Executive Search for UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive and Office for Students Chief Executive

'*** This tender requirement was abandoned prior to a Contract award decision. ***'

This invitation to quote is for two parallel executive search campaigns: UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, and Office for Students Chief Executive.

UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is a new research and innovation body which will be set up to strengthen the strategic approach to future challenges and maximise value from Government's investment of over £6bn per annum in research and innovation. It will deliver a strengthened, unified voice for the UK's research and innovation funding system, facilitating the dialogue with Government and partners on the global stage. It will build on the UK's world class research and innovation performance enabling the system to respond rapidly and effectively to current and future challenges.

Delivering these benefits requires a strong and empowered leadership within UKRI. The creation of UKRI will ensure that our research and innovation system is sufficiently strategic and agile to deliver national UK capability that drives discovery and economic growth. It will also retain the key characteristics of the current system that have underpinned the UK's success, such as discipline leadership and autonomy, and dual funding. UKRI will bring together the functions of the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK, and HEFCE's research and knowledge exchange funding functions. The CEO will be integral in ensuring the success of this new organisation.

Office for Students Chief Executive

The Chief Executive of the Office for Students (OfS) is a full time executive role at the forefront of the Government's Higher Education reform agenda. The Chief Executive will both lead the creation of the OfS in the run up to its legal establishment in April 2018, and lead the operational work of the OfS in its first years of existence. This role will be integral to the success of this new organisation, having responsibility for a multi-faceted organisation with a substantial budget.

The OfS will be a new body created to enable the regulatory environment to reflect fundamental changes to funding and increased providers in the Higher Education sector. Combining the existing regulatory functions of Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), establishing the vision and culture for the new organisation and it will have clear and consistent powers to regulate the sector. It will create and oversee a regulatory environment in higher education which puts the interests of students at the heart of the system, focusing on choice and competition. Its Board membership will reflect the diversity of the higher education system, and will also draw on the expertise of individuals with experience of fostering choice and competition, and of robust financial control.

Additional information: As part of the strategic alliance between UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) and Crown Commercial Service (CCS), UK SBS can use the CCS eSourcing Suite for future procurements.

If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Suite, this can be done online at https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk by following the link ‘Register for CCS eSourcing’. Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so.

Once you have registered on the eSourcing Suite, a registered user can express an interest for a specific procurement. This is done by emailing expressionofinterest@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

Your email must clearly state: the name and reference for the procurement you wish to register for; the name of the registered Bidder; and the name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email.

Crown Commercial Service will process the email and then enable the Bidder to access the procurement online via the e-Sourcing Suite. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done.

The Sourcing documents can then be accessed on the eSourcing Suite at: https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk using the instructions detailed in the Specification documents within Contracts Finder.

As a user of the e-Sourcing Suite you will have access to Emptoris email messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific RFX event. Please note it is your responsibility to access these emails on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information.

For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite please contact Crown Commercial Service Helpdesk : Telephone: 0345 010 3503

Training documents to support Bidders utilise Emptoris CCS eSourcing are available in the Contracts Finder Tender documents section.