PS22041 Future Research Assessment Programme (FRAP) Cost evaluation project

The final date and time for the submission of bids is 22nd April, 2022 year at 11:00

DO NOT apply directly to the buyer.

All tender information MUST be submitted through the Delta eSourcing Portal.

Brief Description of Requirement

The Future Research Assessment Programme has been initiated at the request of UK and devolved government ministers and funding bodies. This significant piece of work is led by the four UK higher education funding bodies (Research England, Scottish Funding Council, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and Department for the Economy, NI) and aims to explore possible approaches to the assessment of UK higher education research performance.

One strand of the programme involves reviewing the costs and benefits of REF 2021 for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and comparing them with those reported for REF 2014 and the RAE 2008 (available from Technopolis Group » REF Accountability Review: Costs, benefits and burden (technopolis-group.com) , Preparing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation: Approach and Evidence | RAND and Preparing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation: Findings and observations | RAND) where applicable.

This project should enable funding bodies and HEIs to understand how the balance of costs - against benefits played out in REF 2021 and the impact of changes made between REF 2014 and REF 2021. These insights will contribute towards policy development for future research assessment exercises.

To meet the requirements of this project, the project will involve working with a representative sample of HEIs to identify how REF submission preparation was managed within institutions, deriving suitable and robust methodologies for gathering quantitative and qualitative data, and analysing them. It will also be necessary to compare the findings between the different REF exercises in a consistent and fair manner; accounting for or explaining gaps in the analysis where it was not possible to make comparisons and explaining the reasons for such judgements.

Please ensure you review all attached information to ensure a full understanding of this requirement. All attachments can be found with the Document Uploads tab within the Delta eSourcing Portal.

This contract will be awarded based on the evaluation criteria as set out in the RFP document.

How to Apply

UK Research and Innovation will be using the Delta eSourcing Portal for this procurement.

To register on the Delta eSourcing portal please use the link https://www.delta-esourcing.com/ and follow the instructions to register.

If you are already registered on the Delta eSourcing Portal and wish to participate in this procurement, please use the link: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/ and the follow the instructions to 'Log in'

Once you are logged into the system you will be able to link yourself into this procurement using the Access Code: YJEY66Q59X

Additional information: All submissions will be assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for procurement values that exceed Regulation 5 (Threshold amounts).

Responses must be received by the date and time in the tender documentation; responses received outside of the deadline or not sent via the Delta eSourcing portal will not be accepted or considered by the Contracting Authority further for this opportunity. Interested organisations should ensure that they allow a sufficiency of time, prior to the deadline to allow all sections to be completed in full and any attachments to be uploaded.

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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 under no circumstances as part of your organisations participation in this opportunity, will the Contracting Authority be liable for any costs incurred by any organisation as a result. If the Contracting Authority decides to enter into a contract with any successful organisation(s), this does not mean that there is any guarantee of subsequent contracts being awarded. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of your organisation in doing so.

Closing date and time for Bidder to request RFP documents: 14:00, Thursday, 21st April 2022.

Closing date and time for Bidder to submit their response ('the deadline'): 11:00am, Friday, 22nd April 2022.

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