DHSC: CSA: NIHR Research Commissioning and Management Services

Tender description

NIHR’s mission is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Today, NIHR is the nation’s largest funder of health and care research and it invests over £1.5bn annually in domestic and international research. NIHR’s core workstreams, operating principles and areas of strategic focus are set out in the document Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter (2021).<br/><br/>The day-to-day operations of the NIHR are carried out by the NIHR Coordinating Centre (NIHRCC). The NIHRCC is currently made up of the following six DHSC contracts and one Service Level Agreement (SLA):<br/>• NIHR Evaluations, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC)<br/>• Central Commissioning Facility (CCF) <br/>• NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) <br/>• NIHR Academy<br/>• NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination (CED)<br/>• NIHR Research Delivery Network Coordinating Centre (RDNCC)<br/><br/>The NETSCC, CCF, NOCRI and NIHR Academy contracts will end on 31st March 2027. Through this procurement, the Authority will put in place contracts in May 2026, with Operational Services under those contracts due to commence on 1st April 2027, in order to ensure continuity of operational services for the NIHRCC. This procurement will however seek to reconfigure the services provided by the NETSCC, CCF, NOCRI and NIHR Academy contracts when they come to an end on 31st March 2027 into a new NIHRCC structure comprised of contracts procured across six Lots.<br/><br/>The Services going forward are divided into the following lots:<br/>Lot 1 – Strategic Business Services and One NIHR hub<br/>Lot 2 – Research Commissioning: Individual Level and Global Health Programmes<br/>Lot 3 – Research Commissioning: Population and Policy Level Programmes<br/>Lot 4 – Research Infrastructure Commissioning: Translational and Delivery<br/>Lot 5 – Research Infrastructure Commissioning: Applied, Public Health and Social Care<br/>Lot 6 – Research Commissioning: Career Development and Capacity Building<br/><br/>The Authority is seeking to appoint a range of suppliers to ensure that it maximises resilience across NIHR and brings to NIHR the benefits of implementing ways of working and best practice from multiple organisations. <br/><br/>Therefore, whilst there is no limitation on a single Tenderer submitting a bid for multiple Lots, the Authority is placing restrictions on the number of Lots any single Tenderer can win, and the Authority will only allow an entity to be involved in one bid submission per Lot. More information on this is set out in the procurement documents. Lot 1: Lot 1 - Strategic Business Services and One NIHR hub Deliver the following Strategic Business Services: <br/>• Communications and partner engagement <br/>• Impact monitoring and evaluation <br/>• Programme Management and Assurance <br/>• Intellectual property (IP) and Contracting<br/>• Open research and publication<br/>• Research Inclusion <br/>• Climate, health and sustainability<br/>• Business development<br/>• Commission and manage the NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre Lot 2: Lot 2 - Research Commissioning: Individual Level & Global Health Programmes • End-to-end commissioning, management and oversight of domestic research programmes, with an expected annual budget of approximately £300 million;<br/>• End-to-end commissioning, management and oversight of the global health research (GHR) programme, with an expected annual budget of approximately £170 million; and,<br/>• Coordination and management of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) and UK Vaccine Network. Lot 3: Lot 3 - Research Commissioning: Population and Policy Level Programmes • End-to-end commissioning, management and oversight of domestic research programmes, with an expected annual budget of approximately £170 million; and<br/>• Coordination and management of the following functions on behalf of NIHR: <br/>o James Lind Alliance <br/>o Liaison with NHSE, ALBs and the devolved administrations, ensuring their contributions are effectively managed. Lot 4: Lot 4 - Research Infrastructure Commissioning: Translational and Delivery • End-to-end commissioning and monitoring of infrastructure and infrastructure-like schemes, focussed on individual level interventions, with an expected annual budget of approximately £350 million; and,<br/>• Provide the Research Capability Funding (RCF) function on behalf of NIHR. Lot 5: Lot 5 - Research Infrastructure Commissioning: Applied, Public Health and SC End-to-end commissioning and monitoring of infrastructure and infrastructure-like schemes, focussed on population, policy, service and public health investments, with an expected annual budget of approximately £170 million. Lot 6: Lot 6 - Research Commissioning: Career Development and Capacity Building • End-to-end administration and monitoring of domestic academic training schemes, with an expected annual budget of almost £300 million;<br/>• End-to-end administration and monitoring of global research academic training schemes; and,<br/>• Deliver NIHR research capacity building services.