Review of space and underpinning RD&I activities in Wales - R&D Space Consortium

This invitation to tender invites proposals from consultants to undertake a review of space and underpinning RD&I activities in Wales and develop a business case for a research and development space consortium.The UK Government recently launched its National Space Strategy, which outlines its long-term plans to grow and level up the space sector across the UK, to ensure that the space economy works for everyone across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Regional hubs, known as space clusters, are being developed through a programme funded by UK Space Agency, with each cluster supporting new and growing companies, building on local expertise, and catalysing investment into the space sector. The Wales cluster is being led by Welsh Government, with activities to be carried out across the whole of Wales.In February 2022, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething unveiled the Welsh Government’s National Space Strategy for Wales, Wales: A Sustainable Space Nation.The Wales strategy highlights the unique physical and business environment Wales offers companies that are revolutionising capabilities in the space sector and sets out how Wales could become the world’s first sustainable space nation by 2040, leading the way to a greener space.The Wales Space Strategy is focused on growing the potential of current and future developments in the space sector in Wales, and this presents an opportunity to strengthen and expand the work of the Wales Academic Space Partnership (WASP) and Space Wales into a national academic consortium. Harnessing collaborative academic expertise from across the whole of Wales to create critical mass in space technologies with the aim of competing for inward investment in collaborative R&D in partnership with the Welsh industrial, technical and scientific base.NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=122013.The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.

SubmissionsYour tender submission must be uploaded to the Sell2Wales portal Postbox.Your submission must be received by the closing time and date of midday, Wednesday 22nd June 2022.You should allow adequate time for the loading of your documents so as to ensure receipt as the Postbox will electronically close at the deadline time and no further submissions will be accepted.All queries in relation to the tender should be conducted via the Q&A function attached to this notice.Answers to any questions received will then be uploaded to the portal for transparency.EvaluationTender responses will be evaluated as per the evaluation criteria set out in the ITT.(WA Ref:122013)