UK public bodies buy research in four main ways: open tenders, competitions among firms on a framework or dynamic purchasing system, small quotes below the legal thresholds, and invite-only Quick Quotes in Scotland and Wales. In our count of public notices, up to about 1,700 research and consulting tenders were published in the 12 months to 2 November 2026, about 30 a week. (A tender delivered in several nations counts in each, so the true total is a little lower.) In our data, a typical research tender in England states a value of £50,000 to £100,000.
Terms are explained in our glossary.
The routes to a research contract
Open tenders
Above set values, a public body must advertise with a tender notice. Under the Procurement Act 2023, the thresholds for goods and services from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 are £135,018 for central government and £207,720 for other public bodies, such as councils. Both include VAT (gov.uk thresholds guidance).
The buyer uses either the open procedure or the competitive flexible procedure. In the open procedure, everyone sends a full bid in one stage. In the competitive flexible procedure, the buyer designs the stages. A common pattern in research is a short expression of interest (EOI) first, then an invitation to tender (ITT) for a shortlist.
Frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems
Many buyers use shared supplier lists. A framework is a contract with one or more suppliers that sets the terms for later “call-off” contracts. A standard framework can last up to four years, and new suppliers cannot join until it is tendered again (gov.uk frameworks guidance).
A dynamic purchasing system (DPS) stays open, so suppliers can apply to join at any time. The central one for research is the Government Commercial Agency’s (GCA) Research & Insights DPS (RM6126), which runs to 23 February 2029. Buyers filter it by subject, research method, participant group and location. They make a shortlist, then run a competition. GCA’s buyer guidance suggests allowing at least 10 days for responses (GCA RM6126). GCA also lists a planned Research and Insights Agreement (RM6414) under the new Act. Its dates are still to be confirmed (GCA upcoming agreements).
Our reports list other research supplier lists open to join now. Examples are a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology DPS for scientific research and advice, and a Sunderland City Council DPS for behavioural insights, engagement and research. Both are open until February 2029 (Tenderhooks reports). Competitions under these lists usually go only to members, so you need to join first. Our guide to the Research and Insights DPS (RM6126) explains the central one.
Quotes below the thresholds
Below the thresholds the rules are lighter. In England and Wales, a buyer that advertises a contract must first publish a below-threshold tender notice on Find a Tender if the contract is worth at least:
- £12,000 for UK central government;
- £30,000 for councils, most other bodies and the Welsh Government.
This comes from the Procurement Act 2023, section 87, which applies to devolved Welsh authorities directly (section 87). The Procurement (Wales) Regulations 2024 only send Welsh notices to Find a Tender through Sell2Wales (Wales regulations). A buyer may instead ask chosen suppliers for quotes without advertising. In England, when it does advertise, it cannot add a separate suitability stage to cut the field, such as a pre-qualification questionnaire (gov.uk below-threshold guidance).
Welsh tenders under £30,000 need no Find a Tender notice; when advertised, they are usually on Sell2Wales. Scotland has its own rules. Northern Irish public bodies’ below-threshold tenders are outside these rules (section 84). UK-wide bodies buying in Northern Ireland still follow them.
Quick Quotes in Scotland and Wales
Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) and Sell2Wales both have Quick Quote, an online request for quotes on low-value work (PCS about us). It goes only to suppliers the buyer selects, and it is not made public. Both portals have a Supplier Finder profile that buyers search. Sell2Wales says completing it is the best way to be invited (Sell2Wales).
Who buys research
Our report pages list the buyers that published four or more research tenders in the last two years (Tenderhooks reports). In England, the most frequent are national public bodies: the British Council (46), Historic England (45), the Food Standards Agency (36) and Natural England (36).
- Departments and agencies. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published 20 research tenders in two years, typically £250,000 to £1 million. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published 18. Both appear in our London report. Since 1 April 2024, government evaluations must be registered on the Evaluation Registry, including planned ones, so the registry can hint at work to come (gov.uk Evaluation Registry guidance).
- Local government. The Local Government Association (31) and the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (23) are regular buyers. In Wales, six of the eight regular research buyers in our data are councils. See our council research guide.
- Devolved governments. In our data, the Scottish Government published 21 research tenders in two years, typically £250,000 to £1 million. The Welsh Government published 13.
- NHS bodies. NHS England is a regular consulting buyer in our data. Our Wales report lists an early notice from Public Health Wales for a national population panel.
- Research funders. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) mostly funds research through grants, which are not tenders. It also tenders some evaluations on Find a Tender. In September 2025, for example, it advertised the “DiSSCo UK Evaluation” there (Find a Tender notice 057492-2025).
