Notice Information
Notice Title
Conversational AI Platform
Notice Description
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ("the Authority") is responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy within the UK. As the UK's biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and a range of working age and disability benefits to around 20 million UK citizens. The Authority is committed to doing everything it can to enhance the overall citizen experience. Citizens contact the Authority wishing to start, validate, change or query their benefit claims. Citizens calling from within the UK contact the Authority via free of charge Non-Geographic Numbers ("NGNs") or via web chat when wishing to discuss their individual circumstances with regards to a type of service/benefit they have with the Authority. NGNs are currently answered by advisors within the Authority's contact centre, which is the largest platform of its kind across all UK government departments and is one of the largest in Europe. The contact centre managed service ensures that all twenty-seven business groups, spread across around 200 locations, can connect with and support citizens, whilst also offering specialist services such as debt recovery and support for citizens with complex needs. Conversational AI Platform ("CaiP") is a natural language call steering ("NLCS") solution which allows citizens to speak naturally to the platform so it can determine why our citizens are calling. This enables the guiding of the citizen to the most effective outcome, whether that is to the right agent first time or to personalised call deflection and/or self-service offerings. This should enhance the citizen experience and produce operational efficiencies. The CaiP service will integrate with the Authority's contact centre to help better serve millions of citizens by improving how DWP handles inbound calls, route queries intelligently, and offer self-service options.
Planning Information
Interested suppliers should complete the following steps: 1. Register on the Portal: Goto https://dwp.bravosolution.co.uk and click the link to ‘register’. To attend the webinar suppliers should complete this step prior to 4th July 2025. Suppliers registering after this date will need to download the webinar materials for offline review. All documentation for this market engagement, including the Request for Information (RFI) document requesting your response will be accessed via the DWP e-Sourcing portal (the Portal) which is based on the Jaggaer software and is free of charge to use. For further assistance in relation to the Portal please consult the online help or contract the eTendering help desk. 2. Express interest in the market engagement: Login to the Portal and click the 'PQQs / ITTs Open to all Suppliers' link. Click on the “pqq_28963 - Conversational Platform” link to access the RFI content. Click the 'Express Interest' button at the top of the page. This will move the market engagement activity into your 'My PQQs/ My ITTs' page, a secure area reserved for your own projects. You can now access all the DWP documentation by clicking 'Buyer Attachments' in the 'PQQ Details' box. Please note that this process is not being conducted as a formal Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) but we are using the PQQ functionality within the portal to facilitate the market engagement process. 3. Download the RFI and attend the webinar: The RFI document can be downloaded from the ‘Buyer Attachments’ areas. Suppliers should read this document in detail. DWP will host a webinar on Microsoft Teams at 10.00-12.00 on 4th July 2025 to provide background and context to our requirement and answer any initial questions. Following the webinar, DWP will publish the associated slides and any captured Q&A. We request that suppliers limit their participants to two individuals per company. 4. Engaging in the RFI: Click 'My Response' under 'PQQ/ ITT Details' where you can choose to 'Create Response' or to 'Decline to Respond' (please give a reason, if declining). Any decision not to participate in this market engagement will not preclude any supplier from participation in any subsequent procurement activity. You will then be able to use the 'Messages' functionality to seek any further clarifications, provided any questions are submitted by 12:00 on 11th July 2025. In the interest of openness and transparency, anonymised and commercially desensitised Q&A will be shared will all participants. DWP will aim to respond to all questions received in reasonable time for suppliers to factor these answers into your response but, if this is not possible, DWP does not anticipate moving the RFI deadline. Please prioritise questions accordingly. 5. Responding to the RFI: Please upload your response as an attachment to the single ‘Question’ within the ‘Technical Envelope’ prior to the 09:00 on 21st July 2025 deadline, using the 'Submit Response' button. Submissions must be made using the Portal. In addition to the RFI response the supplier can also share any additional information they might wish DWP to do aware of as part of this process. Unfortunately, DWP will not be able to consider any responses or additional material received after this deadline. Please note that the market engagement activity will not be used to formally evaluate suppliers. Any information shared will be for information purposes only to provide insights and inform DWP of market capabilities. Any information received or discussions held will not contribute or influence the evaluation of potential tender submissions of any related future procurement. 