Developmental Evaluation and Supporting Research SEUPB PEACEPLUS-funded - Skills Connect Programme

NOW Group

NOW Group is a multi-award-winning social enterprise with operations in Belfast, Dublin, Galway, Donegal and expanding across the island of Ireland. The organisation supports people who are neurodiverse, including those with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities to secure sustainable employment. The Skills Connect project aims to reduce skills gaps in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland by addressing systemic barriers to education and employment for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Skills Connect is a project supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Skills Connect is seeking a suitably qualified evaluator to undertake an independent, in-depth developmental evaluation of its multi-site programme. This exciting opportunity involves working closely with project teams to support continuous learning and improvement across curriculum design, training delivery, and stakeholder engagement. This contract offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of skills development and contribute to policy recommendations through evidence-based insights.

Deadline

The time limit for receipt of tenders was 2026-01-02. The procurement was published on 2025-12-18.

Suppliers

The following suppliers are mentioned in award decisions or other procurement documents:

• Root Research and Impact

Who?

• NOW Group

What?

• Research and development services and related consultancy services › Design and execution of research and development

Where?

• Luxembourg › Luxembourg
• Northern and Western › Border

Procurement history

Date	Document
2025-12-18	Contract notice
2026-03-12	Contract award notice

Contract notice (2025-12-18)
Object
Scope of the procurement
Title: Developmental Evaluation and Supporting Research SEUPB PEACEPLUS-funded - Skills Connect Programme
Short description:

Type of contract: Services
Products/services: Design and execution of research and development 📦
Other restrictions on the place of performance: Anywhere in the given country
Description
Title: Developmental Evaluation of the Skills Connect Programme
Description of the procurement:

Skills Connect is seeking a suitably qualified evaluator to undertake an independent, in-depth developmental evaluation of its multi-site programme. This exciting opportunity involves working closely with project teams to support continuous learning and improvement across curriculum design, training delivery, and stakeholder engagement. Key Responsibilities Include: • Developing a Theory of Change framework • Identifying Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Designing and implementing mixed-methods data collection • Supporting iterative programme development • Producing interim and final evaluation reports • Facilitating a co-designed strategy and implementation roadmap The successful evaluator will: • Collaborate with project teams and stakeholders • Lead data collection and analysis across multiple sites in NE NI and the border areas of ROI • Provide quarterly briefings and attend key advisory meetings • Deliver a Joint Strategy Report and Final Evaluation Report This contract offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of skills development and contribute to policy recommendations through evidence-based insights.

Main site or place of performance:

The regions included are the North East of Northern Ireland and the border areas of NI and ROI

Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Place of performance: Border 🏙️
Duration
Start date: 2026-01-01 📅
End date: 2029-03-31 📅
Title
Lot Identification Number: LOT-0001
Description
Main site or place of performance: NE of NI and Border Regions of NI/ROI

Procedure
Type of procedure
Open procedure ✅
Legal basis: Directive 2014/24/EU
Main features of the procedure:

Interested parties must submit an application by the deadline indicated in this notice. Applications will be assessed against the eligibility and selection criteria set out in the procurement documents. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to negotiate terms and conditions before final award. The purpose of this stage is to ensure that the final offer represents the most economically advantageous solution while maintaining transparency and fairness. Participation in negotiations does not guarantee contract award; the final decision will be based on the criteria specified in the procurement documents. The contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender based on the criteria specified.

Administrative information
Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate: 2026-01-02 17:00:00 📅
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English 🗣️
Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender: 60 days
Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
Framework agreement with a single operator ✅
Maximum number of participants: 1
Tendering terms
Electronic invoicing: Allowed
Electronic payment will be used ✅

Legal, economic, financial and technical information
Conditions for participation
Selection criterion: Samples, descriptions, or photographs with certification of authenticity for supply contracts
List and brief description of rules and criteria:

Provide examples of:  Facilitating co-design processes  Policy-impacting research/evaluation  Delivering developmental evaluations (last 3 years)  Managing projects over €100,000

Exclusion ground: Agreements with other economic operators aimed at distorting competition
Description of exclusion grounds:

anti-competitive agreements between businesses that are designed to restrict or distort competition in the market

Contracting authority
Name and addresses
Name: NOW Group
National registration number: NOW Group
Department: Services
Postal address: Glendenning House, 12-15 Grosvenor Rd, BT12 4GN
Glendenning House, 15-17 Grosvenor Rd
Postal code: BT12 5GD
Postal town: Belfast
Region: Border 🏙️
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
E-mail: tenders@nowgroup.org 📧
Phone: 00 4428 9043 6400 📞
URL: www.nowgroup.org 🌏
Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
Main activity
Economic and financial affairs
Communication
Documents URL: https://www.nowgroup.org/jobs-online 🌏
Participation URL: www.nowgroup.org 🌏
Electronic submission: Allowed

Complementary information
Review body
Same as: Name and addresses
Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

10-day standstill period between the notification of the award decision and the signing of the contract by the successful supplier

Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Source: OJS 2025/S 245-848852 (2025-12-18)

Contract award notice (2026-03-12)
Object
Scope of the procurement
Products/services: Research and development services and related consultancy services 📦
Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT): 150 000 EUR (framework approximate) 💰
Maximum value of the framework agreements in this notice: 150 000 EUR 💰
Award criteria
Quality criterion (name): The award criterion is based on quality, with the contract being awarded to the tender that demonstrates the highest level of qualitative merit in line with the specified standards.

Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded ✅
Lot Identification Number: LOT-0001
Contract Number: DEV‑EVAL‑2026‑C01
Date of conclusion of the contract: 2026-03-12 📅
Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Maximum value of the framework agreement: 150 000 EUR 💰
Re-estimated value of the framework agreement: 150 000 EUR 💰
Tender identifier: DEV‑EVAL‑2026‑C01
Information about subcontracting
Subcontracting value is known ✅
Subcontracting percentage is known ✅
Identifier of lot or group of lots: LOT-0001
Value excluding VAT likely to be subcontracted to third parties: 150 000 EUR 💰
Proportion (%): 100
The contract is likely to be subcontracted ✅
Information about tenders
Name of the tendering party: Name of the contractor (Winner)
Name and address of the contractor
Name: Root Research and Impact
National registration number: NI699929
Postal code: BT12 5GD
Postal town: Belfast
Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Size of the economic operator: Micro
Source: OJS 2026/S 052-179255 (2026-03-12)

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