--- title: "Research relating to the impacts of the minimum wage, 1-year projects (open call)" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06c9b7" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c9b7" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c9b7.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c9b7.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "LOW PAY COMMISSION" published: "2026-07-13" --- # Research relating to the impacts of the minimum wage, 1-year projects (open call) Buyer: LOW PAY COMMISSION Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06c9b7 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c9b7) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c9b7.json) ## Summary The Low Pay Commission, a public authority under the UK central government located in London, is currently in the tender stage for a project titled "Research relating to the impacts of the minimum wage, 1-year projects (open call)". This tender, with the procurement reference LPC 2026/01, falls under the services category, specifically focusing on research and development services. Interested parties have until 1st September 2026 to submit their proposals, while the enquiry period closes on 11th August 2026. The projects, aimed at evaluating the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage's impacts, are slated to commence on 4th November 2026 and conclude by 31st March 2028. The maximum budget for each project is £60,000, excluding VAT, with the overall competition being below the threshold open method. This tender offers a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in research and consultancy services to engage in high-impact work that could influence minimum wage policy both in the UK and globally. The Low Pay Commission seeks innovative research proposals, especially from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), that can utilise new data sources and methodologies. The focus on the Most Advantageous Tender evaluation maximises quality and value for money, creating an environment where high-standard, cost-effective proposals are rewarded, providing a platform for businesses aiming to expand their reach and reputation in the realm of public policy research. ## Notice The Low Pay Commission (LPC) invites tenders for new or innovative research in relation to the National Living Wage (NLW) and the National Minimum Wage (NMW). This call is for projects that would deliver results in September 2027, with a final report due in November 2027. It is published alongside a call for larger-scale projects (LPC 2026/03), which would deliver final results by September 2028. Please carefully consider which is most suitable for your project. The Low Pay Commission is a non-departmental public body that advises the government about the National Minimum Wage (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW) and the minimum wage rates for young workers and apprentices. We are responsible for evaluating the effects of the NMW and NLW and making recommendations on future rates. To carry out these functions, our work involves: * carrying out extensive research and consultation with employers, workers and their representatives and taking written and oral evidence from a wide range of organisations; * analysing relevant data to understand the state of the economy and labour market and the impact of the minimum wage; * commissioning research projects into these questions. This research will fill gaps in our current understanding of the impacts of the minimum wage, particularly the increases in the minimum wage rates since 2019. It will complement the LPC's own analysis of pay, the labour market and the broader economy and sit alongside other pieces of commissioned research. We are aware that the pandemic and its aftermath have disrupted many of the usual data sources upon which we rely. However, there have also been recent developments in new data sources, and in data linking. We are keen to consider tenders that can take advantage of these. A list of suggested topics for research is provided in Section A2 of the Invitation to Tender document. However, we recognise that there may be areas of investigation worth pursuing that we have not yet identified, or which have not previously been considered in great depth. Researchers who believe that they have a worthwhile proposal that would fall into these categories are welcome to submit it for consideration. We would also encourage proposals from those who wish to extend current research on the impact of the minimum wage, whether that original research was funded by us or another organisation. We will fund up to three projects under this call. The maximum estimated budget for each project is PS60,000 excluding VAT (PS75,000 including VAT); however, we welcome tenders for smaller projects. Please note that we are only able to evaluate complete tenders. The components of a complete tender are detailed in Section 5, Part E of the Invitation to Tender document. They include written responses addressing the three quality criteria: understanding the requirements and context (A01), methodology and approach (A02) and ability to deliver (A03); a detailed pricing schedule and completion/provision of relevant documents to fulfil the commercial criteria. There is global interest among policymakers in the impact of the NLW. The findings from this research will directly inform policy decisions touching the lives of millions of workers and thousands of businesses as well as contributing to policy formation in the UK and beyond. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065709-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 13 Jul 2026 | | Submission deadline | 1 Sep 2026 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 4 Nov 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £60,000 | | Lots value | £60,000 | | 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 | LOW PAY COMMISSION | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | East London | | Postcode | E14 4PU | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East | | ITL 3 | TLI42 Tower Hamlets | | Local authority | Tower Hamlets | | Electoral ward | Canary Wharf | | Westminster constituency | Poplar and Limehouse | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ## Release History - 13 Jul 2026 at 14:23 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065709-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065709-2026 13th July 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/low-pay-commission-call-for-research-summer-2026 There will be a short delay before the linked page goes live. If you are not able to access it immediately, please try again after a few hours. The linked web page contains: * Invitation to Tender document, detailing the full specification for the research and the terms of tender * Pricing schedule template, for completion by tenderers * Standard terms and conditions, which tenderers should review prior to submitting their bid Clarifications will also be posted here in the week following the clarifications deadline. ## Notice URLs - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/low-pay-commission - 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-06c9b7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c9b7.json.