6. RFI Follow-Up & Demonstrations: The purpose of the RFI is to gather specific insights on key solution areas and options. DWP may request further clarifications of aspects of any of the RFI responses received, and/or engage in further detailed supplier discussions to gather deeper insights. Specifically, DWP may invite some or all the responding suppliers to demonstrate their capabilities. Suppliers who have not responded to the RFI will not be invited to conduct demonstrations. Demonstrations will be scheduled to take place shortly after the RFI deadline, and DWP will aim to complete these by 1st August 2025.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-0547fa
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000007-2026
- Current Stage
- Tender
- All Stages
- Planning, Tender
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK4 - Tender Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Selective
- Procurement Method Details
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Tender Suitability
- SME
- Awardee Scale
- Not specified
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
48 - Software package and information systems
64 - Postal and telecommunications services
72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
-
- CPV Codes
48512000 - Interactive voice response software package
64227000 - Integrated telecommunications services
72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
79512000 - Call centre
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- £19,500,000 £10M-£100M
- Lots Value
- £19,500,000 £10M-£100M
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 2 Jan 20261 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- 16 Jan 2026Expired
- Future Notice Date
- 5 Jan 2026Expired
- Award Date
- Not specified
- Contract Period
- 5 Jul 2026 - 5 Jul 2030 4-5 years
- Recurrence
- 2030-01-07
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Active
- Lots Status
- Active
- Awards Status
- Not Specified
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS
- Additional Buyers
- Contact Name
- Not specified
- Contact Email
- cp.commercial@dwp.gov.uk
- Contact Phone
- Not specified
Buyer Location
- Locality
- LONDON
- Postcode
- SW1H 9NA
- 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
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000007-2026
2nd January 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076129-2025
21st November 2025 - Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057693-2025
18th September 2025 - Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035680-2025
27th June 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032056-2025
12th June 2025 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
Notice URLs
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
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-h6vhtk-0547fa-2026-01-02T09:53:17Z",
"date": "2026-01-02T09:53:17Z",
"ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0547fa",
"initiationType": "tender",
"planning": {
"documents": [
{
"id": "032056-2025",
"documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
"noticeType": "UK1",
"description": "Pipeline notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032056-2025",
"datePublished": "2025-06-12T16:07:16+01:00",
"format": "text/html"
},
{
"id": "035680-2025",
"documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
"noticeType": "UK2",
"description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035680-2025",
"datePublished": "2025-06-27T11:07:32+01:00",
"format": "text/html"
},
{
"id": "057693-2025",
"documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
"noticeType": "UK3",
"description": "Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057693-2025",
"datePublished": "2025-09-18T12:44:52+01:00",
"format": "text/html"
},
{
"id": "076129-2025",
"documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
"noticeType": "UK3",
"description": "Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076129-2025",
"datePublished": "2025-11-21T15:24:12Z",
"format": "text/html"
}
],
"milestones": [
{
"id": "engagement",
"type": "engagement",
