CR21026 Follow-On Interim Evaluation of Innovation Loans

***THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION**** This contract has been awarded against Crown Commercial Services Research Marketplace DPS.

This requirement does not include the longer-term economic impact evaluation, but will require some foundation work for this, and to leave data and other evaluation materials in a reasonable state for other parties to conduct the full evaluation. However, there is the expectation to assess the extent to which the Innovation Loans programme is on track to achieve its objectives and the changes in outputs and outcomes since the interim evaluation. It is expected that during the assessment quantification of impacts (where possible) is done with high levels of robustness and only when appropriate.

This follow-on interim evaluation will follow the framework and the Interim Evaluation Report (mentioned above). The framework sets out the guiding principles and overarching approach for both the interim and impact evaluations of Innovation Loans which evaluators should follow. Based on these existing documents, it is expected that the successful bidder will deliver against these key principles, however there is the opportunity to suggest alternative approaches that will mould better to the current context and the overall stages

Bidders are expected to recognise the difference in timings for the different groups to be evaluated. In other words, it is expected that the evaluation will look at how the initial pilot cohort is doing since the interim evaluation in terms of their progress across the theory of change, and also to include applicants in the later competitions in the extended pilot, to baseline and understand their key principles and motivations for applying and taking on an evaluation loan.