UK Space Agency (UKSA) Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Services future Framework Agreement Procurement - Request for Information (RFI)

About the Contracting Authority

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) plays a major role in delivering the government's National Space Strategy. We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country. Our staff includes scientists, engineers, commercial experts, project managers and policy officials who help to:

• catalyse investment to support projects that drive investment and generate contracts for the UK space sector
• deliver missions and capabilities that meet public needs and advance our understanding of the Universe
• champion the power of space to inspire people, offer greener, smarter solutions, and
• support a sustainable future.

We are an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

The Analysis Team in UK Space Agency helps ensure it makes evidence-based decisions through, amongst other things, its programme of monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The Analysis Team also interprets relevant evidence bases, analyses secondary data and commissions primary data collection.

Background - Monitoring and Evaluation at UKSA to date.

M&E is a vital part of UKSA programmes to assess if the aims and benefits of projects identified within the business case have been delivered. As outlined in The Magenta Book, UKSA are obligated by HM Treasury, the National Audit Office and the DSIT (amongst others) to evaluate our programmes to hold ourselves accountable for how we spend public money and to ensure we learn. Most UKSA projects have some form of M&E. This is often contracted out to industry for delivery to provide independence.

In the 2024/25 UKSA had 13 live M&E contracts, totalling approximately £6 million. Currently all M&E requirements are being sourced through the Research & Insights RM6126 CCS DPS framework by running a mini competition for each requirement. Running multiple competitions within a short period of time can be very time consuming not only for the Authority but also for the potential suppliers competing for the contracts. These contracts are of a value between £100K-£500K some higher. The values are usually proportionate to the programme spend. The estimated number of contracts let annually are 6-10.

Aims and objectives

Our overarching objective is to improve the way UKSA are commissioning the M&E services by Implementing a more efficient approach to buying M&E services, that delivers value for money and high-quality service.

The Framework Agreement

UKSA are planning to set up a standard, single lot, multi-supplier ( TBC, but most likely a maximum of 3) Framework Agreement for four (4) (three years plus and optional extension for a further year) from March 2026- March 2030. We will run an open competition under Proc Act 23 to award this framework. This will be the standard /fixed Framework arrangement whereby there will be no opportunity for the suppliers to join the framework during the term of the framework. Individual contracts (call-offs) for work commissioned by individual departments for a specific area of work, will be placed on the Framework as required. Most contracts will likely be placed close to the start of each financial year. The successful suppliers have to possess the skillset, knowledge and experience that covers UKSA's full portfolio of evaluation. Please note, knowledge and experience of working in space, or related fields (e.g., research and development) is desirable, it is not essential.

How will the framework operate

There will be two ways of awarding call off contract under this framework

• Direct award through a 'taxi rank' system
• Mini competition
• 'Taxi rank' system for opportunities of estimated value £0- >500K excluding vat:
• Projects will be allocated to each supplier on a rolling basis, with the highest-ranking tenderer receiving the first requirement to be delivered through the call off contract.
• Second requirement will be sent to the second-ranking tenderer, and the third to the tenderer ranked third.
• Once all the suppliers on the contract have received one brief the order in which future briefs are allocated will follow the same process, with brief four being allocated to the highest-ranking tenderer, brief five to the second-ranked tenderer, and so forth.
• If a supplier thinks that they will be unable to meet the requirement set out in the statement of requirements, for example due to capacity constraints or a lack of technical or subject matter expertise in particular project - they can pass up the opportunity to bid for the work and the brief will be shared with the next supplier on the list.

Our planned approach to commissioning work is summarised below.

