Research & development: UK public sector tenders
Research & development: 43 open tenders, 18 coming soon, 434 contracts ending within 12 months. Of the open tenders, 19 are from buyers that usually draw few bids, 13 are from buyers with a typical number of bids, 5 are from buyers whose tenders are usually crowded, 6 are from buyers we cannot yet rate. The median buyer here has drawn 4 bids per open tender.
Research & development: key facts
| Measure | Number |
|---|---|
| Open tenders | 43 |
| Closing within 7 days | 11 |
| Planned tenders coming soon | 18 |
| Contracts ending within 12 months | 434 |
| Median bids per tender at these buyers | 4 |
How contested are these buyers?
few bidders (19) a typical contest (13) crowded (5) not enough history to rate (6)
Which Research & development tenders close first?
What are the largest open Research & development tenders?
| Tender | Buyer | Closes | Value | Buyer's usual contest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomass Research Programme | Department for Energy Security & Net Zero | 13 Oct 2026 | £4.1m | few bidders |
| CivTech 12.1 - How can digital technologies assist people living with substance use issues (and their families/friends) to easily connect with trusted help and | University of Strathclyde | 20 Oct 2026 | £650k | few bidders |
| CivTech 12.5 - How can technology support multi agency processes for the protection of children in Scotland? | Scottish Government | 20 Oct 2026 | £650k | few bidders |
| CivTech 12 - Challenge 12.3 - How can we use technology to demonstrate the commercial value of circular economy business practices? | Zero Waste Scotland Ltd | 20 Oct 2026 | £650k | crowded |
| CivTech 12.6 - How can technology improve living conditions and quality of life for social housing residents in Scotland? | Cloch Housing Association Ltd | 20 Oct 2026 | £650k | not enough history to rate |
Which buyers here usually draw the fewest bids?
| Buyer | Usual bids on earlier tenders | Open here |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish Government | 2 | 2 |
| Derry City and Strabane District Council | 2 | 1 |
| Food Standards Agency | 2 | 1 |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 2.5 | 1 |
| Ofgem | 2.5 | 1 |
| Birmingham City Council | 3 | 2 |
Filter, sort and save these in BidCount
Where is the work?
- London: 12
- Wales: 9
- South West: 8
- Scotland: 6
- West Midlands: 5
- North East: 4
- Not stated: 4
- East Midlands: 3
- Yorkshire and The Humber: 3
- Northern Ireland: 3
- North West: 3
- East of England: 1
Which buyers publish the most?
- Historic England: 5
- Department for Energy Security & Net Zero: 4
- Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government: 3
- North East Combined Authority: 2
- Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA): 2
- Scottish Government: 2
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority: 2
- Birmingham City Council: 2
- Department for Transport: 2
- The National Lottery Community Fund: 2
How we work this out
Open tenders, planned tenders and awards come from Find a Tender and Contracts Finder (Open Government Licence v3.0). “Bids” is the median number of bids on the buyer's earlier open tenders (Find a Tender, 2025-26). It describes the buyer's history, not this tender, and is not a forecast. Contracts ending are from award notices and may be extended or re-tendered early or late. Always check the official notice. Updated 9 Oct 2026. Operated by OKII.
To cite this page: Research & development public sector tenders (43 open), BidCount, https://bidcount.co.uk/sectors/research-and-development, from Find a Tender and Contracts Finder data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 9 Oct 2026.