Planning

Online Harms Faced by Disabled, and Neurodiverse User

DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

24 Dec 2025 at 15:25

Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology is in the planning stage for a procurement process titled "Online Harms Faced by Disabled, and Neurodiverse User". This project aims to address the risks and harms encountered by disabled and neurodiverse individuals in digital environments. Located in the United Kingdom, the procurement, falling under the industry category of research and social consultancy services, is set to commence on 1 April 2026 and conclude on 1 August 2026. Interested suppliers are encouraged to engage prior to 24 January 2026 to discuss proposed methodologies and costs. The procurement is initiated under the legal basis of UKPGA 2023/54 and focuses on structuring a comprehensive literature review and user interviews to understand online harms more holistically.

This tender offers significant growth opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) specialising in research consultancy and digital safety advisory services. Businesses with expertise in social research services, capable of analysing user experiences and advising on systemic protections, will find this project particularly relevant. Those experienced in addressing digital accessibility and online safety are well-positioned to provide substantial contributions to this initiative. By engaging with this tender, organisations can expand their footprint in the public sector and strengthen their credentials in tackling online harm issues.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Online Harms Faced by Disabled, and Neurodiverse User

Notice Description

Despite the growing use on online services, understanding how disabled and neurodiverse individuals experience harms within these digital environments remains limited. Existing research, such as Ofcom's findings, highlights that more individuals with limiting conditions see harmful content compared to those without, but these insights are fragmented and fail to capture escalating risks across different disabilities and neurodiverse conditions. Current strategies for harm reduction are largely advisory and rely on user vigilance, leaving substantial gaps in effective, systemic protections. Thus this project will attempt to address these concerns through a literature review looking into the online experience of disabled and neurodiverse users, and optional functionality review which would look at the current state of mainly social media sites to see if features or functions present could be adversely affecting users. Ending with a selection of interviews with users or those who represent the target demographics to see understand if the lived experiences match up with what was found within the previous stages.

Planning Information

If interested in this procurement please contact eleanor.woodfield@dsit.gov.uk, we would be interested to hear from suppliers in regard to proposed methodology and potential costs, as well as realistic timescales in order to complete the proposed project.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05fd68
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086182-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

73210000 - Research consultancy services

79315000 - Social research services

79417000 - Safety consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£40,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Dec 20255 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
31 Mar 20264 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 1 Aug 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
eleanor.woodfield@dsit.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1A 2EG
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

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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.

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