Scope
Reference
SU09(26)
Description
Contract Award Notice to commence 8-working day standstill period before entering into a contract with Ipsos (market research) Limited to deliver the Data Collection requirements for the Survey-based Study of the 2026 Senedd Election.
The Senedd election is scheduled to take place by May 7th, 2026. In order to study this election, the project academic leadership team are leading a survey-based research project seeking to capture and disseminate representative data on Welsh voters’ attitudes, behaviours, and socio-demographic attributes (including an enhanced focus on the themes of ‘place, power, and political engagement’).
The wider project toward which this work will contribute is entitled ‘The 2026 Welsh Election Study: Place, Power, and Political Engagement’
As a result of this procurement process, Swansea University wish to award this contract to Ipsos (market research) Limited to undertake a series of representative sample survey waves of the Welsh electorate, encompassing one pre-campaign wave, one in-campaign wave, and one post-campaign wave.
The overarching aim of the WES 2026 Survey is to implement a high-quality data collection strategy to capture voters’ attitudes and behaviours pre-election, during the campaign, and after the Senedd election in May 2026, resulting in a cutting-edge public opinion data resource that is, as far as possible, robust, representative, and generalisable for inference about the Welsh electorate.
The research team has identified push-to-web as the representative sampling methodology that they will deploy. A clear, granular account is required of how this approach will be rolled out to deliver 3 x representative samples across the project timetable. A minimum n of 2,000 is stipulated for each survey wave, but the approach is one that prioritises data quality over quantity. As such, an emphasis is sought on the survey frame coverage, on the randomisation of selection, and on the protocols to secure a 20% plus response rate, as well as the generation of survey data weights. In addition and as stipulated above, an approach is also sought to the provision of anonymized respondent location data using the ONS Output Areas system.
The project is funded by UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). WES 2026 is part of a UK-wide set of national election studies, and its work supports the delivery of ESRC’s data infrastructure strategy.
The total maximum budget for this work was £368,000.00 (inclusive of VAT, all Welsh language translation & all expenses)
This tender was conducted electronically via etenderwales BravoSolution, in project 31576 and itt 119846 and the contract will run from November 2025 to November 2026.
Contract 1. SU09(26) Contract Award for Data Collection for Survey-based Study of the 2026 Senedd Election
Supplier
Contract value
- £278,000 excluding VAT
- £333,600 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
11 July 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
11 July 2025
Standstill period
- End: 18 November 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
18 November 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 19 November 2025 to 30 November 2026
- Possible extension to 31 May 2027
- 1 year, 6 months, 12 days
Description of possible extension:
We are not expecting to extend this contract as the current election timing stands, but this is a 6 month contingency just in case the election is moved.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 72300000 - Data services
Contract locations
- UKL18 - Swansea
Information about tenders
- 1 tender received
- 1 tender assessed in the final stage:
- 0 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 1 supplier awarded contracts
- 0 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Supplier
Ipsos (market research) Limited
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PCXT-5737-ZJLM
3 Thomas More Square
London
E1W 1YW
United Kingdom
Email: Trinh.Tu@ipsos.com
Region: UKI42 - Tower Hamlets
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 1. SU09(26) Contract Award for Data Collection for Survey-based Study of the 2026 Senedd Election
Contracting authority
Swansea University
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PTNV-7472-GRTW
Procurement, Finance Dept.
Swansea
SA2 8PP
United Kingdom
Contact name: Sue Davies
Telephone: +44 1792 295890
Email: sue.davies@swansea.ac.uk
Website: http://www.swansea.ac.uk
Region: UKL18 - Swansea
Organisation type: Public undertaking (commercial organisation subject to public authority oversight)
Devolved regulations that apply: Wales