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OpenAI Sector AI Evaluation Pilot

JISC SERVICES LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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26 Aug 2026 at 15:54

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

JISC Services Limited is procuring a time-limited evaluation service for OpenAI’s enterprise artificial intelligence environment. The service includes ChatGPT Edu, Codex, OpenAI proprietary models, application programming interfaces, GPTs, agentic and research capabilities, enterprise administration and governance, security controls, data residency options, support and associated services. Jisc will coordinate access for multiple UK further and higher education institutions on consistent terms. The evaluation is intended to produce evidence about onboarding, engagement, adoption, governance, security, technical integration, institutional value, commercial models and consumption across institutions with different cloud, productivity, identity, data and application estates. The procurement covers software and information technology services, with delivery across participating UK education institutions.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through a direct award. OpenAI OpCo, LLC was selected as the supplier for the single lot. The stated basis was that OpenAI exclusively owns and operates the required capabilities, and that alternative providers would offer materially different services; the authority therefore identified exclusive rights and technical reasons preventing reasonable competition. The contract period is scheduled from 1 October 2026 to 30 March 2029, with signature due by 30 September 2026. The awarded value is USD 7,560,000, or USD 9,072,000 including taxes. The buyer notes that the value and dates are high estimates based on expected cohort intakes and possible spend. The procurement is above the applicable threshold.

This procurement shows sustained demand from UK further and higher education institutions for coordinated access to enterprise artificial intelligence, rather than a standalone software purchase. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need a mature enterprise AI environment, education-sector suitability and the ability to support multiple institutions on consistent terms. Relevant capability includes secure administration and governance, data residency options, institutional identity and application integration, technical support, APIs, model access, GPT development, coding, agentic and research functions. Suppliers would also need to generate usable evidence on onboarding, adoption, engagement, institutional value, consumption and commercial models across varied technology estates. The scale and sector-wide coordination indicate a requirement suited to a large provider or a consortium with substantial delivery, support and governance capacity.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

OpenAI Sector AI Evaluation Pilot

Notice Description

JSL is in advanced negotiations to agree a contract with the supplier. The provision of a time-limited evaluation service comprising access to OpenAI's proprietary enterprise AI environment, including ChatGPT Edu, OpenAI models, APIs, GPTs and associated enterprise platform capabilities. The evaluation includes ChatGPT Edu, Codex, OpenAI proprietary models, APIs, GPTs, agentic and research capabilities, enterprise administration and governance functionality, security controls, data residency options, support arrangements and associated services made available within the contracted OpenAI environment during the evaluation period. This evaluation will be made available to multiple UK further and higher education institutions with Jisc facilitating a coordinated, sector-wide approach that enables participation on consistent terms. The objective of this evaluation is to generate evidence on the onboarding, engagement needs, adoption, governance, security, technical integration, institutional value, commercial models and consumption of OpenAI's first-party AI environment across institutions with different underlying cloud, productivity, identity, data and application estates.

Procurement Information

As these capabilities are owned and operated exclusively by OpenAI and are not available from other providers, the contracting authority considers that the requirement engages exclusive rights within the meaning of Schedule 5, paragraph 5. In addition, because the purpose of the contract is to evaluate OpenAI's specific proprietary environment, alternative AI providers would constitute materially different services and would not meet the defined requirement; accordingly, there is an absence of reasonable competition for technical reasons within the meaning of Schedule 5, paragraph 6.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081466-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

72222300 - Information technology services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£7,560,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Aug 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
26 Aug 2026Today
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Mar 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
JISC SERVICES LIMITED
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS1 6NB
Postcode Area
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
Central
Westminster Constituency
Bristol Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

OpenAI OpCo, LLC

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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