Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
ADVANCED RESEARCH AND INVENTION AGENCY
210 EUSTON ROAD,
LONDON
NW12DA
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKI31 - Camden and City of London
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/programmable-plants/programmable-plants
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/programmable-plants/programmable-plants
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Other type
An executive NDPB exempt from the PCRs
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
ARIA Opportunity Seeds: Programmable Plants
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 73110000 - Research services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Breakthroughs require finding people who think differently about what's possible - and empowering them to follow their vision. To support scientific and technological breakthroughs, outside of programmes, ARIA Programme Directors can award opportunity seeds to support ambitious research aligned to the opportunity spaces they've identified. To understand how opportunity seeds work within our model, see how we're working here (https://aria.org.uk/how-we-fund).
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Programme Director Angie Burnett's opportunity space, 'Programmable Plants', (https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/programmable-plants) asks "how can we programme a plant to do anything we want it to do?". We're looking to fund high potential proposals with up to £500k each.
We're looking for bold ideas that could challenge assumptions, open up new research paths, or provide steps towards new capabilities. If you have an important idea you're obsessed with, but you don't currently have the resources or support to take it forward, we'd like to hear from you.
Ideas could come from anywhere, so we welcome applications from individuals and teams who are early in their career or who have atypical backgrounds. We care more about your idea and your intrinsic motivation than we do about your CV.
To help you decide if this is the right funding call for you, below is some guidance on the scope.
In scope:
Ideas that sit within the ''Programmable Plants' (https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/programmable-plants) opportunity space. By this, we mean your proposal should show how your idea either aligns with or challenges the assumptions of the Summary, Beliefs, or Observations in the opportunity space document (https://www.aria.org.uk/media/uqrjp3wp/aria-programmable-plants.pdf).
Both land plants and aquatic plants (including green algae) are in scope.
Microorganisms influencing plants are in scope, provided that they are being used to alter an aspect of a plant's form or function
The opportunity space document outlines examples of ideas that we are interested in, but there are many more possibilities not mentioned in the document that we would be excited to fund.
Ideas that could change the conversation about what is possible or valuable.
Ideas that range from early stage curiosity-driven research through to pre-commercial science and technology.
Out of scope:
Ideas that target Angie Burnett's goal of Synthetic Plants (https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/programmable-plants/synthetic-plants/), as described in her programme thesis (https://www.aria.org.uk/media/teli101l/aria-synthetic-plants-for-a-sustainable-future.pdf) and programme funding call (https://www.aria.org.uk/media/fq1fybgx/aria-synthetic-plants-call-for-proposals.pdf) (applications for the programme funding call have now closed).
Cyanobacteria.
Ideas that are undifferentiated or that are likely to happen without ARIA support.
Commercial or close-to-commercial stage products.
Beyond this scope and our evaluation criteria outlined in the opportunity seed call for proposals document on ARIA's website here, we don't have preconceptions about what ideas you might send our way. You don't need to contort your project to fit our goals: we want to hear what you really want to do.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
36
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The estimated total funding value is the maximum budget available. We expect to fund multiple applicants. Funding is anticipated to be award via both contracts and grants. Additional funding, scope and duration could be added to any contracts awarded.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
9 April 2025
Local time
1:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
This call for opportunity seed proposals will initially be open for eleven weeks. We may update timelines based on the volume of responses we receive or other learnings.
- Application deadline: 09 April 2025 (13:00 GMT)
- Shortlisted / unsuccessful applicants notified: 28 April 2025.
- Shortlisted applicants invited to meet with Programme Director: 30 April - 2 May 2025
- Final award decision; successful / unsuccessful applicants notified: 09 May 2025
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Not Applicable, see the ARIA Act 2022
London
Country
United Kingdom