ID 6274755 - DFE - Invest NI - Technical Advisory - PRE-MARKET ENGAGEMENT

Invest Northern Ireland's Innovation, Research & Development Division (IR&DD) is preparing to retender its R&D Technical Advisory Framework and want to understand what would help make the tender process accessible, proportionate and attractive to potential suppliers.

IR&DD supports local organisations to develop and commercialise innovative products, processes and services that contribute to Northern Ireland's economic growth. We achieve this by providing grant funding, specialist guidance, and connections to research partners through programmes such as Grant for R&D and Proof of Concept.

As part of the assessment process for R&D funding applications, a technical appraisal is required to determine project suitability. These appraisals are carried out either by our internal Technology Executives or with the support of external independent advisors with the relevant technical expertise. External advisors are typically engaged for projects seeking more than £1m of support or where the work involves applied research at lower Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). Consultants may also be asked to complete technical reviews at key points during the project i.e., midway and at the end of the project.

For the next framework period, Invest NI also intend to include the option for independent advisors to support Post Project Evaluations (PPEs), conducted 3-5 years after project completion. These evaluations assess outcomes, benefits, lessons learned and the counterfactual-what would have occurred in the absence of funding.

To deliver these commitments, IR&DD operates a four year framework of independent consultants. Our current framework expires in November 2026, and we are preparing to procure a new framework to run from November 2026 to November 2030. If you are interested in providing these services to Invest NI, we would appreciate your feedback to help us shape the new framework. Depending on the volume of responses we may also arrange follow-up discussions.

If you wish to participate in the Contracting Authority's (Invest NI) Preliminary Market Engagement for this requirement, a questionnaire for completion is available via the following Link (please copy and paste this to your browser for access):

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/invest-ni-technical-advisory-framework/

The questionnaire must be completed and submitted via this link by the engagement deadline of 09/04/2026