Award

Project_4850 Research - Potentially harmful OCA online practices

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS AND TRADE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

12 Aug 2025 at 13:19

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process titled "Project_4850 Research - Potentially harmful OCA online practices" was conducted by the Department for Business and Trade, located in London, England. This tender falls under the industry category of research and development consultancy services, with a classification CPC code of 73200000. The contract, valued at £79,925, was awarded to Revealing Reality, a supplier registered as ESRO LIMITED on Companies House. The project examines potentially harmful online consumer architecture practices by major digital platforms in markets across locations such as the UK, Europe, and other territories worldwide. The procurement stage is currently at the award stage, having been active since 31 July 2025, with a contract period running through to 31 January 2026. The procurement method used was selective via a call-off from a dynamic purchasing system.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), given its complexity and focus on consumer protection and competition policy. Companies specialising in digital platform analysis, consumer behaviour research, and regulatory consultancy could find this an attractive prospect to enhance their portfolios and gain valuable insights into regulatory frameworks for online markets. As the project aims to influence policy and competitive practices within online markets, businesses with expertise in data analysis, market research, and policy advisory services are well-suited to benefit from insights gained through this contract, positioning themselves as key players in shaping future regulatory initiatives.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Start Free Trial Book a Demo
All Features Pricing

Notice Information

Notice Title

Project_4850 Research - Potentially harmful OCA online practices

Notice Description

A study to provide foundational evidence to DBT's policy teams on the nature and extent of potentially harmful OCA practices employed by a selected sample of digital platforms. This evidence is crucial for subsequently developing appropriate regulatory responses and interventions to safeguard the interests of consumers and promote fair competition in online markets. The goods or services procured through this contract will be used by the Department for Business and Trade to: 1. Identify the types and frequency of potentially harmful OCAs used across selected online platforms. 2. Understand the probability of users encountering these practices on these platforms during their customer journey. 3. Obtain data-driven insights into the relationships between OCA prevalence and factors such as product categories, device types (desktop vs mobile), and platform types (e-commerce vs social media with market functions). 4. Establish an evidence base on the current state of potentially harmful OCA usage by major online platforms operating in the UK market. 5. Use these findings to scope future research projects examining the negative impacts of OCAs on consumer welfare, autonomy, and market competition. 6. Contribute with evidence to update relevant consumer protection and competition policies, guidance, and enforcement approaches to address consumer harms and anti-competitive effects arising from the use of potentially harmful choice architectures by online platforms.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-d6cd907c-487f-4c2b-81a4-7c9004fe2282
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d066bbe5-a9a6-4a94-93d5-c1dde6cb0c14
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Dynamic
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Call-off from a dynamic purchasing system
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£79,925 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£79,925 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Aug 20256 months ago
Submission Deadline
3 Jun 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
30 Jul 20256 months ago
Contract Period
30 Jul 2025 - 31 Jan 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS AND TRADE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1A 2DY
Post Town
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

REVEALING REALITY

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-b5fd17-d6cd907c-487f-4c2b-81a4-7c9004fe2282-2025-08-12T14:19:42+01:00",
    "date": "2025-08-12T14:19:42+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-b5fd17-d6cd907c-487f-4c2b-81a4-7c9004fe2282",
    "language": "en",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "tender": {
        "id": "tender_490995/1504177",
        "title": "Project_4850 Research - Potentially harmful OCA online practices",
        "description": "A study to provide foundational evidence to DBT's policy teams on the nature and extent of potentially harmful OCA practices employed by a selected sample of digital platforms. This evidence is crucial for subsequently developing appropriate regulatory responses and interventions to safeguard the interests of consumers and promote fair competition in online markets. The goods or services procured through this contract will be used by the Department for Business and Trade to: 1. Identify the types and frequency of potentially harmful OCAs used across selected online platforms. 2. Understand the probability of users encountering these practices on these platforms during their customer journey. 3. Obtain data-driven insights into the relationships between OCA prevalence and factors such as product categories, device types (desktop vs mobile), and platform types (e-commerce vs social media with market functions). 4. Establish an evidence base on the current state of potentially harmful OCA usage by major online platforms operating in the UK market. 5. Use these findings to scope future research projects examining the negative impacts of OCAs on consumer welfare, autonomy, and market competition. 6. Contribute with evidence to update relevant consumer protection and competition policies, guidance, and enforcement approaches to address consumer harms and anti-competitive effects arising from the use of potentially harmful choice architectures by online platforms.",
        "status": "complete",
        "classification": {
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "id": "73200000",
            "description": "Research and development consultancy services"
        },
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "countryName": "British Oversea Territories"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "Channel Islands"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "Europe"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "Isle of Man"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "Rest of the World"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amount": 79925,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "procurementMethod": "selective",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Call-off from a dynamic purchasing system",
        "tenderPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2025-06-03T14:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "contractPeriod": {
            "startDate": "2025-07-31T00:00:00+01:00",
            "endDate": "2026-01-31T23:59:59Z"
        },
        "suitability": {
            "sme": true,
            "vcse": true
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
    },
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-CFS-307868",
            "name": "Department for Business and Trade",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "Department for Business and Trade"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Old Admiralty Building, Whitehall",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "SW1A 2DY",
                "countryName": "England"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Department for Business and Trade",
                "email": "CommercialResearchandConsultancy@businessandtrade.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ]
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-05438122",
            "name": "Revealing Reality",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "Revealing Reality",
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "05438122"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "The Ballroom Maritime House, Grafton Square, London, England, SW4 0JW"
            },
            "details": {
                "scale": "large",
                "vcse": false
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-CFS-307868",
        "name": "Department for Business and Trade"
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "ocds-b5fd17-d6cd907c-487f-4c2b-81a4-7c9004fe2282-1",
            "status": "active",
            "date": "2025-07-31T00:00:00+01:00",
            "datePublished": "2025-08-12T14:19:42+01:00",
            "value": {
                "amount": 79925,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-05438122",
                    "name": "Revealing Reality"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2025-07-31T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2026-01-31T23:59:59Z"
            },
            "description": "Refistered on Company House as ESRO LIMITED",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "description": "Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder",
                    "url": "https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d066bbe5-a9a6-4a94-93d5-c1dde6cb0c14",
                    "datePublished": "2025-08-12T14:19:42+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html",
                    "language": "en"
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}