Business and management consultancy services

Tender description

UKRI are looking for a delivery partner for the catalyst awards. The Catalyst Awards are part of the investment in early stage innovations for the ISCF Healthy Challenge. The awards aim to catalyse the brightest and best early stage innovations with potential for global impact. The scheme is open to UK researchers from any discipline and at any career stage to develop innovative and potentially transformative ideas in healthy ageing. It is anticipated that, particularly in the case of individuals with a background in social sciences, arts and humanities, award holders will need support to understand the language of business, the market potential of their research and gain access to design and planning tools to help them exploit the innovation. UK SBS is managing this procurement process in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as may be amended from time to time) (the ‘Regulations’). The scope of the support requirement is in two parts, with operational requirements applying to both parts unless stated otherwise: • Part 1: Support to award holders (Mandatory). A scheme of support for award holders covering Stages 3 induction to 6 global summit, which may include, but is not limited to, formal training, mentoring and peer support and facilitation of connections with relevant expertise and international markets; • Part 2: Managing competitions in years 2 and 3 (Optional Service). Managing Stages 1 and 2 for competitions in years 2 and 3 including the promotion of the competition, application and selection processes. Part 1: Support to award holders (Mandatory) The support provider will be expected to: • advise and support the UKRI healthy ageing challenge during the Stage 1 application process and Stage 2 independent assessment of grant holders. Bidders are invited to propose their preferred level of involvement in this process, which should include: — advising the challenge team on the selection of grant holders, including acting as panel members in the recruitment process, — providing feedback to the challenge team on how to improve the selection and recruitment process to maximise the success of grant holders; • propose and deliver a programme of support for Catalyst Award grant holders covering Stage 3 induction through to Stage 6 participation in the Global Summit. This should ensure award holders: — gain the necessary commercial knowledge and skills for scaling and marketing their research and/or innovation, — engage with potential international markets, — gain access to a range of expertise relevant to healthy ageing, — develop robust proposals to enhance and sustain the impacts of their research and innovation, — gain the knowledge and skills to achieve additional investment, funding or support to develop or commercialise their innovations, including the additional funding streams available in the NAM Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge. Many grant holders on this scheme are expected to be from a social science and humanities background and bidders should illustrate their existing strengths and planned approach to supporting applicants from these discipline areas. In year 1, UKRI will advertise the scheme through existing channels and manage the initial application and process leading to the awards. Subject to timing, the successful bidder for part 1 may be invited to be involved in the Stage 2 assessment process of applications. Part 2: Managing competitions in years 2 and 3 (Optional) Part 2 will only be carried out by the successful bidder awarded the contract to deliver the Part 1 service. Part 2 is a no commitment optional service be called off if required. Bidders are invited to propose options for managing competitions in years 2 and 3. UKRI reserves the right to continue oversight and governance and will retain the authority to make final decisions on all awards. UKRI will require access to information to all relevant competition information and processes to maintain oversight. For full details of the requirement please refer to the request for proposal documentation available to download from the Delta eSourcing Portal. All submissions will be assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for procurement values that exceed Regulation 5 (Threshold amounts). The contracting authority expressly reserves the right: (i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and (ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the procurement and in no circumstances will the contracting authority be liable for any costs incurred by any supplier.