Contract opportunities
Find out about contract opportunities to support Wellcome's mission to improve human health – including an overview of each project, who can apply and how.
At Wellcome, we invite organisations to apply for contract opportunities that support our mission to fund discovery research and find solutions to three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate.
Find research contract funding opportunities and requests for proposals (RFP) below.
Climate and Health
There are currently no contract opportunities for Climate and Health
Discovery Research
There are currently no contract opportunities for Discovery Research
Infectious Disease
There are currently no contract opportunities for Infectious Disease
Mental Health
A short-term contract opportunity for those with psychometric and/or data science expertise, to review and propose innovative open-access models for common metrics (self-report questionnaires in mental health). This includes a review of existing platforms that might be adapted for this purpose.
Wellcome are particularly interested in how versions of a particular measure – including translations, adaptations, and derivatives – are tracked over time. This includes how granular changes are traced and rationalised, and how different versions are cited.
Individuals or organisations may apply to this opportunity. We do not expect that all of this expertise will necessarily come from one person. We also welcome applications from individuals with some of the advertised expertise, but who could be paired with applicants.
Essential skills or experience: We are looking for specific expertise in the use of self-report questionnaires used in mental health, standards of psychometric evidence, open-access research infrastructure, and open-source version control systems. All suppliers should have strong written communication and information synthesis skills.
Desirable skills or experience: Experience specific to mental health and an understanding of the mental health research landscape is desirable.
Eligibility: Open to all
Submission of supplier Q&A: 5 August 2024
Submission of RFP response: 26 August 2024
Wellcome is looking for a supplier to help us understand the impact of lived experience collaboration in the mental health research projects we fund.
We recognise that lived experience collaboration can look different across different contexts, and that lived experience practices are more well developed in some scientific areas (and in some locations) than others.
We will use this commission to guide our future funded research cohorts on how to collaborate with lived experience experts in the most useful way.
We are seeking a supplier to develop and implement an approach to understanding the impact of collaborating with lived experience experts in mental health research.
Eligibility: Open to all
Submission of supplier Q&A: 7 August 2024
Submission of RFP response: 15 September 2024
The mental health field faces many challenges in finding and using models that will aid in the goals of better understanding mental health problems and developing new treatments for anxiety, depression and psychosis. We would like to identify a supplier who can carry out a project in two phases with the aim of producing a reliable, free-to-use, online library of the most useful behavioural animal models and assays in depression, anxiety and psychosis.
This contract may apply to either new startup projects, or as an extension of pre-existing work in this area, provided our deliverable requirements are met.
We also welcome alternative suggestions as to how this project could be designed and would encourage collaboration between different research groups in order to achieve our aim: to make it easier for researchers to select behavioural animal model/assay combinations that will accurately predict the success of new treatments in human beings.
Eligibility: Open to all
Submission of supplier Q&A: 21 August 2024
Submission of RFP response: 24 September 2024
Other contract opportunities
Data for Science and Health:
There are currently no contract opportunities for Data for Science and Health
Research Environment:
There are currently no contract opportunities for Research Environment
Translation and Portfolio Integration:
There are currently no contract opportunities for Translation and Portfolio Intergration
Strategy:
There are currently no contract opportunities for Strategy
Corporate Affairs:
Corporate Affairs are looking for a PR and Communications specialist with a proven track record of creative brand-building.
We are looking for expertise to develop and execute impactful campaigns for two exciting brand-building initiatives: the When Science Finds a Way podcast and the Wellcome Photography Prize.
This isn't just about raising awareness – with your help, over the next three years, we want to take these projects and transform them into major brand-building experiences that resonate deeply with our target audiences.
We're looking for a comprehensive strategy packed with fresh, creative ideas that go beyond the expected. Our ultimate goal is to supercharge Wellcome's brand awareness and consideration. We want to forge a strong connection with key audiences, ensuring they deeply connect with our mission, beliefs, and values. This connection is vital for achieving our long-term plans.
Eligibility: Open to all
Submission of expression of interest and questions: 22 July 2024
Submission of full proposal: 2 August 2024
The Wellcome Collection team are looking for a creative agency (or equivalent) to produce an inclusive, compelling campaign that promotes Wellcome's free museum and library, drawing on new and existing research.
Eligibility: Open to all
Submission of expression of Interest and questions: 13 August 2024
Submission of pitch proposal: 30 August 2024
The Wellcome Collection team are looking to appoint a creative agency to develop YouTube and social media video content to support the upcoming exhibition, Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights (the exhibition will run from September 2024 to April 2025).
Eligibility: Open to all
Submission of expression of interest and questions: 25 August 2024
Submission of full proposals: 20 September 2024
We aim to make our contract opportunities open to all organisations, however there will be instances where we provide eligibility criteria based on the specific nature of what we are looking to procure. Please see each opportunity for specific eligibility criteria.
We do not contract with suppliers connected to the tobacco industry. For clarity, we define the tobacco industry as any company, entity or organisation (or groups or combinations of the same) whose business other than for an insignificant part (less than 10% of its revenue), is the development, production, promotion, marketing, or sale of tobacco in any country of the world. The term also includes any companies that are a subsidiary or a holding company or affiliate of the above. This also includes E-cigarette companies and non-tobacco related companies which are fully or partially owned by the tobacco industry.
Diversity and inclusion are central to our strategy. We want to make sure everything we do – and everyone who works with us – upholds these principles. Our intention is to work with kindness and consideration and to value the wellbeing of everyone involved in the collaboration. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application process, please let us know.
Please send in your proposals electronically and refer to the individual RFP documents above for specific timelines and response requirements.
Grants: When funding someone to do something where Wellcome expects to receive nothing in return (except acknowledgement and progress reports), this will normally be through a grant.
