This is a Contract Details notice confirming the contract award for the provision of the services of an Independent Chair for the delivery of a review into Higher Education in Wales. This notice follows the publication of the Contract Award Notice which was preceded by the publication of an initial Transparency Notice on 25/08/2026 advising of Welsh Government’s intention to award the contract. The purpose of the contract is to take overall responsibility for the success of the review, provide expertise and insight and to lead the work of the Review Panel. The contractor will lead the Panel established to undertake the Review; be the public face of the Review, including building relationships with stakeholders. The contractor will be expected to provide on average two days service per week and travel throughout Wales as required. As noted in the Transparency Notice and Contract Award Notice there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and no reasonable alternative exists that satisfies the deliverables of the contract. It is the opinion of Welsh Government that the contract therefore satisfies the requirements of paragraph 41 Direct award in special cases and Schedule 5 part (6) (a) (b) of the Procurement Act 2023.

Procurement Act 2023

Direct award As noted in the Transparency Notice and Contract Award Notice, there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and no reasonable alternative exists that satisfies the deliverables of the contract. It is the opinion of Welsh Government that the contract therefore satisfies the requirements of paragraph 41 Direct award in special cases and Schedule 5 part (6) (a) (b) of the Procurement Act 2023.