The Science and Technology Facilities Council has kicked off the hunt for a long-term construction partner to help transform and decarbonise its vast science estate.

The eight-year deal worth up to £800m forms part of UK Research & Innovation’s major programme to modernise, replace, and decarbonise its laboratory and research facilities nationwide.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) estate consists of around 300,000 sq m of built estate, across 128 buildings nationally, including world-leading research centres such as Harwell, Daresbury, and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

The new construction partner will deliver a rolling programme of capital works ranging from new-build research facilities to infrastructure renewal and backlog maintenance clearance.

UKRI said a separate £18m procurement race will also be launched for a programme management partner, with both suppliers expected to work collaboratively with the STFC estates team and wider stakeholders.

The procurement will run under a competitive flexible procedure, with a shortlist of up to five bidders to be drawn from the pre-qualification round before dialogue stages and a final competency assessment centre.

Tender submissions close on 14 November 2025, with an award expected by December. The framework is due to start in July 2026 and run until 2034.

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