---
title: "Research in Practice STAR pilot (con_31728)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ace3"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ace3"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ace3.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ace3.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION"
published: "2026-06-03"
---

# Research in Practice STAR pilot (con_31728)

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ace3

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## Summary

The Department for Education in the United Kingdom has completed a procurement process for a contract titled "Research in Practice STAR pilot (con_31728)", which falls under the services category. This procurement was focused on conducting a formative evaluation of the STAR tool's usability, reliability, and effectiveness in assessing the quality of social work supervision. The contract was awarded on 3rd June 2026 and will be active between 21st May 2026 and 30th June 2026. The procurement process employed was direct, below threshold, and without competition, exclusively targeting specific requirements at a lower contract value. The activity took place primarily in London and revolved around research services, showcasing the central government's involvement in enhancing public services.

This tender offers potential growth opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with expertise in research services, particularly those with experience in social work evaluation. The exclusion of a competitive process opens doors for established suppliers with pre-existing relationships or specialized expertise in the sector, such as NCB RiP, an SME already identified as suitable for this procurement. Such contracts could enable businesses to expand their portfolios and demonstrate their capacity in delivering public sector services, thereby enhancing their market credibility and establishing themselves as leaders in social service research innovations.

## Notice

To conduct a formative evaluation of the STAR tool's usability, reliability, and To conduct a formative evaluation of the STAR tool's usability, reliability, and effectiveness in assessing the quality of social work supervision.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052531-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 3 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 May 2026 |
| Contract period | 20 May 2026 - 30 Jun 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £24,396 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 3BT |
| 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 | NCB RIP |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 3 Jun 2026 at 16:44 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052531-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052531-2026
  3rd June 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education/about/procurement
- 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-06ace3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ace3.json.