NU/1433 The Provision of Business Consultancy to Assist Commercialisation of University Research

  • Newcastle University

F14: Notice for changes or additional information

Notice identifier: 2021/S 000-025504

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-02eb0d

Published 12 October 2021, 4:02pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Newcastle University

Newcastle University, Procurement Services, Kingsgate

Newcastle

NE1 7RU

Contact

Mrs Natalie Morton

Email

natalie.morton@ncl.ac.uk

Telephone

+44 1912086396

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKC - North East (England)

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.ncl.ac.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.ncl.ac.uk


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

NU/1433 The Provision of Business Consultancy to Assist Commercialisation of University Research

Reference number

DN374603

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Newcastle, Sunderland, Northumbria, Durham, Teesside universities together with the University of Bath on behalf of the SETsquared Partnership (the Enterprise collaboration of the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) and any other HE Institution that wishes to join this DPS, as detailed in the Office for Students Register, https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/the-register/the-ofs-register/ will engage suitably qualified and experienced executives through the DPS as and when required over the DPS period.

The specific requirements will be detailed in each individual further competition. The typical brief of an executive will be to:

(a) Produce a viable business plan;

(b) Obtain university approval for the venture;

(c) Act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all company formation matters;

(d) Provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for Research England and ESIF reporting requirements;

(e) Secure (venture capital and/or other) funding in accordance with the business plan.

This will be a cyclical process throughout the entire Research England, and potential ESIF project along with any additional funding streams.


Section six. Complementary information

six.6) Original notice reference

Notice number: 2019/S 009-016574


Section seven. Changes

seven.1) Information to be changed or added

seven.1.2) Text to be corrected in the original notice

Section number

II.1.4

Place of text to be modified

Short description

Instead of
Text

Newcastle, Sunderland, Northumbria, Durham, Teeside universities together with the University of Bath on behalf of the SETsquared Partnership (the Enterprise collaboration of the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) and any other HE Institution that wishes to join this DPS, as detailed in the Office for Students Register, https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/the-register/the-ofs-register/ will engage suitably qualified and experienced executives through the DPS as and when required over the DPS period.

The specific requirements will be detailed in each individual further competition. The typical brief of an executive will be to:

(a) Produce a viable business plan;

(b) Obtain university approval for the venture;

(c) Act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all company formation matters;

(d) Provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for Research England and ESIF reporting requirements;

(e) Secure (venture capital and/or other) funding in accordance with the business plan.

This will be a cyclical process throughout the entire Research England, and potential ESIF project along with any additional funding streams.

Read
Text

Newcastle, Sunderland, Northumbria, Durham, Teesside universities together with the University of Bath on behalf of the SETsquared Partnership (the Enterprise collaboration of the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) and any other HE Institution that wishes to join this DPS, as detailed in the Office for Students Register, https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/the-register/the-ofs-register/ will engage suitably qualified and experienced executives through the DPS as and when required over the DPS period.

The specific requirements will be detailed in each individual further competition. The typical brief of an executive will be to:

(a) Produce a viable business plan;

(b) Obtain university approval for the venture;

(c) Act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all company formation matters;

(d) Provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for Research England and ESIF reporting requirements;

(e) Secure (venture capital and/or other) funding in accordance with the business plan.

This will be a cyclical process throughout the entire Research England, and potential ESIF project along with any additional funding streams.

Section number

II.2.4

Place of text to be modified

Description of the procurement:

Instead of
Text

Newcastle, Sunderland, Northumbria, Durham, Teeside universities together with the University of Bath on behalf of the SETsquared Partnership (the Enterprise collaboration of the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) and any other HE Institution that wishes to join this DPS, as detailed in the Office for Students Register in common with universities throughout the UK, have advanced relevant systems and procedures and also dedicate significant public resource to both research and commercialisation of that research.

A key route to commercialisation is the creation of a new business (a spin-out company) wherein the intellectual property (IPR) developed is exclusively licenced to a university start-up company in exchange for (founders’) shares in that company.

A university spin-out company is centred on unique, often world class, technology. However as a start-up, to be successful, it requires, most critically, top quality business leadership.

Due to funding restrictions, universities usually attract managers to this high risk role through a sweat equity arrangement.

The universities wish to broaden the attractiveness of this role by contracting executives to develop the business plan, make the company investor ready and raise investment funds to take the business forward.

Through contracting highly skilled experts at the pre-commercial funding stage, this will allow the partner universities to attract a suitable person to the venture at an early stage, thus giving university spin-outs a much greater chance at success.

The typical brief of an executive will be to:

(a) Produce a viable business plan;

(b) Obtain university approval for the venture;

(c) Act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all company formation matters;

(d) Provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for ERDF and Research England reporting requirements;

(e) Secure (venture capital and / or other) funding in accordance with the business plan.

Stage (e) will produce the funds by which the new start-up company can consider employing the executive going forward. It is expected, and the intent of the scheme, that the Executive will remain with the business following the end of the contract period. However, such appointment will be at the discretion of the board and appropriate university and will be subject to confirmation, typically at Stage (c) above.

Read
Text

Newcastle, Sunderland, Northumbria, Durham, Teeeside universities together with the University of Bath on behalf of the SETsquared Partnership (the Enterprise collaboration of the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) and any other HE Institution that wishes to join this DPS, as detailed in the Office for Students Register in common with universities throughout the UK, have advanced relevant systems and procedures and also dedicate significant public resource to both research and commercialisation of that research.

A key route to commercialisation is the creation of a new business (a spin-out company) wherein the intellectual property (IPR) developed is exclusively licenced to a university start-up company in exchange for (founders’) shares in that company.

A university spin-out company is centred on unique, often world class, technology. However as a start-up, to be successful, it requires, most critically, top quality business leadership.

Due to funding restrictions, universities usually attract managers to this high risk role through a sweat equity arrangement.

The universities wish to broaden the attractiveness of this role by contracting executives to develop the business plan, make the company investor ready and raise investment funds to take the business forward.

Through contracting highly skilled experts at the pre-commercial funding stage, this will allow the partner universities to attract a suitable person to the venture at an early stage, thus giving university spin-outs a much greater chance at success.

The typical brief of an executive will be to:

(a) Produce a viable business plan;

(b) Obtain university approval for the venture;

(c) Act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all company formation matters;

(d) Provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for ERDF and Research England reporting requirements;

(e) Secure (venture capital and / or other) funding in accordance with the business plan.

Stage (e) will produce the funds by which the new start-up company can consider employing the executive going forward. It is expected, and the intent of the scheme, that the Executive will remain with the business following the end of the contract period. However, such appointment will be at the discretion of the board and appropriate university and will be subject to confirmation, typically at Stage (c) above.

Section number

II.1.5

Place of text to be modified

Estimated total value

Instead of
Text

2 500 000.00

Read
Text

3 500 000.00

Section number

II.1.5

Place of text to be modified

Estimated value

Instead of
Text

2 500 000.00

Read
Text

3 500 000.00

seven.2) Other additional information

These changes have been made to reflect the addition of Teesside universities together with the University of

Bath on behalf of the SETsquared Partnership (the Enterprise collaboration of the Universities of Bath, Bristol,

Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) and any other HE Institution that wishes to join this DPS process, as detailed

5 / 5

in the Office for Students Register,https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/the-register/the-ofsregister/ will engage suitably qualified and experienced executives through the DPS as and when required over

the DPS period.

The value has been increased to reflect these changes.