"description": "Interested suppliers should complete the following steps: 1. Register on the Portal: Goto https://dwp.bravosolution.co.uk and click the link to 'register'. To attend the webinar suppliers should complete this step prior to 4th July 2025. Suppliers registering after this date will need to download the webinar materials for offline review. All documentation for this market engagement, including the Request for Information (RFI) document requesting your response will be accessed via the DWP e-Sourcing portal (the Portal) which is based on the Jaggaer software and is free of charge to use. For further assistance in relation to the Portal please consult the online help or contract the eTendering help desk. 2. Express interest in the market engagement: Login to the Portal and click the 'PQQs / ITTs Open to all Suppliers' link. Click on the \"pqq_28963 - Conversational Platform\" link to access the RFI content. Click the 'Express Interest' button at the top of the page. This will move the market engagement activity into your 'My PQQs/ My ITTs' page, a secure area reserved for your own projects. You can now access all the DWP documentation by clicking 'Buyer Attachments' in the 'PQQ Details' box. Please note that this process is not being conducted as a formal Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) but we are using the PQQ functionality within the portal to facilitate the market engagement process. 3. Download the RFI and attend the webinar: The RFI document can be downloaded from the 'Buyer Attachments' areas. Suppliers should read this document in detail. DWP will host a webinar on Microsoft Teams at 10.00-12.00 on 4th July 2025 to provide background and context to our requirement and answer any initial questions. Following the webinar, DWP will publish the associated slides and any captured Q&A. We request that suppliers limit their participants to two individuals per company. 4. Engaging in the RFI: Click 'My Response' under 'PQQ/ ITT Details' where you can choose to 'Create Response' or to 'Decline to Respond' (please give a reason, if declining). Any decision not to participate in this market engagement will not preclude any supplier from participation in any subsequent procurement activity. You will then be able to use the 'Messages' functionality to seek any further clarifications, provided any questions are submitted by 12:00 on 11th July 2025. In the interest of openness and transparency, anonymised and commercially desensitised Q&A will be shared will all participants. DWP will aim to respond to all questions received in reasonable time for suppliers to factor these answers into your response but, if this is not possible, DWP does not anticipate moving the RFI deadline. Please prioritise questions accordingly. 5. Responding to the RFI: Please upload your response as an attachment to the single 'Question' within the 'Technical Envelope' prior to the 09:00 on 21st July 2025 deadline, using the 'Submit Response' button. Submissions must be made using the Portal. In addition to the RFI response the supplier can also share any additional information they might wish DWP to do aware of as part of this process. Unfortunately, DWP will not be able to consider any responses or additional material received after this deadline. Please note that the market engagement activity will not be used to formally evaluate suppliers. Any information shared will be for information purposes only to provide insights and inform DWP of market capabilities. Any information received or discussions held will not contribute or influence the evaluation of potential tender submissions of any related future procurement. 6. RFI Follow-Up & Demonstrations: The purpose of the RFI is to gather specific insights on key solution areas and options. DWP may request further clarifications of aspects of any of the RFI responses received, and/or engage in further detailed supplier discussions to gather deeper insights. Specifically, DWP may invite some or all the responding suppliers to demonstrate their capabilities. Suppliers who have not responded to the RFI will not be invited to conduct demonstrations. Demonstrations will be scheduled to take place shortly after the RFI deadline, and DWP will aim to complete these by 1st August 2025.",
"dueDate": "2025-07-21T23:59:59+01:00",
"status": "scheduled"
}
]
},
"parties": [
{
"id": "GB-PPON-PJCP-7274-TLRQ",
"name": "Department for Work & Pensions",
"identifier": {
"scheme": "GB-PPON",
"id": "PJCP-7274-TLRQ"
},
"address": {
"streetAddress": "Caxton House, 6-12 Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NA",
"locality": "London",
"postalCode": "SW1H 9NA",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"region": "UKI32"
},
"contactPoint": {
"email": "cp.commercial@dwp.gov.uk"
},
"roles": [
"buyer"
],
"details": {
"url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions",
"classifications": [
{
"id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
"scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
"description": "Public authority - central government"
}
]
}
}
],
"buyer": {
"id": "GB-PPON-PJCP-7274-TLRQ",
"name": "Department for Work & Pensions"
},
"tender": {
"id": "C7876",
"legalBasis": {
"id": "2023/54",
"scheme": "UKPGA",
"uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
},
"title": "Conversational AI Platform",
