Research Contract – UK National Broadband Scheme with State Aid Rules

The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) would like to commission a suitably qualified contractor or consortium of contractors (independent of Government) to undertake an evaluation of the UK’s broadband State aid measure. This research project should gather the evidence necessary to carry out an assessment of: 1. the compliance of the implementation of the UK National Broadband Scheme with State aid rules, as set out in the Commission Decision of 20 November 2012 approving case SA.33671 -2012/N National Broadband scheme for the UK – Broadband Delivery UK (“the Decision”) and the EU Guidelines for the application of state aid rules in relation to the rapid deployment of broadband networks (“the Broadband Guidelines”) . 2. whether and to what extent the original objectives of the National Broadband Scheme have been fulfilled (i.e. assessing the positive effects) and the impact of the scheme on markets and competition (i.e. possible negative effects), in line with the provisions of the Decision, the Broadband Guidelines and the EU Commission recommendations regarding State aid evaluation, as reflected in the Commission Staff Working Paper on a common methodology for State aid evaluation (“the State aid Evaluation Methodology”) . The research project titled, ‘The UK’s National Broadband Scheme – Evaluation of the UK’s State aid measure’ will provide the UK with a report setting out this evidence and this will be used to support the re-notification of the scheme for State aid clearance. The research project should focus on fact-finding, quantitative evidence, result indicators. The research project should follow an ex-post approach (evaluation of the National Broadband Scheme as implemented to date), not an ex-ante approach (evaluation of the re-notification of the National Broadband Scheme for the future)