Contracts: When funding someone to do something where Wellcome expects to receive something in return (such as goods, services, rights or other benefits), this will normally be through a contract.
| Grant | Contract | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rights | When we award a grant, we have no right to receive anything back – except acknowledgment of our funding and reports as detailed in the grant conditions. We can require that the grant is spent on the agreed activities, but we can’t direct how those activities are carried out. We can demand repayment if grant money is spent on something else, but not if we simply don’t like the outputs. We can terminate a grant, cancelling any future payments, at any time and for any reason in line with the grant conditions. |
When we award a contract, we have the right to receive what we are paying for as specified in the legally binding agreement. Depending on the exact terms, we will be able to require a certain level of quality and punctuality. If the supplier falls short, we may be able to make them do the work again or refund the money; we might also be able to sue for compensation. A contract can be terminated only in accordance with its provisions, which may require us to give a specific notice period or make payments even after termination. |
| Tax |
We generally won’t need to pay VAT on a grant. |
VAT is added to all UK invoices. Overseas taxes are charged as applicable. |
| Process |
Grants are usually awarded as a result of an application process, with appropriate types of review and approval. Most of our grants are awarded under our funding schemes. |
Contracts are usually awarded as a result of a procurement exercise. |
We don’t want your proposal to be limited in scope and ambition. However, there may be cases where a set budget is necessary and if so, we do expect you to submit a proposal that is within that.
This is a contract and not a grant. It should be costed as part of the supplier's budget in order to complete the activity on time and in full.
We can pay in various currencies please ensure this is clear on your proposal.
The main VAT requirement is to account for reverse charge VAT at 20% on any B2B (business to business) services received from overseas. This is to provide a level playing field for all businesses, that is UK VAT is payable on services regardless of where the supplier is based. In the case of a UK supplier, the supplier will charge UK VAT at 20% on its services. Where the supplier is based abroad, no VAT is charged by the supplier but the responsibility to account for VAT is shifted to the recipient, who then accounts for the VAT as if the supply was made in the UK.
We always endeavour to provide feedback to suppliers who make it through to the interview stage. Some panels may also provide feedback at earlier stages, but this is at their discretion.
Unless specified on the RFP all contract opportunities are open to all organisations including individuals.
If the lead organisation is working with a sub-processor (collaborator), that sub-processor does not have to complete the Third-Party Risk Assessment form.
The lead organisation must however tell Wellcome who is their sub-processor and send us their independent security certificate and/or security audit report for review as required in the Third-Party Risk Assessment form.
We cannot contract to any countries on the UK government financial sanctions list.
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Complete this form if you have a specialised area in which you can contractually assist our teams in their activities.
Facilitators:
Complete this form if you have expertise in facilitating workshops, producing write-ups of events and other facilitation activities.
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Please do not use this address to submit expressions of interest or proposals. Please refer to the email address provided in the relevant contract opportunity document as to where these should be sent.
Here, you can find some of our previous RFPs that have now expired, including an overview of each project, to enable suppliers to understand the format and structure.
The Strategic Partnerships team is seeking an individual consultant to provide dedicated expertise on Climate and Health partnerships work as well as support Wellcome’s wider Strategic Partnerships function.
Eligibility: Individual consultant with partnerships expertise and strong understanding of the climate and health research ecosystem
Initial response deadline: 7 July 2022
Wellcome would like to partner with BIOVAC to commission a report, based on a literature review/landscape analysis, on how to build an enabling environment for the African continent to increase its end-to-end manufacture of vaccines. We are interested in understanding what the barriers to vaccine development and manufacturing on the African continent are and what strategies and actions can be taken to increase the manufacture of vaccines.
Eligibility: Open to all countries
Initial Response Deadline: 27 June 2022
Wellcome’s Discovery Research team aims to design new funding activities to reduce barriers that are slowing down and/or blocking progress in the field of Bioimaging. Wellcome has a history of supporting innovation in bioimaging and our current portfolio of investments has supported work that ranges from new tools and technologies to infrastructure and data repositories. We want to progress our work even further and identify new key areas where Wellcome investments in bioimaging methodologies, equipment, tools and technology development (across the scales of life, from atoms to humans) will afford field-opening, filed-shaping and field-advancing opportunities.
The purpose of the RFP is to commission a delivery partner to provide critical insights on the following fundamental questions:
- What are the nascent technologies/methodologies in the field of bioimaging that will enable researchers to formulate new hypotheses and address new fundamental questions for life, health, and wellbeing?
- What are specific barriers (in terms of technology, methodology, hardware, software, and access) that are limiting progress in the field of bioimaging in both High-Income Countries (HICs) and Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)?
- Who are the key leaders on an international level that are driving development in the field of bioimaging?
Wellcome is intending for this piece of work to equally cover both, the UK/HIC and LMIC landscape, addressing the different needs in both settings.
Eligibility: Open to all countries
Response deadlines:
Expressions of Interest – 20 May 2022
Full proposals – 6 June 2022
We’re looking to appoint a bold and creative agency/consultant to determine how we can best use photography to advance our brand and strategy. As well as reviewing the effectiveness of Wellcome Photography Prize as a vehicle for our brand, we need to better understand how our audiences respond to photography and how to ensure the imagery we use reflects our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Eligibility: Open to all countries
Initial response deadline: Closed
We’re looking to commission a team to identify and evaluate the properties, strengths, and weaknesses of selected measures for depression, anxiety and psychosis and to produce a toolkit for their use by researchers, funders and journals. The team will also produce an implementation plan to encourage the uptake of common metrics by key stakeholder groups.
Eligibility: Open to all countries
Initial response deadline: 5 May 2022
Download the full RFP [PDF 573KB]
Watch a recording of our webinar from 11 April 2022 to find out more.