"description": "The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (\"the Authority\") is responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy within the UK. As the UK's biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and a range of working age and disability benefits to around 20 million UK citizens. The Authority is committed to doing everything it can to enhance the overall citizen experience. Citizens contact the Authority wishing to start, validate, change or query their benefit claims. Citizens calling from within the UK contact the Authority via free of charge Non-Geographic Numbers (\"NGNs\") or via web chat when wishing to discuss their individual circumstances with regards to a type of service/benefit they have with the Authority. NGNs are currently answered by advisors within the Authority's contact centre, which is the largest platform of its kind across all UK government departments and is one of the largest in Europe. The contact centre managed service ensures that all twenty-seven business groups, spread across around 200 locations, can connect with and support citizens, whilst also offering specialist services such as debt recovery and support for citizens with complex needs. Conversational AI Platform (\"CaiP\") is a natural language call steering (\"NLCS\") solution which allows citizens to speak naturally to the platform so it can determine why our citizens are calling. This enables the guiding of the citizen to the most effective outcome, whether that is to the right agent first time or to personalised call deflection and/or self-service offerings. This should enhance the citizen experience and produce operational efficiencies. The CaiP service will integrate with the Authority's contact centre to help better serve millions of citizens by improving how DWP handles inbound calls, route queries intelligently, and offer self-service options.",
"items": [
{
"id": "1",
"additionalClassifications": [
{
"scheme": "CPV",
"id": "48512000",
"description": "Interactive voice response software package"
},
{
"scheme": "CPV",
"id": "79512000",
"description": "Call centre"
},
{
"scheme": "CPV",
"id": "64227000",
"description": "Integrated telecommunications services"
},
{
"scheme": "CPV",
"id": "72000000",
"description": "IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support"
}
],
"deliveryAddresses": [
{
"region": "UK",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UK",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UK",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UK",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UK",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
}
],
"relatedLot": "1"
}
],
"value": {
"amountGross": 23400000,
"amount": 19500000,
"currency": "GBP"
},
"mainProcurementCategory": "services",
"aboveThreshold": true,
"lots": [
{
"id": "1",
"suitability": {
"sme": true
},
"contractPeriod": {
"startDate": "2026-07-06T00:00:00+01:00",
"endDate": "2030-07-05T23:59:59+01:00",
"maxExtentDate": "2032-07-05T23:59:59+01:00"
},
"hasRenewal": true,
"status": "active",
"value": {
"amountGross": 23400000,
"amount": 19500000,
"currency": "GBP"
},
"secondStage": {
"maximumCandidates": 5
},
"selectionCriteria": {
"criteria": [
{
"type": "economic",
"description": "Legal Conditions The Authority intends to use the GOV.UK Mid-Tier Contract as the basis for this Contract amended only to the extent required to accommodate the specific needs of this procurement and incorporate the Tender response of the successful Supplier. Financial Conditions In line with the 'Assessing and monitoring economic and financial standing (EFS) guidance note', the Supplier is required to complete the Financial Viability and Risk Assessment Tool (FVRAT) template (with input from any Related Persons and/or Sub-Contractors) that will be included in the Portal library. Insurance Conditions The following levels of insurance cover will be required at contract award: a. Employer's Liability Insurance = Not less than PS10 million per claim b. Third Party Public and Product Liability Insurance = Not less than PS25 million in respect of any one occurrence, the number of occurrences being unlimited in any annual policy period, but PS15 million in the aggregate per annum in respect of products and pollution liability c. Professional Indemnity Insurance = for a potential breach of professional duty by the Supplier in connection with professional advice and /or professional services, not less than PS10 million per claim and such policy to be maintained for 6 years following the End Date d. Cyber Liability Insurance = for cyber risk exposures, not less than PS10 million per claim e. Fidelity Insurance = in respect of the loss, theft or misappropriation of sums appropriate to the Contract while such sums are in the possession of the Supplier, not less than PS1 million per claim"
},
{
"type": "technical",
"description": "The supplier must confirm that any proposed solution will be UK-shored in a dedicated sovereign cloud environment, compliant with: 1. DWP procurement policies and procedures including the security policies and standards: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-procurement-policies-and-procedures ; and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-procurement-security-policies-and-standards 2. HMG security policy framework: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-policy-framework/hmg-security-policy-framework 3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) standards (e.g. FIPS 140-2, SP 800-175B, SP 800-67). 4. 'The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No.2) Accessibility Regulations 2018' in line with the HM Government's Technology Code of Practice point 2, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-things-accessible which currently requires WCAG 2.2 AA standard as a minimum."
