Planning

PS25158 - Eastern Europe Accelerator Programme - Round 2

  • UK Research and Innovation

UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-048287

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0586c3

Published 13 August 2025, 10:22am



Scope

Reference

PS25158

Description

Below we have provided a high-level overview of the Scope of Services for this Contract. Due to the sensitivity of this work, the full tender information and documentation will only be provided to potential Bidders upon completion of the PS25158 - Eastern Europe Accelerator Programme - Round 2 - Not a Deed Agreement, which can be found within the Contracts Finder attachments area in the Contracts Finder Notice once the tender is issued.

If you are bidding as a consortium or shall be using sub-contractors all parties will need to complete and sign the NDA.

Completed NDAs must be emailed to ProfessionalServices@uksbs.co.uk where these will be countersigned, and your organisation will then be added into the main Jaggaer procurement.

Introduction

UK Shared Business Services (UKSBS), on behalf of the UK Research and Innovation through Innovate UK wishes to establish a contract for the provision of an International Accelerator Programme for the Energy Team. This will include support for both the UK companies and international partners.

Aims & Objectives

The aim of the accelerator programme is to provide commercialisation services to sit along side some of our overseas energy projects clustered in the eastern European region, ensuring the businesses taking part in the projects are commercially ready as well as technologically ready. Although the accelerator programme will be optional for our funded projects, we would expect most or all of the projects in this portfolio to take advantage of the support offered through the programme. The support will be a mixture of supporting fundamental programme requirements with all projects, 1 to 1 business support, connecting to the wider industry as well as communications activities.

There are four core objectives:

1. Provide core support to enable projects to achieve their project outputs in an ODA eligible country.

2. Provide business support to project leads to help them commercialise (no matter where they are in the world).

3. Engage with wider sector to help the organisations achieve their goals.

4. Provide communication and dissemination activities to demonstrate the meaningful impacts the programme is having.

We are hoping to achieve the following outputs:

- Organisations which have increased their commercial readiness.

- Technologies that are closer to market.

- A group of projects which feel like a cohort.

- Investment engagements with companies.

- Knowledge sharing between projects and the wider energy and government space.

- Promotion of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion.

- Impact which is disseminated globally.

Background to the Requirement

The Energy Access team at Innovate UK have funded a number of programmes within the ODA space. Its flagship programme, The Energy Catalyst, has committed over £200m of support helping companies to commercialise low carbon energy solutions in both the UK and in Africa and Asia. The team have recently expanded to look at technology specific areas such as diesel genset replacement. More information on these specific programmes can be found here:

https://energycatalyst.ukri.org/

https://www.ze-gen.org/ze-gen/

More recently we have started working with FCDO High Commissions in country to develop programmes specific for their needs and the portfolio to be supported through this work is the first output of this collaboration.

The programme is focussed on supporting regions with historically high reliance on fossil fuels and the programme will play a part in helping these economies to re-imagine their energy systems using the latest innovations supported through this work.

The aim of the programme is to accelerate the regional energy transition and ensure the resulting energy supply is low-carbon, affordable and secure.

The projects must:

• focus on the specific needs of the programme.

• be an innovative technology or business model that is low-carbon, affordable and secure.

• create energy resilience or build access to clean energy in the future.

Scope

The accelerator will support 13 projects for up to 28 months involving organisations predominantly in UK and Eastern Europe but with wider teams worldwide. The winning supplier must be able to support organisations no matter where they are located in the world to ensure the programme is fully untied as required under UK ODA rules.

The duration of the agreement will be between December 2025 and March 2028 for a total period of 28 months. Due to the funding limitations, we are not able to extend the accelerator service beyond March 2028, and this should be considered a hard-stop date. This date also coincides with the end of the projects funded under this programme.

Total value (estimated)

  • £833,333 excluding VAT
  • £1,000,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 1 December 2025 to 31 March 2028
  • 2 years, 4 months

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Contract locations

  • UK - United Kingdom

Engagement

Engagement deadline

20 August 2025

Engagement process description

Completed NDAs must be emailed to ProfessionalServices@uksbs.co.uk where these will be countersigned, and your organisation will then be added into the main Jaggaer procurement.


Participation

Particular suitability

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)


Submission

Publication date of tender notice (estimated)

20 August 2025


Contracting authority

UK Research and Innovation

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PDQJ-7126-JDHG

Polaris House, North Star Avenue

Swindon

SN2 1FL

United Kingdom

Region: UKK14 - Swindon

Organisation type: Public authority - central government


Other organisation

These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.

UK Shared Business Services Ltd

Summary of their role in this procurement: Buyer

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PMPN-7535-GNTG

Polaris House, North Star Avenue

Swindon

SN2 1FF

United Kingdom

Region: UKK14 - Swindon


Contact organisation

Contact UK Shared Business Services Ltd for any enquiries.