UK Research & Innovation: UKRI-3797 AI Skills Hub

UK-Swindon: Business and management consultancy services.

Section I: Contracting Authority

   I.1) Name, Addresses and Contact Point(s):
       UK Research & Innovation
       Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FL, United Kingdom
       Tel. +44 1793867000, Email: corporateprocurement@ukri.org
       Main Address: www.UKRI.org
       NUTS Code: UKK14

   I.2) Joint procurement:
      The contract involves joint procurement: No          
      In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not Provided
      The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No

   I.4)Type of the contracting authority:
      Body governed by public law

   I.5) Main activity:
      Other activity: Research

Section II: Object Of The Contract

   II.1) Scope of the procurement

      II.1.1) Title: UKRI-3797 AI Skills Hub            
      Reference number: Not Provided

      II.1.2) Main CPV code:
         79410000 - Business and management consultancy services.


      II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES

      II.1.4) Short description: Contract Award by United Kingdom research and Innovation through its component body Innovate for AI Skills Hub to UK business beneficiaries as part of a larger programme of activities that seek to stimulate adoption and diffusion of AI & ML in the UK. The skills hub will stimulate adoption by addressing one of the major barriers in AI adoption, identified by both government and industry surveys, as the gap in data and AI skills in the industry. Achieving this objective will have a positive impact on underperforming sectors and on UK productivity, ensuring AI benefits all sectors of the UK economy.

      II.1.6) Information about lots
         This contract is divided into lots: No
            
      II.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
          Value: 4,148,645
                  
         Currency:GBP            

   II.2) Description

      II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s):
      Not Provided

      II.2.3) Place of performance
      Nuts code:
      UK - UNITED KINGDOM
   
      Main site or place of performance:
      UNITED KINGDOM
             

      II.2.4) Description of the procurement: Contract Award Notice for United Kingdom Research and Innovation through its component body, Innovate UK, for delivery an AI Skills Hub to UK business beneficiaries as part of a larger programme of activities that seek to stimulate adoption and diffusion of AI & ML in the UK. The skills hub will stimulate adoption by addressing one of the major barriers in AI adoption, identified by both government and industry surveys, as the gap in data and AI skills in the industry. Achieving this objective will have a positive impact on underperforming sectors and on UK productivity, ensuring AI benefits all sectors of the UK economy.

An independently run, self-sustainable skills hub can act in coordinating the activities required to address the current skills gap faced by industry. The main activities to be delivered by the hub include a systematic archiving of AI and data skills training providers and training material. The AI Skills Hub will embed the values of the skills value chain and will align with and interface with parallel and tangential activities (e.g. Workforce Foresighting - Innovate UK Business Connect (ktn-uk.org)) outlined by the relevant authority in the setup phase of the project. The data skills training archive and gap analysis will be aligned to the AI skills for business framework and the Skills Hub will act as a central point for industry to identify skills training opportunities, feedback on exact training needs and promote a more diverse workforce.

There are a number of key stakeholders in the UK, including government departments, Innovation Centres and Catapults that serve to shape the direction and adoption of AI in alignment with the National AI strategy. Representatives of such bodies sit on the BridgeAI Advisory Group providing governance over ongoing activities. The AI skills for business framework will be reviewed by the supplier throughout the lifetime of the Skills Hub and updated subject to review by the BridgeAI Advisory Group during the lifetime of the BridgeAI programme and by the national custodians of the document, The Alan Turing Institute, on programme cessation. This will place the UK at the forefront of international best practice for AI and data skills provision and delivery.

      II.2.5) Award criteria:
      Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 85
                  
      Price - Weighting: 15
            

      II.2.11) Information about options
         Options: No
         

      II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
         The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
         

      II.2.14) Additional information: There is an optional extension of up to one year included £822,522.00 to be decided near the end of the contract


Section IV: Procedure

IV.1) Description

   IV.1.1)Type of procedure: Open


   IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
      The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement: No       
      

   IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction
      An electronic auction has been used: No

   IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
      The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

IV.2) Administrative information

   IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
       Notice number in the OJEU: 2024/S 000-021898
      
   

   IV.2.9) Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice
      The contracting authority will not award any further contracts based on the above prior information notice: No

Section V: Award of contract

Award Of Contract (No.1)

   Contract No: Not Provided    
   Lot Number: Not Provided    
   Title: Not Provided

   A contract/lot is awarded: Yes


   V.2) Award of contract

      V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract: 16/12/2024

      V.2.2) Information about tenders
         Number of tenders received: 11
         Number of tenders received from SMEs: Not Provided          
         Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: Not Provided          
         Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: Not Provided          
         Number of tenders received by electronic means: Not Provided

      V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

      The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
         
         Contractor (No.1)
             PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, OC303525
             1 Embankment Place,, london, United Kingdom
             NUTS Code: UK
            The contractor is an SME: No

      V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
         Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: 4,166,666.67          
         Total value of the contract/lot: 4,148,645
         Currency: GBP

      V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
         The contract is likely to be subcontracted: No
         
Section VI: Complementary information

   VI.3) Additional information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.
To view this notice, please click here:
https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=917483579

   VI.4) Procedures for review

      VI.4.1) Review body
          United Kingdom Research & Innovation
          Swindon, SN2 1FL, United Kingdom

      VI.4.3) Review procedure
         Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures: Not Provided

      VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
         Not Provided

   VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice: 15/01/2025