---
title: "UK7 ARIA Chair"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078610"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078610"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078610.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078610.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Department for Science, Innovation & Technology"
published: "2026-10-12"
---

# UK7 ARIA Chair

Buyer: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078610

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## Summary

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology bought specialist executive search services to recruit the next Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). This is a senior leadership search with a specific focus: the successful firm needed to understand ARIA’s high-risk, high-reward research model, its independence and governance, its stakeholder landscape, and the leadership needed as the agency moves from establishment into delivery at scale. The work supports an appointment intended to guide an organisation seeking transformational scientific, economic and societal impact. Recruitment services were delivered in the United Kingdom.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to IRG Advisors LLP, trading as Odgers. The Department used a direct award below the procurement threshold, without competition. The contract was signed on 7 October 2026, with a gross value of £38,000 (£30,400 excluding VAT). The contract period runs from 7 October to 15 December 2026, with a possible extension of about two months, to 15 February 2027, if no suitable candidates are found. There was one lot, now complete. The award is active and the contract is active. The procurement description sets out the specialist understanding required, including ARIA’s operating model, independence, governance needs and stakeholder landscape, but does not state a separate scored evaluation method.

For executive-search firms, this appointment demonstrates demand from the Department for a highly tailored search for a senior chair in science and innovation. A credible competitor would need a strong record of senior-level executive recruitment and the ability to assess leadership for a distinctive, independent organisation focused on high-risk, high-reward research. Relevant expertise would include understanding research and innovation institutions, governance and stakeholder relationships, and the transition from organisational set-up to delivery at scale. The search also calls for judgement in identifying leaders able to support ambitious scientific, economic and societal outcomes, rather than relying on a generic chair-search approach. Suppliers with the capacity to engage a suitable senior candidate pool and to advise on the particular demands of ARIA’s role would be best aligned with this buyer’s requirement.

## Notice

The Department for Science, Innovation Science and Technology requires specialist executive search support to assist with the recruitment of the next Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency. This is not a generic Chair search. ARIA occupies a distinctive place in the UK research and innovation system, pursuing high-risk, high-reward research with the potential to deliver transformational scientific, economic and societal impact. The Chair appointment requires a supplier able to understand ARIA's operating model, independence, governance requirements, stakeholder landscape and the leadership capabilities needed to support the organisation as it moves from establishment into delivery at scale.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096302-2026 |
| 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 | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 7 Oct 2026 - 15 Dec 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £30,400 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1A 2EG |
| 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 | IRG Advisors LLP |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79600000 - Recruitment services

## Release History

- 12 Oct 2026 at 17:24 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096302-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096302-2026
  12th October 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-078610. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078610.json.