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Request for Information: Cyber Accelerator Programme - Design Partnerships

Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Planning

15 Sep 2026 at 17:11

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

15 Sep 2026 at 17:11

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

04 Sep 2026 at 14:54

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is developing a Cyber Accelerator Programme to connect cyber challenges identified by large public-sector organisations with solutions from innovative cyber small and medium-sized enterprises. The planned service is a design-partnership programme, classified as computer-related professional services. The appointed supplier is expected to identify and recruit public-sector Challenge Council members, develop a pipeline of potential innovators, select innovators against defined challenges, and match them with those challenges. It will establish, facilitate and oversee at least five pro bono design partnerships, provide programme governance and light-touch commercial, procurement, data protection and security compliance support, and help develop routes to lawful commercial adoption. Further responsibilities include a Showcase Day, programme reporting and a reusable pattern library. Delivery is across the United Kingdom.

This procurement is at the planning and early market-engagement stage, rather than an invitation to tender. DSIT is seeking market information, feedback and discussion to shape the requirement and future procurement approach. A bidder presentation and engagement session is provisionally planned for 23 September 2026 at 11:00, with registration expected to close on 22 September 2026 at 17:00. The buyer expects the next notice to be published on 16 October 2026. One lot is planned, with an estimated contract period from 18 January 2027 to 31 March 2028. The estimated value is £1,200,000 excluding VAT and £1,500,000 including VAT. The lot is marked as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises. Participation in engagement does not provide funding, future work or preferential treatment.

This will suit suppliers able to run innovation, accelerator or challenge-led programmes involving public-sector organisations and cyber SMEs. Relevant capability includes sourcing and assessing innovative cyber businesses, understanding public-sector cyber problems, designing and facilitating structured partnerships, and supporting testing, adoption and commercial progression. Suppliers should be able to manage relationships with Challenge Council members, innovators and public-sector buyers, while providing credible governance across procurement, commercial matters, data protection and security compliance. Experience of organising showcase or knowledge-sharing events, monitoring delivery and producing clear final reports would be useful. The requirement also favours organisations able to turn learning into repeatable methods that public-sector teams can use to adopt cyber innovation. The planned lot is explicitly suitable for SMEs and VCSEs, and the service is intended to support at least five partnerships.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Request for Information: Cyber Accelerator Programme - Design Partnerships

Notice Description

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) intends to create a pathway to link problems identified by large organisations with solutions provided by innovative cyber small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) known as the Cyber Accelerator Programme. The Authority is seeking to engage the market to gather information, insights and feedback, while also providing an opportunity for Suppliers to better understand and discuss our requirements. This activity is not a procurement or a commitment to purchase goods or services. Its purpose is to facilitate open dialogue, improve our understanding of available solutions and supplier capabilities, and help shape the requirement and future approach, ensuring any subsequent procurement activity is informed, proportionate and delivers the best possible outcome. The principal objective of the programme is to create a credible pathway from agreed challenges facing the public sector to the commercial adoption of cyber innovation by public-sector buyers. It is intended to link problems identified by public-sector organisations with solutions provided by innovative cyber small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The programme will use structured, pro bono design partnerships between public-sector organisations with identified cyber challenges and innovative cyber SMEs capable of developing and testing solutions. Participation will not provide funding, an assurance of future work or preferential treatment in any subsequent procurement. The appointed supplier will be expected to: - identify and recruit suitable public-sector Challenge Council members; - build a broad pipeline of potential Programme Innovators and select suitable innovators against defined challenges; - support challenge development and match innovators to challenges; - establish, facilitate and oversee at least five design partnerships; - provide programme governance and a light-touch commercial, procurement, data protection and security compliance wrapper; - support routes to adoption or other lawful commercial progression; - organise one Showcase Day and other programme activity; - report on progress and produce a final report; and - create and disseminate a pattern library of repeatable approaches to support public-sector adoption of cyber innovation.

Planning Information

DSIT invites your participation in this session that will help inform our thinking and deliver the best possible outcome. The provisional agenda is below: - Welcome and introduction to DSIT - Introduction to the policy behind the programme - Description of the programme - Description of expected procurement structure and timetable - General Q&A If you are interested in this potential opportunity, DSIT would like to engage with you. The Bidder presentation is due to take place Wednesday 23rd September 11:00. Please contact us by emailing cybersecurity.commercial@dsit.gov.uk with your company details and contact information. Following confirmation of company details, an ‘MS Teams’ invite will be circulated for the market engagement event. We would ask that you have a maximum of 2 attendees from each organisation. Deadline for registration closes Tuesday 22nd September 17:00. A copy of the Presentation slides will be uploaded to this notice after the session(s). Useful resources: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/the-procurement-act-2023-a-short-guide-for-suppliers-html https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/procurement-act-2023-guidance-documents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-guidance-documents-define-phase/guidance-frameworks-html *** This is early market engagement for a potential opportunity. The Department is not obligated to run a procurement following this activity and is not liable for any costs associated with participating in this early engagement. *** Additional Information: The Department for Science Innovation and Technology uses the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal as its eSourcing tool. Jaggaer will be used for this competition should it come to tender. To register as a supplier, please visit https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/ and follow the instructions to register as a supplier.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f26d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087504-2026
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

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

CPV Codes

72590000 - Computer-related professional services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,200,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Sep 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
16 Oct 20261 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
18 Jan 2027 - 31 Mar 2028 1-2 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 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

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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.

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