Research and development contracts expiring in the UK: 768 worth £285m
Every research and development contract held by a UK public body that has a published end date. The re-tender window is computed from the end date and the buyer's own lead times, so you can approach them while the incumbent still holds it.
Contracts tracked
768
Combined value
£285m
Window open now
14
of the top 40
Source
Find a Tender
OGL v3.0
Expiring next
- Consultants for feasibility study for Lincolnshire Wolds economyEast Lindsey District CouncilEnds 12 Nov 2026, £45k
What this market looks like
768 research and development contracts across the UK carry a published end date, worth £285m between them. They are held across 264 buyers, and the typical one is worth £70k.
589 of them expire within twelve months, and 180 are already inside the window where the buyer would normally be shaping the replacement. That is 77% of this market back in play inside a year.
712 different suppliers hold the work, and the three largest hold 3% of it. That is a fragmented market, which usually means no single relationship is decisive and a smaller supplier can win on merit.
21 are frameworks rather than a single contract, so part of this market is reached by getting onto a supplier list first and competing for call-offs afterwards.
The most active buyers are ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (39), Met Office (39), Food Standards Agency (36).
The contracts here are most often held by Fera Science Ltd (10), TUV SUD LTD (8), WSP UK Limited (7).
| Contract | Buyer | Value | Expires | Incumbent | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Futures Hubs and Transformation programme: Delivery partner London | Department for Culture, Media & Sport | £7.6m | 31 Aug 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Lot 4. User Research Studios and Participants North West England | Crown Commercial Service | £60m | 29 Jul 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| GEIC Tier 2 Membership Extension and Innovation Support Services London | NPL Management Limited | £7.0m | 30 Jun 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Sustainability Leadership and Climate Action Plans - (2026 Additional Services) UK | Department for Education | £4.9m | 30 Sept 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| DSIT & NI Project Barbara PoC London | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology | £2.8m | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| 715990490-FRF-01676 McBride OCD2 London | Ministry of Defence | £3.6m | 30 Jun 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| ES RDE 061 - Net Zero Carbon Modelling Commission London | ENVIRONMENT AGENCY | £9.0m | 26 Feb 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Water Matters & NAV Survey West Midlands | Consumer Council for Water | £749k | 11 May 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Made Smarter Consultancy East of England | Norfolk County Council | £1.4m incl. VAT | 14 Apr 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Mk41 Integration Study South East England | Ministry of Defence | £1.9m | 31 Aug 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Integration and Maintenance of Air‑Gapped Devices South West England | Ministry of Defence | £3.7m | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Space Regulatory Sandboxes, including the Re-Entry Regulatory Sandbox and the Multi-Mission Licensing Regulatory Sandbox London | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology | £475k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| DHSC_DfL National Reduce and Reuse MedTech Products Campaigns 2026 London | Department of Health & Social Care | £463k | 15 May 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| FRA083 Research Analyst Framework South East England | THE WASTE AND RESOURCES ACTION PROGRAMME | £1.6m incl. VAT | 25 Jan 2028 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Space Regulatory Sandboxes, including the Re-Entry Regulatory Sandbox and the Multi-Mission Licensing Regulatory Sandbox London | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology | £327k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Mass Transit Taskforce (MTTF) Secretariat London | Department for Transport | £494k | 14 Jan 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Provision of External Impact Evaluation Services West Midlands | HIGH VALUE MANUFACTURING CATAPULT | £310k | 30 Apr 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Strategy Framework North West England | Nuclear Decommissioning Authority | £10m | 31 Mar 2028 | Subscribers | Horizon |
| AI Tutoring Tools Pioneer Programme – Subject-Matter Exemption - Research and Development London | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology | £300k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Developing a Digital and Data Skills Pathway contract London | Department for Education | £300k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| PSI Lab Phase 2 - Innovation Support for Prototype Projects supporting Children and Young People Services North West England | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | £444k incl. VAT | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| National Framework Agreement for Provision of Biomedical and Clinical Research Support North West England | COUNTESS OF CHESTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | £10m | 01 Oct 2028 | Subscribers | Horizon |
| Liverpool City Region Transport Model Update North West England | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | £937k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Literature review: Cyanobacterial toxins in fish and other foods arising from cyanobacterial blooms: occurrence and toxicity through food and feed Yorkshire and the Humber | Food Standards Agency | £140k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Speed Management Programme Phase 2 - SMS development London | NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED | £835k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Business Case: Development of a Joint Specialist Childrens Assessment Centre Provision Wales | Wrexham County Borough Council | £248k | 19 Feb 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| research project on teenage relationship abuse, involving systems mapping and analysis of existing data London | Home Office | £220k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Integrated Screening Outcomes Surveillance Service (ISOSS) London | NHS England | £204k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Spatial Development Strategy digital platform East of England | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority | £205k | 31 May 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Pd Ag Functional Testing South East England | UK Fusion Energy Ltd | £195k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Mk41 Integration Study South East England | Ministry of Defence | £1.7m | 26 Feb 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Design and Development of the Optically Accessible Boiling Experiment South East England | UK Atomic Energy Authority | £110k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| NSpOC: Project ADORA Ionosondes London | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology | £1.1m | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Window open |
| Contract for Expert contribution for data-limited methods for category 4-6 stocks East of England | Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science | £96k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| PS25322 - RICHeS Heritage and Conservation Science Labour Survey South West England | UKRI | £94k | 28 Feb 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Lot 3. Working Group 4: Mitigation (incorporating sub lot 3.1 and sub lot 3.2) London | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology | £91k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Investment Zone Skills Programme Wales | South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee | £4.1m | 31 Mar 2028 | Subscribers | Horizon |
| Food supplements Market insight Yorkshire and the Humber | Food Standards Agency | £87k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
| Direct Award for the Family Connect Service Yorkshire and the Humber | Leeds City Council | £1.3m incl. VAT | 31 Oct 2027 | Subscribers | Horizon |
| Lot 2: Working Group 3 - Protection (incorporating sub lot 2.1 and sub lot 2.2) London | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology | £76k | 31 Mar 2027 | Subscribers | Opening soon |
728 more in this view
The full list, the named incumbent on every line and the computed re-tender window are on the expiry radar.
By region
Other sectors
Mining and metalsFood and catering suppliesClothing and uniformsPrint and publishingChemicalsOffice and computer equipmentElectrical equipmentCommunications equipmentMedical equipment and pharmaceuticalsVehicles and transport equipmentSecurity, fire and defenceSports, games and instrumentsLaboratory and precision equipmentFurniture and cleaning products
Sectors come from the CPV code on the notice, which is the classification the buyer chose when publishing. Contract end dates are published by buyers on contract details notices. Re-tender windows are computed estimates, not announcements.