},
{
"description": "Any interested Suppliers will be invited to respond to a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). The PSQ will contain a mixture of informational, pass/fail and scored requirements. The pass/fail questions will be based on the Conditions of Participation outlined in this Notice which must be met for a Supplier to advance to the Tender Stage of this competition. The scored component will focus on technical and professional ability by reference to the contract examples, covering aspects of design, implementation, integration, and service delivery. The evaluation framework (including the scoring methodology and question weighting) will be set out in the tender documents and will be applied in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. In the event of a tie-break, the Authority reserves to right to either (a) invite, or (b) exclude, all equally tied Suppliers to/from the Tender Stage.",
"forReduction": true
},
{
"type": "economic",
"description": "Legal Conditions The Authority intends to use the GOV.UK Mid-Tier Contract as the basis for this Contract amended only to the extent required to accommodate the specific needs of this procurement and incorporate the Tender response of the successful Supplier. Financial Conditions In line with the 'Assessing and monitoring economic and financial standing (EFS) guidance note', the Supplier is required to complete the Financial Viability and Risk Assessment Tool (FVRAT) template (with input from any Related Persons and/or Sub-Contractors) that will be included in the Portal library. Insurance Conditions The following levels of insurance cover will be required at contract award: a. Employer's Liability Insurance = Not less than PS10 million per claim b. Third Party Public and Product Liability Insurance = Not less than PS25 million in respect of any one occurrence, the number of occurrences being unlimited in any annual policy period, but PS15 million in the aggregate per annum in respect of products and pollution liability c. Professional Indemnity Insurance = for a potential breach of professional duty by the Supplier in connection with professional advice and /or professional services, not less than PS10 million per claim and such policy to be maintained for 6 years following the End Date d. Cyber Liability Insurance = for cyber risk exposures, not less than PS10 million per claim e. Fidelity Insurance = in respect of the loss, theft or misappropriation of sums appropriate to the Contract while such sums are in the possession of the Supplier, not less than PS1 million per claim"
},
{
"type": "technical",
"description": "The supplier must confirm that any proposed solution will be UK-shored in a dedicated sovereign cloud environment, compliant with: 1. DWP procurement policies and procedures including the security policies and standards: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-procurement-policies-and-procedures ; and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-procurement-security-policies-and-standards 2. HMG security policy framework: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-policy-framework/hmg-security-policy-framework 3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) standards (e.g. FIPS 140-2, SP 800-175B, SP 800-67). 4. 'The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No.2) Accessibility Regulations 2018' in line with the HM Government's Technology Code of Practice point 2, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-things-accessible which currently requires WCAG 2.2 AA standard as a minimum."
},
{
"description": "Any interested Suppliers will be invited to respond to a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). The PSQ will contain a mixture of informational, pass/fail and scored requirements. The pass/fail questions will be based on the Conditions of Participation outlined in this Notice which must be met for a Supplier to advance to the Tender Stage of this competition. The scored component will focus on technical and professional ability by reference to the contract examples, covering aspects of design, implementation, integration, and service delivery. The evaluation framework (including the scoring methodology and question weighting) will be set out in the tender documents and will be applied in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. In the event of a tie-break, the Authority reserves to right to either (a) invite, or (b) exclude, all equally tied Suppliers to/from the Tender Stage.",
"forReduction": true
},
{
"type": "economic",
"description": "Legal The Authority intends to use the GOV.UK Mid-Tier Contract as the basis for this Contract amended only to the extent required to accommodate the specific needs of this procurement, and to incorporate the Tender response of the preferred Supplier. The Supplier is required to confirm acceptance of this approach in principle. The Supplier is required to confirm that they have in place, or that they will have in place by the award of the Contract, the human and technical resources to perform the Contract to ensure compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 and to ensure the protection of the rights of data subjects. Financial The Supplier is required to complete the Financial Viability and Risk Assessment Tool (FVRAT) (with input from any Related Persons and/or Sub-Contractors and/or Guarantors) that is included in the Portal library. Insurance The Supplier is required to confirm that they already have, or can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated below: a) Employer's Liability Insurance = Not less than PS10 million per claim. b) Third Party Public and Product Liability Insurance = Not less than PS25 million in respect of any one occurrence, the number of occurrences being unlimited in any annual policy period, but PS15 million in the aggregate per annum in respect of products and pollution liability. c) Professional Indemnity Insurance = for a potential breach of professional duty by the Supplier in connection with professional advice and /or professional services, not less than PS10 million per claim and such policy to be maintained for 6 years following the End Date. d) Cyber Liability Insurance = for cyber risk exposures, not less than PS10 million per claim. e) Fidelity Insurance = in respect of the loss, theft or misappropriation of sums appropriate to the Contract while such sums are in the possession of the Supplier, not less than PS1 million per claim."
},
{
"type": "technical",
"description": "The Supplier must confirm that any proposed solution will be UK-shored in a dedicated cloud environment, compliant with: a) The Authority's procurement policies and procedures including the security policies and standards detailed within the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-procurement-policies-and-procedures; and, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-procurement-security-policies-and-standards. b) HMG security policy framework detailed within the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-policy-framework/hmg-security-policy-framework. c) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) standards (e.g. FIPS 140-2, SP 800-175B, SP 800-67). d) 'The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No.2) Accessibility Regulations 2018' in line with the HM Government's Technology Code of Practice point 2 detailed in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-things-accessible which currently requires WCAG 2.2 AA standard as a minimum."
