Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Physical and Personnel Security Assessment for UK Telecoms

DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

04 Aug 2026 at 14:38

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology is in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "Physical and Personnel Security Assessment for UK Telecoms". This project falls within the telecommunications network and security services industry categories and is located in the United Kingdom. The procurement is currently at the planning phase, with a crucial market engagement milestone scheduled for completion by 18th August 2026. The procurement seeks to enhance the security of the UK's public telecommunications networks, with an anticipatory project commencement date of October 2026 and a conclusion by February 2027. This initiative emphasizes addressing current vulnerabilities in physical and personnel security across telecoms operators.

This opportunity offers significant growth potential for businesses specializing in security consultancy, especially those accredited in handling and assessing critical infrastructure. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) equipped to provide security services are well-suited to participate. The project aims to develop a detailed assessment of vulnerabilities and propose mitigations, making it ideally suited for firms experienced in security analysis and threat mitigation in large-scale telecom infrastructures. The project budget, estimated at £100,000 to £120,000, further underscores its potential for businesses seeking to establish or expand their services in the telecom security domain.

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. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for preliminary market engagement purposes and does not constitute a call for competition, tender or contract opportunity. The Authority is seeking information to better understand market capability, capacity, security accreditation requirements and delivery approaches. Participation in this RFI will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement process. 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/073819-2026
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

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

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

CPV Codes

32412100 - Telecommunications network

79710000 - Security services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Aug 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
7 Sep 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
4 Oct 2026 - 1 Mar 2027 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
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
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

JSON Markdown

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-06db8f-2026-08-04T15:38:36+01:00",
    "date": "2026-08-04T15:38:36+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06db8f",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PVWZ-3216-PVQL",
            "name": "Department for Science, Innovation & Technology",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PVWZ-3216-PVQL"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "22 Whitehall",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "SW1A 2EG",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI32"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Naomi Jones",
                "email": "naomi.jones2@dsit.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PVWZ-3216-PVQL",
        "name": "Department for Science, Innovation & Technology"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "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?",
                "dueDate": "2026-08-18T23:59:59+01:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "073819-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/073819-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-08-04T15:38:36+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06db8f",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Physical and Personnel Security Assessment for UK Telecoms",
        "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. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for preliminary market engagement purposes and does not constitute a call for competition, tender or contract opportunity. The Authority is seeking information to better understand market capability, capacity, security accreditation requirements and delivery approaches. Participation in this RFI will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement process. 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.",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "32412100",
                        "description": "Telecommunications network"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "79710000",
                        "description": "Security services"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UK",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 120000,
            "amount": 100000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": false,
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-10-05T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2027-03-01T23:59:59+00:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2027-05-31T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "planning"
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2026-09-07T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "status": "planning"
    },
    "language": "en"
}