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Ofcom Skilled Persons

OFCOM

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

29 Sep 2026 at 13:18

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Ofcom intends to procure a Skilled Persons service to support its report powers under the Online Safety Act. The work is expected to involve experienced experts specialising in work areas set out for the service, with reports produced by skilled persons. Ofcom is seeking market views on how those work areas should be grouped, possible contracting models, payment mechanisms and how the service should be costed. This is a professional consultancy service, including systems and technical consultancy. Delivery is intended to cover the United Kingdom. Ofcom is using preliminary market engagement to understand how suppliers might approach delivery and to inform its procurement strategy before proceeding to a tender.

The process is at planning: Ofcom has announced its intention to procure and is conducting preliminary market engagement, not inviting tenders. It expects to publish a future notice on 1 April 2027. The market questionnaire is due by 12 noon on 29 October 2026; Ofcom may also hold discussions with interested suppliers. The expected contract period runs from 31 August 2027 to 30 August 2031. The stated estimated value is £2 million gross. The procurement is arranged as one lot. Ofcom is seeking market feedback on how to group the work areas, contracting models, payment mechanisms and costing. No award criteria or procurement procedure are set out at this planning stage.

The work is likely to suit suppliers with established expertise in the relevant Skilled Persons work areas, particularly specialists able to deliver reports under Ofcom’s new Online Safety Act powers. Systems and technical consultancy capabilities are relevant. Ofcom is interested in how suppliers would organise delivery, including the grouping of work areas, contracting arrangements, payment structures and approaches to costing reports; these are useful areas for prospective suppliers to consider when preparing for the later procurement. The single-lot structure may suit providers able to cover the service as a whole, while the stated suitability for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises indicates that such organisations are also considered suitable. The stated UK-wide delivery scope is relevant to suppliers able to serve clients across the United Kingdom.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Ofcom Skilled Persons

Notice Description

Ofcom are keen to engage with suitably experienced suppliers capable of delivering a 'Skilled Persons' service. The Skilled Persons' report powers under the Online Safety Act are new powers for Ofcom. This Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise seeks feedback from the market and particularly from experienced experts who specialise in any of the identified Work Areas (detailed in the PME document), through responses to the PME Questionnaire . We are keen to engage to better understand the market in relation to: * the work areas and how they are grouped; * the different contracting models; * the different payment mechanisms; and * how to cost for the services of a Skilled Persons' report. The PME document can be found on Ofcom's eSourcing portal. Please see 'Engagement process description' below.

Planning Information

The purpose of this preliminary market engagement (PME) questionnaire is to seek input from market participants to inform and help us inform our procurement strategy. The PME will provide Ofcom with the opportunity to obtain insight into how potential Suppliers might approach delivery of the service in question and gain an understanding of the capability/interest from the market. This PME will be in the form of a questionnaire, and possibly some discussion between the Ofcom Project Team and interested Suppliers. If you would like to participate in the PME exercise, please access the PME document available via Ofcom's Jaggaer procurement portal at https://ofcom.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/. To access the PME documents interested suppleirs will need to be registered as a supplier on the Ofcom Jaggaer esourcing portal. Visit the URL above and click on 'Register here'. When registered log-in to Ofcom's Jaggaer esourcing portal and go to the PQQ page 'pqq_100 - Ofcom Skilled Persons', complete the questionnaire, attach it where indicated in the Technical envelope and Submit. Clarification questions can be submitted via the messaging facility within pqq_100. The closing deadline for submitting completed questionnaires is 12 noon, 29 October 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077c72
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091871-2026
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

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

72220000 - Systems and technical consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Apr 20276 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Aug 2027 - 30 Aug 2031 4-5 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
OFCOM
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
SE1 9HA
Postcode Area
South East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Southwark
Electoral Ward
Borough & Bankside
Westminster Constituency
Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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