• Individual projects will be commissioned by issuing to the potential supplier a Statement of Requirements for the specific project. Ahead of this the Authority will check if the supplier has capacity to accept the request for proposal.
• After receiving the specification of requirements, the supplier will assess the task and submit a brief costed proposal, with timescales, in response to the requirement within 7 working days.
• The parties can engage in direct discussion about the requirements after the initial respond has been received or before that to make sure that both parties have full understanding of the requirements, deliverables and outputs, timeframes, costs etc.
• If accepted, the proposal will form a fixed price project within the overriding contract.
• Mini Competition
• For requirements of the value of £500,000 excluding VAT and higher, the contract award will be determined by running a Mini Competition process between suppliers on the framework.
• Suppliers will be evaluated against the quality and price criteria set out in the Mini Competition

Areas of work

Each high-level thematic area of UKSA's work (summarised below) is potentially in scope of the Framework Agreement. Some might be grouped together:

•International relations

•European Space Agency (ESA)

•Skills and workforce

•Innovation, Investment and Commercialisation

•Space Sustainability

•Earth Observation

•Exploration

•In-orbit Service and Manufacturing

•Launch

•Position, Navigation, and Timing

•Space Resilience

•Telecoms

The areas of work for 2022-2025 are available in UKSA's previous Corporate Plan for reference. UKSA's new Corporate Plan, publication forthcoming, will outline our work areas in more detail.

•A process evaluation

Including monitoring of benefits

•An impact evaluation

•Value for money evaluation

UKSA's evaluation strategy outlines our vision and objectives for evaluation.

Skills required

We require the potential Suppliers to have a strong skillset and expertise in the following areas.

•Process evaluations

•Monitoring

•Survey design, development and testing

•Qualitative research (in-depth interviews, focus groups, deliberative methods)

•Impact evaluations, including quasi-experimental (e.g. propensity score matching, difference in difference, regression discontinuity), experimental and theory-based designs (e.g. contribution analysis).

•Rapid evidence assessments, quick scoping reviews, literature reviews and systematic reviews.

•Economic evaluation, including value for money, cost/benefit analysis.

In addition, Suppliers need to have excellent working knowledge of HM Treasury Magenta Book and HM Treasury Green Book.

While knowledge and experience of working in space, or related fields (e.g., research and development) is desirable, it is not essential.

Estimated value of the framework

The estimated value of the Framework is £24m over 4 years.

Framework Terms and Conditions

The Cabinet Office Framework Contract Terms and Conditions will be used for this framework agreement. These include The Core Terms of the Framework Agreement, Call-off order form and Call off Schedules. These terms are being used by the Crow Commercial Services when setting up their frameworks so we believe many suppliers will already be familiar with these terms. Please use the link below to review the terms and conditions.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-public-sect...

Proposed contract KPIs

The supplier's performance on the framework will be managed against Key Performance Indicators, the KPI's proposed for this framework are as followed:

• Delivery - Deliverables presented to the Authority according to the timescales outlined in the Statement of Requirements for each project and are in the agreed format
• Attendance at contract meetings- Supplier to attend all monthly contract meetings by means of face-to-face or via telephone / videoconference
• Research Quality- Deliverables will be produced in line with guidelines and protocols (Government Social Research Publication Protocol, The Magenta Book, The Green Book). Reports must be of a publishable standard

4.Research Quality- Achieved agreed sample of research participants (within a reasonable margin -numerical if quantitative, specific characteristics if qualitative)

5.Response time -Queries from the Authority will be acknowledged within 24 hours and responded to within 3 working days

6.Account Management

7.Social Value- Social Value Commitments achieved as per the tender response

Social Value

Due to the nature of services that will be provided under this Framework we consider the Model Social Value Question - Outcome 1. Fair work covering the whole MACs 1b-1d of Procurement Policy Note 002: The Social Value Model (HTML) - GOV.UK as the most suitable and 10% weighting will be awarded to this question.

Timeframe

We plan to launch the Framework Agreement in March 2026, and run it for four years. Subject to all necessary approvals and permissions, we intend to release the tender in November 2025.Please note these timeframes are indicative and may change.

Tender published 03/11/2025

Framework Awarded 16/03/2026

Contract's signed 26/03/2026