---
title: "Identifying and Evaluating Methods for Testing the Impact of Recommender Systems"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-23e50ad2-4077-4407-9430-f9193fafb44c"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-23e50ad2-4077-4407-9430-f9193fafb44c"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-23e50ad2-4077-4407-9430-f9193fafb44c.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-23e50ad2-4077-4407-9430-f9193fafb44c.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "OFCOM"
published: "2022-12-12"
---

# Identifying and Evaluating Methods for Testing the Impact of Recommender Systems

Buyer: OFCOM  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-23e50ad2-4077-4407-9430-f9193fafb44c

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## Summary

Ofcom has awarded a tender for the project titled "Identifying and Evaluating Methods for Testing the Impact of Recommender Systems" in the research and development services and related consultancy services category. The contract worth £118,045.38 GBP was awarded to PATTRN ANALYTICS AND INTELLIGENCE LTD. The procurement method used was an open procedure, and the contract period is from 27th October 2022 to 17th March 2023. The tender deadline was on 3rd October 2022, and the project location is in London (SE1 9HA).

This procurement process by Ofcom offers opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector (VCSE) businesses. Companies in the research and development sector, especially those with expertise in recommender systems and online services, would be well-suited to compete. The completion of this tender marks a significant milestone in enhancing Ofcom's understanding of algorithmically-driven recommender systems and their impact on online services, contributing to the regulatory framework set under the Online Safety Bill.

## Notice

Ofcom has a requirement for a research project to investigate the use and impact of recommender systems by online services. We are seeking to develop our understanding of the key functionalities and features of in-scope services. One of these is the use of algorithmically-driven recommender systems, which are used to serve up content both on search services (e.g. search engine sites) and user-to-user services (e.g. social media platforms and video sharing platforms). We are seeking to collect evidence on how these systems function at a technical level, where and how they are used in practice, the risks they present to users, and how these risks can be mitigated. This research will inform the development of the regulatory documents that we are required to prepare under the Online Safety Bill to assist in-scope services in understanding how they can comply with their duties, including the Codes of Practice, the Register of Risks and Risk Profiles that will come out of Ofcom's risk assessments, and Industry Risk Assessment Guidance.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6e743f11-3702-4d6e-b0f1-006998cb80b0 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure (below threshold) |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 Dec 2022 |
| Submission deadline | 3 Oct 2022 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 18 Oct 2022 |
| Contract period | 26 Oct 2022 - 17 Mar 2023 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £118,045 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £118,045 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | OFCOM |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South East London |
| Postcode | SE1 9HA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East |
| ITL 3 | TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark |
| Local authority | Southwark |
| Electoral ward | Borough & Bankside |
| Westminster constituency | Bermondsey and Old Southwark |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | PATTRN ANALYTICS AND INTELLIGENCE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 12 Dec 2022 at 11:11 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6e743f11-3702-4d6e-b0f1-006998cb80b0

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6e743f11-3702-4d6e-b0f1-006998cb80b0
  12th December 2022 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-23e50ad2-4077-4407-9430-f9193fafb44c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-23e50ad2-4077-4407-9430-f9193fafb44c.json.