programme improvement, and *future decision-making including Spending Reviews, development of the STEP Tranche 2b Business Case for DESNZ and the positioning of UKFE as an investible proposition *the future final evaluation of Tranche 2a. The Contract will provide UKFE with an independent, proportionate, and reproducible evaluation framework and evidence base capable of withstanding scrutiny from HMG stakeholders and external investors.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040937-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 1 Jun 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 21 Jun 2026 - 18 May 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £500,000 |
| Lots value | £500,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Active |
| Lots status | Active |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK FUSION ENERGY LTD |
| Locality | ABINGDON |
| Post town | Oxford |
| Postcode | OX14 3DB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC |
| Local authority | South Oxfordshire |
| Electoral ward | Sandford & the Wittenhams |
| Westminster constituency | Didcot and Wantage |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79419000 - Evaluation consultancy services

## Release History

- 5 May 2026 at 10:53 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040937-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040937-2026
  5th May 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://ukifs.delta-esourcing.com/respond/D2S84W34BQ
- 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-069127. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069127.json.