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105016 - Media Consumption Pathways and Trust

DEPARTMENT FOR DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA & SPORT

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

28 Sep 2026 at 10:45

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

14 Sep 2026 at 10:07

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

27 Jul 2026 at 17:17

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

27 Jul 2026 at 16:16

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport intends to commission research into UK media consumption and public trust. The two-phase project will first map how people across different demographic groups find, consume and value information from sources including traditional news broadcasts and social media. It will then investigate how perceptions of misinformation and disinformation shape trust in media, and examine effects on viewer retention, social cohesion and the integrity of the UK information environment. The work sits within DCMS’s Science and Analysis research and development programme, which is supporting several related research projects. Delivery is across the United Kingdom.

This procurement is at the planning stage: DCMS has set out its intention to buy the research, but has not yet invited tenders. The buyer expects to use either a Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 or the RM6126 Research and Insights framework. The estimated contract value is £1.5 million excluding VAT (£1.8 million including VAT). The planned contract period runs from 8 March 2027 to 7 March 2030. DCMS expects to publish a tender notice on 15 October 2026; this is an indicative date, not a commitment or a bidder deadline. A virtual market-engagement webinar has concluded, and its presentation and questions and answers were made available. The procurement is one lot, with the work considered suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises.

The research is likely to suit research organisations and consultancies able to design and deliver robust, multi-phase social and behavioural research at UK scale. Relevant capabilities include mapping audience journeys across media platforms, analysing differences between demographic groups, investigating public trust and perceptions of misinformation, and assessing wider outcomes such as retention and social cohesion. Suppliers should be able to connect findings from the first phase to the second phase and produce insight relevant to the UK information environment. DCMS has indicated that smaller businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises are suitable participants, and the single-lot structure puts the full research commission together. The buyer’s planned routes are a flexible competitive procedure or an existing research framework, so framework access may be relevant to prospective suppliers preparing for the tender.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

105016 - Media Consumption Pathways and Trust

Notice Description

DCMS is seeking to commission a two-phase research project to investigate UK media consumption habits and public trust in media. Phase 1 would consist of a behavioural cohort study (or another appropriate methodology) to map the specific "user pathways" audiences take to find, consume, and value information across different media sources, such as traditional news broadcasts and social media, across different demographics. Building on these findings, Phase 2 would explore how individuals perceive trust in different media sources due to their own perception of mis/disinformation, assess the broader effects of these consumption pathways on factors such as viewer retention and wider social cohesion, as well as overall integrity of the UK's information ecosystem. This project will be commissioned either through a Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, or through the RM6126 Research and Insights framework. This is part of the DCMS Science and Analysis R&D Programme, which supports R&D capability within the department. This project will run concurrently alongside three other large projects across 2027-2030; these include 'what works' research into AI adoption in DCMS sectors; a continuation of previous research to develop data-intensive approaches for capturing engagement at unticketed cultural, heritage, and sporting events/activities/locations, e.g. using mobile app data to model how people participate in our events; and a continuation of previous research to design and improve methods for holistically tracking the long-term impact of major events, tested on a major event.

Planning Information

The virtual engagement webinar has now ended. Please see below a copy of the presentation and Q&A. Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CzUx0lrJdJ0W1gzuIyAIJNsohkaHFbPt/view?usp=sharing Q&A https://drive.google.com/file/d/15wMHHzagwbDOmfCbUONMmJRZM4prPUq-/view?usp=drive_link

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d487
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091312-2026
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

73300000 - Design and execution of research and development

79315000 - Social research services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,500,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
15 Oct 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
8 Mar 2027 - 7 Mar 2030 3-4 years
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 DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA & SPORT
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 2BQ
Postcode Area
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)

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