---
title: "Researchfish Explorer Subscription 2026-2027"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-07880c"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07880c"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07880c.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07880c.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Department for Science, Innovation & Technology"
published: "2026-10-15"
---

# Researchfish Explorer Subscription 2026-2027

Buyer: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07880c

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07880c)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07880c.json)

## Summary

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, through the UK Space Agency, procured continued access to Elsevier’s proprietary Researchfish Explorer platform. This subscription provides access to grant outcome data used to monitor and analyse research and innovation outcomes arising from funded activities. The requirement is for a software platform and information system (CPV 48000000), supplied exclusively by Elsevier because it controls the relevant intellectual property, software and access rights. Delivery is in the United Kingdom. The work is focused on continued platform access and research-outcome data, rather than development of a new system or general research services.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Elsevier B.V. through a direct award without competition, on the basis of exclusive intellectual property and supply rights. The contract was signed on 8 October 2026 and runs from 8 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Its value is £28,530.18 excluding VAT, or £34,236.22 including VAT. The procurement was below the relevant threshold and was handled as a single lot. The stated basis for the direct award is that only Elsevier, as the rights holder and exclusive supplier of Researchfish Explorer, can provide the required access. No separate evaluation criteria are set out; the award followed from the exclusivity of the platform and its associated rights.

For suppliers considering comparable future requirements from the Department or UK Space Agency, the decisive capability is control of, or authorised access to, the relevant proprietary research-outcome platform and its underlying data. The selected supplier’s position depended on exclusive intellectual property, software and access rights, so a credible competitor would need to demonstrate that it can lawfully provide the specific Researchfish Explorer service or an acceptable route to those rights. The requirement also indicates demand for dependable subscription access to grant-outcome data that supports monitoring and analysis of publicly funded research and innovation. This is a focused software subscription rather than a broad IT implementation, and the route used reflects the buyer’s reliance on a platform available exclusively from its rights holder.

## Notice

This contract is a direct award under Schedule 5, Paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 (intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights). The requirement is for continued access by UK Space Agency to the proprietary Researchfish Explorer platform, owned and supplied exclusively by Elsevier B.V.. The subscription provides access to grant outcome data to support the monitoring and analysis of research and innovation outcomes arising from funded activities. As the intellectual property, software and access rights are controlled by Elsevier B.V., competition is absent because the requirement can only be supplied by the holder of the relevant exclusive rights.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097250-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| 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 | 15 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 8 Oct 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £28,530 |

## 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 | Elsevier B.V. |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48000000 - Software package and information systems

## Release History

- 15 Oct 2026 at 08:19 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097250-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097250-2026
  15th 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-07880c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07880c.json.