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Evaluation of Officer Initiated Facial Recognition Tools

COLLEGE OF POLICING LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

09 Oct 2026 at 16:21

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The College of Policing appointed a provider to evaluate officer-initiated facial recognition (OIFR) software used by South Wales Police. The work is research and evaluation focused primarily on the software’s productivity outcomes for policing. The named delivery force is South Wales Police; the award records the delivery location as the United Kingdom. The buyer is the College of Policing, a public authority. This is a specialist evidence-gathering assignment concerned with assessing a policing technology in operational use, rather than supplying or developing facial recognition software. Its relevance is therefore to research organisations and consultants able to design and deliver a focused evaluation of OIFR and its effect on police productivity.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to the University of Birmingham on 6 October 2026. The award value is £64,200 excluding VAT (£77,040 including VAT). The contract period runs from 12 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. The procurement was conducted below the applicable threshold; the recorded procedure detail is “below threshold - unknown”. It was arranged as one lot, covering the evaluation of OIFR. The tender description identifies an experienced research and evaluation provider as the requirement and says the evaluation is focused primarily on policing productivity outcomes. No separate scored evaluation criteria are recorded in the process data.

The award shows demand from the College of Policing for independent, specialist evaluation of officer-initiated facial recognition in police use, with particular attention to operational productivity. A credible competitor for a similar requirement would need established research and evaluation capability, experience assessing software or technology in a policing context, and the ability to produce useful evidence about productivity outcomes. The selected supplier was a large university, indicating that a research-led organisation with the capacity to undertake a focused public-sector evaluation was suitable for this assignment. This is a narrow opportunity area: suppliers whose strengths are limited to software supply, general policing services or facial recognition development would need relevant evaluation expertise to compete effectively.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Evaluation of Officer Initiated Facial Recognition Tools

Notice Description

The Authority seeks to appoint an experienced research and evaluation provider to support the evaluation of OIFR software used in South Wales Police. The evaluation is focused primarily on productivity outcomes for policing.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078514
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095808-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - unknown
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73110000 - Research services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£64,200 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
6 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
12 Oct 2026 - 31 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
COLLEGE OF POLICING 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
COVENTRY
Postcode
CV8 3EN
Postcode Area
Coventry
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG1 Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG13 Warwickshire CC
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Rugby
Electoral Ward
Dunsmore
Westminster Constituency
Kenilworth and Southam

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

University of Birmingham

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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