Procurement of (Pan-Defra) Research and Development Evidence Portal

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Published: May 18, 2026

Updated: May 19, 2026

Source: uk_fts

About This Opportunity

This is a services contract in the Research, information and communication technology and environment and climate sectors, with a focus on Data Analytics and Innovation. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 500,000.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for services in the Research sector. Service contracts are typically evaluated on both technical quality and price, and may require bidders to demonstrate relevant experience and qualified personnel. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.

Description

Defra is the UK government department which is responsible for improving and protecting the environment. Defra aims to grow a green economy and sustain thriving rural communities, and also support the UK's world-leading food, farming and fishing industries. The Defra Research Evidence Portal project has been established to modernise the technology services that enable the delivery of the Defra organisations requirements to publish Defra’s research and development information and capabilities for open access publication, to support integrated discovery and exploitation of Defra Group R&D (Research and Development), facilitating evidence synthesis and to also manage publications and knowledge curation activity where required for staff only. Defra also has a requirement to publicly release its Research and Development (R&D) reports to modern, accessibility and timeliness standards, for open access dissemination and exploitation and reuse. Currently there are multiple assurance, publication processes and document storage facilities in use across the Defra group, many reliant on legacy technologies. Modern Research Data Management technology services offer publication capabilities and interoperability with data and analytics services to maximise the dissemination and potential exploitation of R&D both by Government, industry and publicly to speed innovation for growth and societal benefits. The Defra Library provides scientists, researchers, and policy makers, in Defra, Natural England and APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) with specialist library services. It also provides services to customers in other Defra group organisations on a call-off basis. The Defra Library provides a wide range of print and digital assets to users. A range of technology services are used to deliver these, however currently, the technology used is fragmented and incudes several legacy technology services and has not been historically associated with the assurance and publication of Defra produced R&D outputs (historically positioned within the Central Science Division, under the Chief Scientific Adviser, (CSA)).

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on May 18, 2026. Last refreshed today. Reference: 045405-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS has issued 53 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 8 currently open and 43 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Information & Communication Technology, Environment & Climate, and Governance & Public Administration. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and UK Contracts Finder. Most recent publication: May 18, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is £500,000 - £500,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 045405-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Services contract in the Research & Innovation sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.