IRG ADVISORS LLP awarded £38,000 ARIA Chair search contract

Tender information last checkedLast checked 12 Oct 2026, 18:51.

Opportunity overview

The Department for Science, Innovation Science and Technology requires specialist executive search support to assist with the recruitment of the next Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency. This is not a generic Chair search. ARIA occupies a distinctive place in the UK research and innovation system, pursuing high-risk, high-reward research with the potential to deliver transformational scientific, economic and societal impact. The Chair appointment requires a supplier able to understand ARIA’s operating model, independence, governance requirements, stakeholder landscape and the leadership capabilities needed to support the organisation as it moves from establishment into delivery at scale.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

IRG Advisors LLP Trading as Odgers

Matched by number

Contract value: £30.4k
Awarded: Not supplied
Contract signed: 6 Oct 2026
Including VAT: £38k
Award ID: 1
Status: active
Identifier: GB-COH OC354226
Location: London,, UKI31, EC4M 6XD, United Kingdom

Classification

No classification was supplied.

Lots

Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Contract details notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id: ocds-h6vhtk-078610
Status: complete
Procurement Method: direct
Procurement Method Details: Below threshold - without competition

Legal basis

Id: 2023/54
Scheme: UKPGA
Uri: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ↗

Lots and requirements

Entry 1

Id: 1
Status: complete

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1

Name: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Id: GB-PPON-PVWZ-3216-PVQL

Identifier

Scheme: GB-PPON
Id: PVWZ-3216-PVQL

Address

Street Address: 22 Whitehall
Locality: London
Postal Code: SW1A 2EG
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKI32

Contact

Email: commercialexcellence@ics.gov.uk

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: UK_CA_TYPE
Id: publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Description: Public authority - central government

Organisation 2

Name: IRG Advisors LLP Trading as Odgers
Id: GB-COH-OC354226

Identifier

Scheme: GB-COH
Id: OC354226

Address

Street Address: 20 Cannon Street
Locality: London,
Postal Code: EC4M 6XD
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKI31

Contact

Email: UK.Press@odgers.com

Roles

supplier

Details

Scale: large
Vcse: No

Award information

Award 1

Id: 1
Status: active
Main Procurement Category: services

Items

Item 1

Id: 1
Related Lot: 1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: CPV
Id: 79600000
Description: Recruitment services

Delivery locations

Entry 1

Region: UK
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom

Suppliers

Supplier 1

Id: GB-COH-OC354226
Name: IRG Advisors LLP Trading as Odgers

Related lots

Contracts and changes

Entry 1

Id: 1
Award ID: 1
Status: active
Has Renewal: Yes
Above Threshold: No
Date Signed: 7 Oct 2026, 00:00

Period

Starts: 7 Oct 2026, 00:00
Ends: 15 Dec 2026, 23:59
Max Extent Date: 15 Feb 2027, 23:59

Renewal

Description: Chance for c. 2-month extension if no suitable candidates found.

Value

Including VAT: 38,000
Amount: 30,400
Currency: GBP

Documents

Entry 1

Id: 096302-2026
Document Type: contractNotice
Notice Type: UK7
Description: Contract details notice on Find a Tender
Url: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096302-2026 ↗
Published: 12 Oct 2026, 17:24
Format: text/html

Recorded locations

Buyer location · London · UKI32 · SW1A 2EG · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION

096302-2026Contract details notice on Find a Tender · 12 Oct 2026, 17:24

PROCURAAXIS AWARD ANALYSIS

Award outcome intelligence

Evidence-bound analysis of the published award appears below the official tender and award information.

ANALYSIS PREVIEW

Award intelligence at a glance

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology awarded IRG ADVISORS LLP a contract for executive-search support to recruit the next Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). The source identifies IRG Advisors LLP Trading as Odgers as the trading name.

Published outcome signals

Notice typeContract details notice on Find a TenderEvidence: The published document is described as “Contract details notice on Find a Tender”.
Award statusActiveEvidence: Award 1 has status “active”.
Contract statusActiveEvidence: Contract 1 has status “active”.

98% approved-analysis confidence1 supplier record analysed4 source limitations

SOURCE AND FRESHNESS

Traceable procurement data

Source: Find a Tender
Notice reference: 096302-2026
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078610
First published: 12 Oct 2026
Last checked: 12 Oct 2026, 18:51
Notice versions reviewed: 1

View Find a Tender notice ↗

HOW THIS WAS PREPARED

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.

Analysis status: Approved for publication
Analysed: 12 Oct 2026

Read the analysis methodology →

AWARD OUTCOME

What happened

Published outcome

A single active award and signed contract were published for recruitment services under a below-threshold direct procurement without competition.

Market significance

This is a short, specialist public-sector executive-search engagement supporting a senior ARIA leadership appointment, with a stated gross contract value of £38,000.

AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS

1 supplier record analysed

IRG ADVISORS LLP

99% confidence

Award 1 · Lots 1 · £38,000 gross (£30,400 excluding VAT) GBP · Verified legal supplier; active award and contract

View supporting evidence

The supplier verification record matches company number OC354226 to IRG ADVISORS LLP. Contract 1, linked to award 1, states £38,000 amountGross and £30,400 amount.

LIFECYCLE

Award or contract stage

Notice type

99% confidence

Contract details notice on Find a Tender

View supporting evidence

The published document is described as “Contract details notice on Find a Tender”.

Award status

98% confidence

Active

View supporting evidence

Award 1 has status “active”.

Contract status

98% confidence

Active

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 has status “active”.

Contract conclusion

99% confidence

Signed on 7 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 records dateSigned as 2026-10-07.

VALUES

Published values explained

Contract value excluding VAT

99% confidence

£30,400

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 value.amount is 30400 GBP.