},
{
"description": "The evaluation framework and selection criteria, including the ITP Stage down-selection and ITT Stage award criteria, are fully set out within the ITS document. The ITP Stage and ITT Stage criteria differ. For example, price will only be considered at Tender Stage. The Authority will assess each ITP response as follows: a) Information only questions Suppliers are required to respond to all questions (even ones marked 'For Information Only') and to ensure that they are completed in full, and in the format requested. Failure to do so may result in the Supplier being disqualified from further participation in the procurement. If the question does not apply to your organisation, please state clearly \"N/A\". The Supplier is asked to provide basic background information about their organisation, any Associated Persons and any subcontractors who may be engaged as part of the proposed supply chain. b) Pass or Fail questions All the \"Conditions of Participation\" set out in paragraph 13.6 will be assessed using the Pass/Fail criteria. A \"Pass\" will be achieved where Suppliers achieve the minimum standard set by a question; or provide information requested by the question. A \"Fail\" will result from a failure to achieve the minimum standard; or failing to provide information where this is required. In the event of a failure, the Authority reserves the right to exclude the Supplier from the procurement. c) Scored questions The scored questions focused on technical ability explore the approach the Supplier adopted to the delivery of 3 comparable case studies. The associated questions are summarised below and, will be scored on a scale of 0 to 6. These scores will be then weighted as shown in brackets (totalling 100%) and summed for comparison purposes: i) Case Study Overview (15.0%) ii) Solution Design (25.0%) iii) Implementation and Transition (20.0%) iv) Tuning and Continuous Improvement (12.5%) v) Integration (15.0%) vi) Service Delivery (12.5%)",
"forReduction": true
}
]
},
"renewal": {
"description": "Two separate 12-month extensions"
},
"awardCriteria": {
"weightingDescription": "Please refer to the Instruction to Suppliers (ITS) document, specifically paragraphs 13.28 to 13.34, which fully set out the Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender (ITT) award criteria, including the question weightings and minimum scores.",
"criteria": [
{
"type": "price",
"name": "Price per Quality Point (PQP)",
"description": "The Price per Quality Point (PQP) will be calculated by dividing the Whole Life Cost by the Total Quality Score. The qualifying Supplier with the lowest PQP score will be awarded the Contract. In the event of more than one Supplier having the same lowest PQP score, the Supplier with the highest Total Quality Score will be awarded the Contract."
}
]
}
}
],
"communication": {
"futureNoticeDate": "2026-01-05T23:59:59Z"
},
"status": "active",
"procurementMethod": "selective",
"procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure",
"procedure": {
"features": "This procurement is being conducted in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. 12.1 This Competitive Flexible Procedure will be conducted in two (2) stages: Stage 1 - Invitation to Participate (ITP), and Stage 2 - Invitation to submit a Tender (ITT). 1) ITP Stage Stage 1 commences with the issuing of this Tender Notice and the publication of the attached Instructions to Suppliers (ITS) document. A Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) is available on the Portal which all Suppliers are required to complete and return in accordance with the procurement timetable and instructions within the ITS document. The PSQ will contain a mixture of informational, pass/fail and scored requirements. The pass/fail questions will be based on the Conditions of Participation, which must be met for a Supplier to advance to the tender stage. The scored component will focus on technical and professional ability. Alongside the PSQ response, Suppliers will be required to submit, a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), a completed Financial Viability Risk Assessment Tool (FVRAT). If any potential conflicts are identified by any party (the Authority, the Supplier, or a 3rd party) Suppliers may also be required to sign an Ethical Wall Agreement (EWA). The EWA should be accompanied by a letter from the Supplier to the Authority setting out the identified risks and associated mitigating actions that the Supplier has put in place. NDA, FVRAT, and EWA templates will also be available on the Portal, alongside the draft Contract which will contain the required service specification, performance levels and outline implementation plan. The assessment of these ITP responses will identify the five (5) highest scoring qualifying Suppliers (and in the event of a tie for fifth place, those Suppliers with the same score) to be invited to participate in Stage 2 (Invitation to Tender). 2) ITT Stage Stage 2 will commence with the issuing of a letter inviting Suppliers that have been successfully shortlisted at Stage 1 (Invitation to Participate) to submit their Tenders. Tenders must be submitted in accordance with the timetable and instructions set out in this ITS document and any additional information provided. Shortlisted Suppliers will be invited to formally respond to a set of Quality questions and submit pricing in the form of a Financial Model. The Authority will conduct an assessment of all Tenders in order to identify the Supplier which has submitted the most advantageous Tender in accordance with the assessment methodology and Award Criteria set out in this Tender Notice and described in the ITS document. In carrying out this assessment, the Authority will disregard any Tender from a Supplier that does not satisfy the Conditions of Participation. Once the assessment has concluded, the Authority will provide an assessment summary to all Suppliers that submitted Tenders to inform them if they have been successful in being awarded the Contract, or otherwise, in accordance with the requirements of the Act. The Authority will then publish a contract award notice to commence the Standstill Period, and Stage 2 will end with the Authority entering into the Contract. The Authority reserves the right not to award any contract and neither the Authority nor its advisors nor any third party will be so liable to the Supplier."
