Award

Autonomous vehicle PHD research

DRIVER AND VEHICLE STANDARDS AGENCY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

12 Jan 2026 at 13:44

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process initiated by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency focuses on a PhD research project entitled "Autonomous vehicle PHD research" aimed at developing methods for validating autonomous vehicle safety and compliance. The industry category falls under education and training services, with the University of Surrey participating as the supplier. Located in the UK, this procurement is at the "complete" stage as of 12 January 2026, following the contract period set to commence on 1 April 2026 and conclude on 31 March 2029. The procurement was executed through a direct method, being below threshold and without competition, as defined under the legal basis of the UKPGA 2023/54.

This tender presents a substantial opportunity for educational and research institutions, particularly those with expertise in autonomous vehicles and regulatory compliance, to contribute to developing critical methodologies for AV validation and safety assurance. Businesses within the education and training services sector, especially SMEs with innovative research capabilities, can leverage such projects to bolster their portfolios, enhance their industry reputation, and drive growth through collaborative government projects. The initiative is designed to address significant regulatory challenges, offering participating companies a chance to influence future standards and practices in the rapidly evolving AV industry.

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

Autonomous vehicle PHD research

Notice Description

As autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies progress toward real-world deployment, regulatory agencies face the pressing challenge of ensuring that these systems operate safely and in compliance with the driving standards. There is currently a lack of robust, interpretable methodologies for evaluating AV behaviour in both real and simulated environments--particularly in edge-case scenarios that pose the greatest risk to public safety. To address this gap, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is requesting to co-funding a PhD studentship titled Digital Commentary Driving for Regulatory Compliance and Risk Assessment in Autonomous Vehicles, which aims to develop novel, evidence-based methods for AV validation.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0603b8
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002281-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£47,000 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Jan 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
23 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DRIVER AND VEHICLE STANDARDS AGENCY
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
commercialenquiries@dvsa.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS5 0DA
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK51 Bristol, City of
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Bristol, City of
Electoral Ward
Lawrence Hill
Westminster Constituency
Bristol East

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

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-h6vhtk-0603b8-2026-01-12T13:44:16Z",
    "date": "2026-01-12T13:44:16Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0603b8",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PTMM-2614-YJDV",
            "name": "Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PTMM-2614-YJDV"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Berkeley House, Croydon Street",
                "locality": "Bristol",
                "postalCode": "BS5 0DA",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKK11"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "commercialenquiries@dvsa.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-FTS-171140",
            "name": "University of Surrey",
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Stag Hill Court University Campus",
                "locality": "Guildford",
                "postalCode": "GU2 7JG",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ25"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "study@surrey.ac.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "sme",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PTMM-2614-YJDV",
        "name": "Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "T280022987",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Autonomous vehicle PHD research",
        "description": "As autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies progress toward real-world deployment, regulatory agencies face the pressing challenge of ensuring that these systems operate safely and in compliance with the driving standards. There is currently a lack of robust, interpretable methodologies for evaluating AV behaviour in both real and simulated environments--particularly in edge-case scenarios that pose the greatest risk to public safety. To address this gap, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is requesting to co-funding a PhD studentship titled Digital Commentary Driving for Regulatory Compliance and Risk Assessment in Autonomous Vehicles, which aims to develop novel, evidence-based methods for AV validation.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Below threshold - without competition",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-FTS-171140",
                    "name": "University of Surrey"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "80000000",
                            "description": "Education and training services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "awardID": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "period": {
                "startDate": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2029-03-31T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 56400,
                "amount": 47000,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "dateSigned": "2025-12-23T00:00:00+00:00",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "002281-2026",
                    "documentType": "contractNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK7",
                    "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002281-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-01-12T13:44:16Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}