ONP Evaluation

The project is being commissioned by Digital Infrastructure (DI), a directorate within the Department of Science and Innovation Technology (DSIT) (the Contracting Authority). The Term of the Contract is 12 months. The maximum budget available for this contract is £600,000 (excluding VAT). Any extension would need to be agreed with the Contracting Authority in accordance with the contractual clauses. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is commissioning an evaluation of the UK Government's Open Networks Programme (ONP), a £295.5m portfolio of 11 interventions supporting research, development, testing, and market adoption of open and interoperable network technologies, principally Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN). The first funded activities started in summer 2021, and the final activities concluded in March 2026. Through this procurement, we are seeking specialist evaluation services to deliver an interim evaluation of the programme, encompassing robust mixed method analysis, aligned with HM Treasury's Magenta Book guidance on evaluation design and the Green Book's principles of appraisal, value for money and risk management.