},
"submissionMethodDetails": "The Authority will be administering the Procurement electronically via the Portal. All communications with the Authority must be conducted via the Portal, which can be accessed here: https://dwp2.my.site.com/s/Welcome The Instructions to Suppliers have been specifically designed to be compatible with the Authority's e-Procurement requirements and must not, under any circumstances, be altered by Suppliers. The Authority will provide Supplier response templates for all aspects of the procurement process, covering both the PSQ and Tender stages, including templates for every scored question. Templates will be available on the Portal within the folder titled \"Response Templates\" that is appropriate to the stage. This includes Tender templates for each of the Appendices to this document that are required to be submitted as part of that stage. Suppliers must adhere to all instructions specified in the Instructions to Suppliers when submitting their responses to both the PSQ and Tender.",
"submissionTerms": {
"electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
"languages": [
"en"
]
},
"expressionOfInterestDeadline": "2026-02-02T10:00:00Z",
"enquiryPeriod": {
"endDate": "2026-01-16T12:00:00Z"
},
"awardPeriod": {
"endDate": "2026-06-01T23:59:59+01:00"
},
"hasRecurrence": true,
"recurrence": {
"dates": [
{
"startDate": "2030-01-07T23:59:59Z"
},
{
"startDate": "2030-01-07T23:59:59Z"
},
{
"startDate": "2030-01-07T23:59:59Z"
}
]
},
"contractTerms": {
"financialTerms": "Please refer to the Contract documents, including the Award Form, Core Terms clause 4 and Schedule 18 (Prompt Payment)."
},
"riskDetails": "The Authority has identified the following known risks which satisfy the description at paragraph 6(a) of Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, because if they arise, either individually or otherwise, they could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the contract and, because of their nature, cannot be addressed unambiguously in the draft contract. They are therefore intended to be permitted modifications pursuant to Schedule 8 Procurement Act 2023: a) Government changes to welfare policy not covered by the qualifying change in law provisions in the draft contract, and b) Changes required due to government re-organisation, including as a consequence of devolution.",
"amendments": [
{
"id": "076129-2025",
"description": "The Authority has revised the figure for the \"Total Contract Value (estimated)\" for this procurement based upon: 1) Revised business forecast data for the anticipated use and consumption of the future Natural Language Call Steering solution. 2) Further analysis of the findings from the Preliminary Market Engagement exercise focused on commercial models and pricing."
}
],
"lotDetails": {
"noLotsDivisionRationale": "The Authority has considered whether the Services could reasonably be supplied under more than one contract by dividing the procurement into lots. The Authority has concluded that splitting the procurement into lots could make the requirement disproportionately expensive to manage and increase the technical risk to deliver the requirement. The Services will be supplied under one contract."
},
"documents": [
{
"id": "future",
"documentType": "biddingDocuments",
"accessDetails": "Any additional documentation will be added to the Portal."
},
{
"id": "conflictOfInterest",
"documentType": "conflictOfInterest"
},
{
"id": "000007-2026",
"documentType": "tenderNotice",
"noticeType": "UK4",
"description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000007-2026",
"datePublished": "2026-01-02T09:53:17Z",
"format": "text/html"
}
]
},
"language": "en"
}