---
title: "OPSI Lab Phase 2 - Innovation Support for Prototype Projects supporting Children and Young People Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-07752b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07752b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07752b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07752b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Liverpool City Region Combined Authority"
published: "2026-09-18"
---

# OPSI Lab Phase 2 - Innovation Support for Prototype Projects supporting Children and Young People Services

Buyer: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07752b

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07752b.json)

## Summary

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority commissioned specialist innovation support for prototype projects that transform frontline services for children and young people and improve outcomes for residents. The work covers project management consultancy and research and development consultancy, focused on designing and supporting innovative interventions for public services. It is a services requirement for the Office for Public Service Innovation, with delivery in the United Kingdom. The buyer is a sub-central public authority based in Liverpool. The scope is relevant to consultancies, innovation specialists, research and development organisations, and service design providers working with public bodies on children’s services, prototype development and service improvement.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to THIS IS CAPACITY CIC, a Liverpool-based SME and voluntary, community or social enterprise. It used a direct award below the relevant threshold without competition, under the light-touch regime. The contract was signed on 8 September 2026 and runs from 9 September 2026 to 31 March 2027. Its gross value is £443,802, in GBP. The award covers one lot and the resulting contract is active. The published outcome identifies the supplier and confirms that the procurement has moved beyond selection into delivery of the contracted innovation support.

This award demonstrates demand from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for specialist support that links public-service innovation with practical prototype projects for children and young people. Suppliers seeking to compete for comparable work for this buyer would need to combine project management with research and development consultancy, translating innovative ideas into interventions that can be applied in frontline services. Credible providers would also need experience working with public authorities, understanding resident outcomes and service pressures, and managing prototype activity from development through implementation. The successful supplier’s SME and VCSE profile indicates that a smaller mission-led organisation can be suitable for this type of specialist public-service innovation requirement.

## Notice

Specialist support to transform frontline services for children and young people and improve resident outcomes for the Office for Public Service Innovation (OPSI) through innovative interventions.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088550-2026 |
| 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 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 9 Sep 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £443,802 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
| Locality | LIVERPOOL |
| Postcode area | Liverpool |
| Postcode | L3 1BP |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD7 Merseyside |
| ITL 3 | TLD72 Liverpool |
| Local authority | Liverpool |
| Electoral ward | Waterfront South |
| Westminster constituency | Liverpool Riverside |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | This is Capacity |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 72224000 - Project management consultancy services
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

## Release History

- 18 Sep 2026 at 10:58 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088550-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088550-2026
  18th September 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://thisiscapacity.co.uk/
- 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-07752b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07752b.json.