Where notices appear
Since 24 February 2025, Find a Tender has carried notices for new procurements across the UK (Find a Tender). Below the thresholds, some tenders appear elsewhere:
- Scotland: smaller tenders appear only on PCS.
- Wales: tenders under £30,000 need no Find a Tender notice; when advertised, they are usually on Sell2Wales. From £30,000, advertised tenders also reach Find a Tender.
- Northern Ireland: Northern Irish public bodies’ below-threshold tenders appear on eTendersNI and other Northern Irish portals.
Contracts Finder still holds England’s notices from procurements that started under the old rules. Our guide to UK tender portals compares all five.
Typical sizes and timelines
These are our figures from public notices, read on 2 November 2026 (Tenderhooks reports). “Typical size” is the middle value band of the tenders that state a value.
| Area | Research tenders, last 12 months | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| England | 739 | £50k–£100k |
| Scotland | 166 | £100k–£250k |
| Wales | 92 | £100k–£250k |
| Northern Ireland | 39 | £100k–£250k |
In England, about a third of the research tenders that state a value are under £50,000. About one in five is over £250,000. In our England report, small firms won 64% of 492 research contracts in the last two years. A small firm here is a supplier marked in the award notice as a small or medium-sized enterprise, with fewer than 250 staff.
On timing, the law sets minimum periods for above-threshold tenders. Bidders usually get at least 25 days if bids are sent online and all documents come with the tender notice. This can fall to 10 days if the buyer published a planned procurement notice 40 days to 12 months before. Below the thresholds there is no minimum, but the time must be reasonable and the same for everyone (gov.uk time periods guidance).
What buyers expect in a research proposal
Transport Scotland’s handbook for research contractors lists what its assessors usually look at (Transport Scotland):
- your understanding of the issues;
- relevant research experience and knowledge of the policy area;
- suitable methods, outputs and timetable;
- how you will manage the project;
- the costs and how you spread resources.
Some buyers also invite a presentation. Under the Act, the contract goes to the most advantageous tender. The buyer judges it on the published criteria and weightings, and price is only part of it (gov.uk assessing tenders guidance). Under Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 002, central government buyers must give social value at least 10% of the total score (PPN 002). From 1 January 2027, the updated model in PPN 026 applies to procurements that start on or after that date and are worth £1 million or more, including VAT (PPN 026).
For evaluations, read the Magenta Book, the government’s central evaluation guidance. Its 2026 update added sections on value for money, “test and learn”, research transparency and the use of AI (gov.uk).
Questions people ask
How do I find government research contracts?
Search Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. Add PCS, Sell2Wales or eTendersNI if you work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Save searches to get email alerts, and join the research DPSs that match your work.
Do I need to be on a framework to win government research?
Not always. Many tenders are advertised openly. But some buyers use frameworks or a DPS, and only members can bid in those competitions.
How big are government research contracts?
In our data, the middle band in England is £50,000 to £100,000. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland it is £100,000 to £250,000.
Can a small firm win government research work?
Yes. In our data, small firms won 64% of English research contracts over the last two years.
How Tenderhooks helps
Tenderhooks reads new notices on Find a Tender, Contracts Finder and Public Contracts Scotland through the day. Every Monday at 7:00 UK time, your firm gets a bid plan with the research or consulting tenders that fit. Each comes with the buyer’s record from two years of award notices, where there is one. One plan covers your whole firm, with unlimited users; the price is on our pricing page.
Tenderhooks does not read Sell2Wales or eTendersNI yet. So it misses Welsh tenders under £30,000 and Northern Irish public bodies’ below-threshold tenders on eTendersNI. It also cannot see call-offs sent only to framework members, or Quick Quotes.
Sources
All checked on 2 November 2026.
- Gov.uk Procurement Act 2023 guidance: thresholds, below-threshold contracts, frameworks, time periods, assessing competitive tenders
- Legislation: Procurement Act 2023, section 84, section 87, Procurement (Wales) Regulations 2024
- PPN 002: social value, PPN 026: the social value model
- Evaluation Registry guidance and Magenta Book update
- Government Commercial Agency: RM6126 Research & Insights DPS, upcoming agreements
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- Find a Tender and UKRI’s DiSSCo UK Evaluation tender notice
- PCS about us, How to use Sell2Wales
- Transport Scotland social research handbook
- Our figures: Tenderhooks free reports, built from Find a Tender, Contracts Finder and Public Contracts Scotland notices
This page explains official rules and guidance in plain English, checked on the date above. It is not legal advice. The official sources it links to are what apply.
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