PS21072 - Evaluation of BEIS and UKRI interventions to stabilise the research system after the onset of COVID-19

**THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION**

This was made under Crown Commercial Services Research Marketplace Dynamic Purchasing System RM6018.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is building a stronger, greener future by fighting coronavirus, tackling climate change, unleashing innovation and making the UK a great place to work and do business. More about BEIS's policy objectives and remit is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial- strategy

UK Research and Innovation

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than £8 billion, UKRI brings together the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England. More about UKRI's objectives is available at: https://www.ukri.org/

BEIS and UKRI's response to Covid-19

BEIS and UKRI have played a critical role in the UK Government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic through launching a variety of policy interventions at pace to address the causes and societal consequences of the pandemic. A key part of the overall BEIS policy response has involved interventions launched with UKRI to stabilise the research and innovation system in light of the disruption and threats to the R&D system caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This overall package of interventions has involved interventions targeting, in turn: • Universities, research organisations and researchers; and • Businesses involved in research and innovation.

The latter interventions were delivered - and are now being evaluated separately - by Innovate UK, which is part of UKRI.

Scope of this work

This is an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the evaluation of BEIS and UKRI's efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the research sector. The policy scope for this evaluation is, specifically, the set of policy interventions launched by BEIS and UKRI to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the research and knowledge exchange undertaken by universities, research organisations, research funders and researchers and does not include support given directly to businesses. For full context, UKRI has also responded to Covid-19 by supporting research and innovation aimed directly at improving understanding of and/or ability to address the Covid-19 virus itself, however, these interventions are also not in scope of this evaluation.