Contract value including VAT

99% confidence

£38,000

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 value.amountGross is 38000 GBP.

TIMELINE

Procurement timeline

Contract signed

99% confidence

7 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-07.

Contract start

99% confidence

7 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-10-07.

Published

99% confidence

12 October 2026

View supporting evidence

The contract details notice datePublished is 2026-10-12.

Scheduled contract end

99% confidence

15 December 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.endDate is 2026-12-15.

Maximum stated extent date

99% confidence

15 February 2027

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.maxExtentDate is 2027-02-15.

SCOPE

What was awarded

Requirement

99% confidence

Specialist executive-search support to recruit the next Chair of ARIA

View supporting evidence

The notice description states that the department requires specialist executive search support for recruitment of the next ARIA Chair.

Service classification

99% confidence

Recruitment services (CPV 79600000)

View supporting evidence

Award item 1 lists CPV 79600000, Recruitment services.

Lot structure

98% confidence

One lot (Lot 1)

View supporting evidence

The tender and award both reference Lot 1; no lot title or description is supplied.

Delivery location

96% confidence

United Kingdom

View supporting evidence

The award item delivery address specifies region UK.

PROCEDURE

Procedure and competition

Procurement method

99% confidence

Direct procurement

View supporting evidence

Tender procurementMethod is “direct”.

Method detail

99% confidence

Below threshold - without competition

View supporting evidence

Tender procurementMethodDetails states “Below threshold - without competition”.

Threshold status

99% confidence

Below threshold

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.

CONTRACT TERMS

Published contract terms

Initial term

99% confidence

7 October 2026 to 15 December 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.startDate and period.endDate provide these dates.

Extension provision

98% confidence

Potential extension of approximately two months if no suitable candidates are found

View supporting evidence

The renewal description states: “Chance for c. 2-month extension if no suitable candidates found.”

Maximum stated duration boundary

99% confidence

15 February 2027

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.maxExtentDate is 2027-02-15.

COMMERCIAL VIEW

Commercial observations

Engagement profile

94% confidence

Short-duration specialist search assignment for a senior public-sector research and innovation leadership role.

View supporting evidence

The stated scope is executive search for ARIA’s next Chair, and the initial term runs from 7 October to 15 December 2026.

Competitive context

99% confidence

The published record describes a below-threshold direct procurement without competition; bid volumes and evaluation information are not supplied.

View supporting evidence

Tender procurementMethodDetails states “Below threshold - without competition”.

ANALYSIS QUALITY

98%overall confidence

Confidence reflects the completeness and consistency of the published award data.

Reference: ocds-h6vhtk-078610
Analysed: 12 Oct 2026

APPROVED AWARD ANALYSIS

BUYER CONTEXT

Buyer context

Buyer

99% confidence

Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

View supporting evidence

The buyer party is named Department for Science, Innovation & Technology.

Buyer type

99% confidence

Central government public authority

View supporting evidence

The buyer classification is “Public authority - central government”.

Buyer location

98% confidence

London, United Kingdom

View supporting evidence

The buyer address lists 22 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2EG.

SUPPLIER CONTEXT

Supplier context

Legal supplier identity

99% confidence

IRG ADVISORS LLP (company number OC354226)

View supporting evidence

Supplier verification matched source company number OC354226 to verified company name IRG ADVISORS LLP.

Trading name in source notice

99% confidence

IRG Advisors LLP Trading as Odgers

View supporting evidence

The supplier party in the source notice uses this name.

Supplier size

95% confidence

Large

View supporting evidence

The supplier party details record scale as large.

RENEWAL OUTLOOK

Renewal outlook

Extension outlook

98% confidence

An extension may run to 15 February 2027; this is a contractual possibility, not a procurement forecast.

View supporting evidence

The contract hasRenewal field is true, gives a conditional approximately two-month extension, and records maxExtentDate as 2027-02-15.

DATA QUALITY

Gaps and source limitations

Supplier naming reconciliation

99% confidence

Verified legal identity available

View supporting evidence

The source party name differs from the verified legal name: “IRG Advisors LLP Trading as Odgers” is matched by company number OC354226 to IRG ADVISORS LLP. The source name is treated as a trading name, not the legal supplier name.

Published financial basis

99% confidence

Both net and gross amounts are supplied

View supporting evidence

The contract records £30,400 excluding VAT and £38,000 gross.

Scope detail quality

96% confidence

Lot-level narrative is limited

View supporting evidence

Lot 1 has no published title or description, although the overall notice describes the requirement.

SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS

Information not supplied in the published notice

No award decision date is supplied in the published record.
No bid count, evaluation criteria, scoring, rationale for supplier selection, or pricing breakdown is supplied.
Lot 1 has no separate published title, description, or individual value.
The extension is conditional and the source does not confirm that it will be exercised.

MARKET THEMES

Relevant award themes

COMMON QUESTIONS

About this award

Who won the ARIA Chair executive-search contract?

IRG ADVISORS LLP, company number OC354226. The source notice names IRG Advisors LLP Trading as Odgers.

What is the contract value?

The published contract value is £30,400 excluding VAT and £38,000 including VAT.

When does the contract end?

The scheduled end date is 15 December 2026, with a conditional extension possibility to a maximum stated date of 15 February 2027.

ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.

UK7 ARIA Chair

Opportunity overview

Awarded to

IRG Advisors LLP Trading as Odgers

Classification

Lots

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Scope, procedure and submissions

Legal basis

Lots and requirements

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Identifier

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Classifications

Identifier

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Award information

Items

Additional Classifications

Delivery locations

Suppliers

Related lots

Contracts and changes

Period

Renewal

Value

Documents

Recorded locations

Notice and amendment history

Award intelligence at a glance

Published outcome signals

Traceable procurement data

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

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