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Physical and Personnel Security Assessment for UK Telecoms

Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

16 Sep 2026 at 14:36

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

16 Sep 2026 at 14:33

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Planning

04 Aug 2026 at 15:38

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology commissioned a sector-level physical and personnel security assessment of the UK’s public telecommunications networks and services. The work covers complex, geographically distributed telecoms infrastructure, including exchanges, data centres, transmission sites and access network assets. The appointed consultancy is expected to identify current physical and personnel security vulnerabilities and threat vectors, then produce a prioritised set of mitigations for telecoms operators. The recommendations should explain how existing National Protective Security Authority guidance can be applied to address vulnerabilities across the sector. This is a security consultancy and research service for UK telecoms, with delivery across the United Kingdom. The procurement is classified under telecommunications networks, security services, and related research and consultancy services.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to Bramble Hub on 14 September 2026. It used a below-threshold limited competition, with two final-stage bids, including two from SMEs. The award is for £94,687.14 excluding VAT, or £113,624.57 including VAT. The awarded contract runs from 28 September 2026 to 1 March 2027, with a potential extension to 6 September 2027 if all security measures have not been assessed or further detail is required. A signature milestone was scheduled for 28 September 2026. The requirement was structured as one lot and was evaluated through a limited competition for specialist security consultancy support. The award remains active under the completed procurement.

This outcome demonstrates demand from central government for specialist assurance of UK telecommunications infrastructure, combining physical security, personnel security and insider-threat expertise. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need experience assessing critical national infrastructure, particularly telecoms operators and complex, distributed assets. It would need to gather evidence across multiple operators, assess how threat actors could exploit vulnerabilities, and turn findings into practical, prioritised mitigations. Experience applying National Protective Security Authority guidance would be directly relevant. The market engagement also tested whether suppliers could hold the facilities, personnel clearances and processes needed to receive, handle and share SECRET-classified material. Strong delivery planning, access to operator facilities and personnel, and a clear approach to managing delivery risks would support competitiveness.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Physical and Personnel Security Assessment for UK Telecoms

Notice Description

The UK's public telecommunications networks are a critical national infrastructure (CNI) subsector, underpinning the functioning of every other CNI sector, the digital economy, and essential public services, for which the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the lead government department. Their continued availability, integrity and confidentiality are fundamental to national security, economic resilience, and the everyday lives of UK citizens and businesses. Telecoms operators manage complex, large-scale, geographically distributed systems, including exchanges, data centres, transmission sites and access network assets , which are increasingly attractive targets for hostile state and state-aligned actors seeking to disrupt, degrade or exploit UK infrastructure. Physical compromise and insider threat are significant attack vectors that hostile actors could seek to exploit. Strengthening physical and personnel security across the sector is therefore a priority area of work for DCMS. DSIT is exploring options for obtaining specialist support to undertake a physical and personnel security assessment of UK public telecommunications networks and services. We are seeking engagement from accredited security consultancy firms to conduct a sector-level physical and personnel security assessment of UK public telecoms networks and services. This should include assessment of current vulnerabilities and potential threat vectors, and set out a prioritised list of recommended mitigations for operators to reduce the risk of security compromise stemming from physical and personnel security vulnerabilities. This list of prioritised mitigations should identify how existing NPSA guidance can be applied to address telecoms sector vulnerabilities. An estimated project commencement date is October 2026 , to conclude in February 2027, subject to a tender launch and agreed contract. Some of the core deliverables are listed below: A detailed report setting out: (i) current physical and personnel security vulnerabilities within the UK's public telecoms networks and services, (ii) physical and personnel security threat vectors (i.e. how threat actors could exploit these vulnerabilities, not a threat assessment), and (iii) a prioritised list of mitigations for operators to take to reduce the identified physical and personnel security risks - this should include identification of how existing NPSA guidance can applied to address telecoms sector vulnerabilities.

Planning Information

Please contact Naomi Jones for clarifications : Please provide details of any previous experience conducting physical security, personnel security or insider threat assessments for critical national infrastructure sectors. Would your organisation be interested in participating in a future procurement for this requirement? Do you hold the necessary facilities, personnel clearances and processes to receive, handle and share SECRET-classified material? What approach would you take to obtaining evidence across multiple telecoms operators? What level of access to operator facilities and personnel would be required? What are the principal delivery risks associated with this requirement? What indicative timescales would you expect for delivery? Are there any barriers to market participation that DSIT should consider when developing a future procurement strategy? Are there existing methodologies, frameworks or standards you would recommend applying to this assessment?

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06db8f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087819-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - limited competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

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

CPV Codes

32412100 - Telecommunications network

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

79710000 - Security services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£100,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£94,687 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
7 Sep 2026Expired
Award Date
14 Sep 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
28 Sep 2026 - 1 Mar 2027 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
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 2EG
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

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Bramble Hub Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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