---
title: "Isambard AI Data Facility (AIDF)"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-52f88014-68f0-4b3c-9eb9-810e23c66b20"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-52f88014-68f0-4b3c-9eb9-810e23c66b20"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-52f88014-68f0-4b3c-9eb9-810e23c66b20.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-52f88014-68f0-4b3c-9eb9-810e23c66b20.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL"
published: "2026-01-08"
---

# Isambard AI Data Facility (AIDF)

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-52f88014-68f0-4b3c-9eb9-810e23c66b20

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## Summary

The University of Bristol has concluded a selective tender process for the establishment of the Isambard AI Data Facility (AIDF), a national facility aimed at providing long-term data storage services for artificial intelligence datasets. With an industry classification focused on data storage services, this contract involves a call-off from a framework agreement. The location for the project is the South West of the United Kingdom, and the contract, valued at £11,584,291.01, will run from 22nd December 2025 to 31st December 2030. The procurement stage has reached the award phase, with Dell Corporation Limited being the awarded supplier as of 22nd January 2026. The completion of this procurement process highlights active stakeholder engagement and commitment to future-proofing national AI data resources.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in data storage infrastructure, particularly those capable of delivering secure, scalable, and compliant solutions compatible with existing computing resources. While the awarded supplier, Dell Corporation Limited, is a large-scale organisation, enterprises with similar capabilities but smaller footprints also stand to gain insights and potentially compete in future opportunities within this domain. This project can catalyse growth for firms aiming to expand their portfolio in AI-driven environments and collaborate with institutions such as the University of Bristol to address evolving data management needs.

## Notice

The UK AI Research Resource (AIRR) lacks a national facility for long-term storage of critical AI datasets when they are not actively processed. The requirement is to establish a secure, scalable, and sovereign data storage solution that integrates with existing compute resources (Isambard-AI and Isambard 3), supports compliance with cybersecurity standards, and enables future expansion to meet growing research and collaboration needs.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c0369384-6808-4a97-a917-b0ed1bc8ee6d |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Not specified |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 4 Dec 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 8 Jan 2026 |
| Contract period | 22 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £10,000,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £11,584,291 |
| 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 | UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS1 5DS |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK51 Bristol, City of |
| Local authority | Bristol, City of |
| Electoral ward | Central |
| Westminster constituency | Bristol Central |
| Delivery location | TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | DELL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 72317000 - Data storage services

## Release History

- 8 Jan 2026 at 10:51 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c0369384-6808-4a97-a917-b0ed1bc8ee6d

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c0369384-6808-4a97-a917-b0ed1bc8ee6d
  8th January 2026 - 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-b5fd17-52f88014-68f0-4b3c-9eb9-810e23c66b20. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-52f88014-68f0-4b3c-9eb9-810e23c66b20.json.