UK SBS PR150120

*** PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT ***

The UK Government recognises that innovation and the establishment of innovative entrepreneurial businesses drives growth in the economy, and within individual businesses. The Sirius Programme, run by UKTI, was set up to attract talented innovative young entrepreneurs with ground-breaking ideas from outside the UK.

Over the last two years, the Sirius Programme has established a strong brand internationally – with over 2000 applications from across the world. It has demonstrated that it can attract a large number of highly talented overseas graduates, who apply and compete for the opportunity to establish innovative businesses in the UK. It has a simplified visa channel enabling entry into the UK in support of building an innovative business here, and has proved its worth in successfully establishing high growth, investor-ready businesses in the UK, which attract considerable publicity for their award-winning products and services.

UKTI wishes to transfer the operation of the Sirius Programme to a partner, or consortium of partners, who can add their expertise in operating the programme in a way which continues to benefit the UK, and who can also identify and develop business opportunities leveraged from the reputation of the Sirius Programme internationally, the access it provides to the most talented young overseas graduate entrepreneurs and their ideas, and the domestic and international profile that it can provide to bidders in the entrepreneurship arena – both to foreign entrepreneurs and to institutions in those countries.

UKTI proposes to transfer the operation of the Sirius Programme for a specified period, with the intention that this be rolled over as long as the Government objectives are being met, and to do this by licensing rights in relation to the brand and other assets used in the programme, as well as transferring UKTI’s expertise and experience in the Programme.

UKTI believes the Sirius Programme offers value to a broad range of partners in the private, third and education sectors. It offers; an internationally recognised brand and the ability to market the programme ‘in partnership with UKTI’, access to the international networks and expertise of UKTI and a proven delivery model for attracting entrepreneurs from across the world with award-winning, leading edge technologies and services.

Please refer to the attached Sirius Programme Prospectus (and associated Annexes) for full details.

*** PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR OFFERS TO BE RECEIVED IS 08/02/2016 AT 12:00 HOURS ***