---
title: "UKRI-6017-METIUS"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078d9c"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078d9c"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078d9c.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078d9c.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION"
published: "2026-10-22"
---

# UKRI-6017-METIUS

Buyer: UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078d9c

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## Summary

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is seeking evaluation research services for the METIUS programme, a UK research infrastructure investment using artificial intelligence to make evidence synthesis faster, more relevant and more accessible to decision-makers. The evaluation is intended to assess whether the programme has increased policymakers’ use of synthesised evidence in policy development and to examine benefits for evidence-informed public policy in the UK and internationally. It will also produce practical insights to inform future research investment design and delivery. The programme is co-funded by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and the Natural Environment Research Council. The procurement is classified as research services. Delivery is in the United Kingdom; the published location is Swindon, Wiltshire.

UKRI invited offers through an open procedure. The enquiry deadline set by the buyer was 5 November 2026 at 11:00 UTC, and the bid deadline was 16 November 2026 at 11:00 UTC. The buyer planned to decide the award by 30 November 2026. The contract period is 17 December 2026 to 16 December 2030. The estimated value is £166,666.67 excluding VAT (£200,000 including VAT). There is one lot, and small and medium-sized enterprises are considered suitable. Evaluation is weighted 85% on quality and 15% on price. Bids may be submitted electronically in English.

This opportunity is suited to research and evaluation consultancies with the ability to assess the influence of an AI-enabled evidence-synthesis programme on policymaking, and to examine the resulting public-policy benefits in both UK and international contexts. Suppliers should be equipped to develop and deliver a robust evaluation and translate findings into actionable recommendations for future research investment. The work calls for experience engaging with policy development and assessing how research evidence is used by decision-makers. SMEs are identified as suitable, making this a potential fit for specialist firms as well as larger research providers. The evaluation spans a multi-year programme and requires a perspective that can connect evidence synthesis, policymaker practice and policy outcomes.

## Notice

The METIUS programme is a new infrastructure investment with a total UK funding allocation of PS14.5 million. It aims to harness cutting-edge AI to improve the speed, relevance and accessibility of evidence synthesis for decision-makers tackling urgent challenges. METIUS is co-funded by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and forms part of the UKRI Creating Opportunities and Improving Outcomes strategic theme. The investment started on 1 October 2025 and will run for five years. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the extent to which the project has increased policymakers' use of synthesised evidence to inform policy development, and to evaluate the associated benefits for evidence-informed public policy in the UK and internationally. In addition, the evaluation will generate actionable insights to inform the design and delivery of future research inve

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099849-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 16 Nov 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 17 Dec 2026 - 16 Dec 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £166,666 |
| Lots value | £166,666 |
| 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 | UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION |
| Locality | SWINDON, WILTSHIRE |
| Postcode area | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | TLK14 Swindon |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 22 Oct 2026 at 10:49 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099849-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099849-2026
  22nd October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://ukri2.my.salesforce-sites.com/ProSpend__CS_ContractPage?SearchType=Projects&uid=a1MTm00000DCA2XMAX&searchStr=&sortStr=Recently+Published&page=1&filters=&County=
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.ukri.org/

## 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-078d9c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078d9c.json.