Please note that as a Research & Development framework, this will be EXEMPT under Paragraph 22 of Schedule 2 to the Procurement Act 2023. The purpose of this notice is to make the market aware of this upcoming procurement, which is currently due for tender release in November 2026. This framework aims to provide comprehensive professional services support for the assessment of performance and deployment options for UK-relevant engineered barrier system components and the evolution of candidate material(s) and their configurations under repository conditions.