Public procurement notice: Contract Award Notice
Published: 2020-05-22
Buyer: Newcastle University
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Restricted procedure
CPV classification: 79400000
Estimated value: 30000 GBP
Award criteria: The most economic tender
EU fund: ERDF

Technical requirements: (NU1433-10) RAR-M Therapeutics Ltd: The Provision of Business Consultancy to Assist Commercialisation of University Research
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — as with most other neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s — is a major medical challenge and is having an ever-increasing impact upon the lives of patients, carers and indeed of society as a whole. Scientists at Durham (Chemistry Department) and Aberdeen Universities have recently designed, synthesised and identified a lead drug candidate with the potential for establishing a new treatment approach for ALS and with a longer-term potential of being effective for other neurodegenerative diseases.
The technology is now being patented and we are ready to develop a commercial vehicle to drive the drug development programme forwards and raise the necessary investment required for the next stages. The need for an experienced Business Executive/CEO, who has already delivered drugs to the market in the neurodegenerative area, is essential to support the commercial team and especially the CEO directly. Although two of the team have commercial (spinout) experience (e.g. as CTO of LightOx who are successfully raising second phase major investment currently for LightOx), the successful launch of market leading drugs and the raising of the finance to make that happen is needed to successfully take the company forward.
In the longer term (such as Phase III raise of ca. GBP 100+ million), such an executive might well be appointed as CEO, but in these early development stages, advise and business support is required.
Newcastle, Durham, Sunderland and Northumbria universities, in common with universities throughout the UK, have advanced relevant systems and procedures and also dedicate significant public resource to both research and commercialisation of that research. A key route to commercialisation is the creation of a new business (a spin-out company) wherein the intellectual property (IPR) developed exclusively licensed to a university start-up company in exchange for (founders) shares in that company.
The universities ill engage suitably qualified and experienced executives through the DPS as and when required over the DPS period. The specific requirements will be detailed in each further competition.
The initial brief of the executive for which he/she will be paid, dependent upon the scope of the specific project engagement sought, either a payment or a combination of a payment and a share/stock option will typically be to:
(d) provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for ESIF, ERDF and Research England reporting requirements;
The Northern Accelerator brand is supported by Research England which is responsible for funding, engaging with and understanding English higher education institutions (HEIs).The Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) supports university collaboration in research commercialisation.
The Northern Accelerator programme is also supported by a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project that supports the commercialisation of university research, also delivered under the Northern Accelerator brand.
Newcastle University has incorporated a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract was communicated to tenderers. This period allowed unsuccessful tenderers to see further debriefing before the contract was entered into. Such additional information would be requested from the address referred to in Part 1.1 above. If an appeal regarding the award contract has not been successfully resolved, the Public contracts Regulations 2015 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by breach of the rules to take action in the high court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Any such action must be brought promptly. Where a contract has not been entered into the court may order the setting aside of the award decision in order for the authority to amend any document and may award damages. If the contract has been entered into court may only award damages.


Winner: DyoDelta Biosciences Ltd
Award value: 30000
Number of bids: 2