The Government Office for Science is preparing to replace its existing Futures Framework with a new six-year open framework valued at £9 million excluding VAT. The arrangement will help government departments, agencies, public bodies and universities commission futures, foresight and related professional services.
This is currently a planned procurement with supplier engagement underway, rather than a final tender. It is relevant to a specialist market that includes foresight practitioners, research organisations, policy consultancies, facilitators, trainers and multidisciplinary teams working on long-term strategy. If your organisation is preparing to engage or bid, speak to Thornton & Lowe about your Futures Framework strategy.
What services will the framework cover?
The proposed scope includes:
- horizon scanning and analysis of drivers of change;
- scenario development and strategic foresight;
- evidence gathering, synthesis and analysis;
- workshops, panels and stakeholder engagement;
- training, coaching and capability building;
- tools, guidance, reports and presentations;
- cross-government collaboration and coordinated projects.
Outputs may range from policy briefings and analytical products to scenario exercises, workshop materials and published reports. Suppliers will need to tailor methods to complex policy questions and uncertain long-term trends rather than offer a standard management consultancy process.
The New Futures planned procurement notice provides the current scope and supplier engagement details.
Who should consider bidding?
Potential bidders may include:
- specialist futures and foresight consultancies;
- universities and research institutes;
- policy research and evaluation organisations;
- scenario-planning and horizon-scanning specialists;
- facilitation and stakeholder engagement providers;
- training and organisational capability specialists;
- consortia combining subject expertise with futures methods.
New suppliers are explicitly encouraged. SMEs and VCSEs are also identified as suitable, and the framework is expected to have no fixed maximum number of suppliers.
Organisations unfamiliar with government procurement can use our professional services tenders page for an overview of the sectors covered and the importance of understanding the buyer's requirements, aligning the proposed solution and setting out a clear competitive advantage.
How is the open framework expected to work?
The framework is planned to run for six years and reopen once at year three. Existing suppliers will be carried forward, while new suppliers will have another opportunity to join at the reopening point.
The recommended commercial approach allows direct awards below £50,000, with mini-competitions for higher-value or more complex assignments. This makes the original framework submission important: customers may rely on the assessed capability, rates and service descriptions when making lower-value awards.
What evidence will strengthen a submission?
Strong evidence is likely to show:
- recognised futures and foresight methods;
- work on complex policy or strategic questions;
- rigorous use of qualitative and quantitative evidence;
- facilitation with senior and diverse stakeholder groups;
- clear, accessible outputs that support decisions;
- quality assurance and challenge of assumptions;
- capability transfer through training or coaching;
- management of confidentiality, data and government stakeholders.
Case studies should explain how the work influenced a decision, strategy or capability, not simply list reports produced. Buyers will want to see how uncertainty was handled, how evidence was tested and how findings were translated into useful action.
Use the engagement period to test the model
A supplier engagement session is scheduled for 6 August 2026 from 11am to noon. GO-Science is also seeking feedback on the scope, value and structure of the framework.
Suppliers should use the engagement to raise practical points about lotting, consortium participation, pricing, direct awards, intellectual property and the balance between specialist methods and subject expertise. The current estimated tender publication date is 19 August 2026, with a planned tender deadline of 28 September at 2pm.
Before the tender is issued, bidders should identify their core futures proposition, select relevant case studies and decide whether partners are needed to broaden subject-matter expertise or delivery capacity.
