UK Clinical Research Collaboration - Secretariat Host Organisation

The procurement is following the light-touch regime permitted under Regulations 74 to 77 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has a legal duty to promote research and the use of research evidence in the NHS.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the key instrument through which this legal duty is discharged. The UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) was established in 2004 with the aim of re-engineering the clinical research environment in the UK, to benefit the public and patients by improving national health and increasing national wealth.

The Partnership brings together the major stakeholders that influence clinical research in the UK, Chaired by the Chief Medical Officer. It includes the main UK research funding bodies; academia; the NHS; regulatory bodies; the bioscience, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries; and patients.

Complex long-standing issues - aligned with DHSC's national health research strategy 'Best Research for Best Health' - are tackled by key stakeholders working together. Strategic direction and oversight is provided by the UKCRC Board, supported by its Secretariat, with broad stakeholder input into key issues.

For the UKCRC to function efficiently and effectively it requires an organisation within its membership to host and provide a high-quality secretariat function. There was an essential need for the Secretariat Host to be a UKCRC partner because: - The UKCRC Board required assurance of a demonstrable commitment to the partnership and its aims (demonstrated by membership status) to command the confidence of the stakeholder community. - There was a need for the contractor to have significant experience at working within the interface between the higher education and health and care service sectors. - There was a need to initiate delivery at very short notice with a limited handover; to adeptly navigate a complex stakeholder landscape from Day 1 delivery.

UKCRC partners are the major stakeholders that influence clinical research in the UK and are leaders operating at this interface. The UKCRC Partnership brings together the NHS, research funders, industry, regulatory bodies, Royal Colleges, patient groups and academia