---
title: "PS26218 - Market assessment to identify tools which are preventing businesses from securely adopting AI"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Department for Science, Innovation & Technology"
published: "2026-10-14"
---

# PS26218 - Market assessment to identify tools which are preventing businesses from securely adopting AI

Buyer: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce.json)

## Summary

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) commissioned research to assess the market and identify tools that are preventing businesses from adopting artificial intelligence securely. The work is a market assessment and research service focused on barriers to secure business adoption of AI. Delivery covers the United Kingdom, Europe, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, British Overseas Territories and the rest of the world. The requirement is relevant to research consultancies with experience investigating business technology adoption and identifying tools or barriers affecting secure AI use. The procurement was conducted for DSIT, whose address is in Swindon.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded to Blue Bow Research & Consultancy Ltd. The award was made on 5 October 2026 for £78,000. The contract period runs from 2 October 2026 to 15 January 2027. The original estimated procurement value was £90,000. The requirement was competed through a selective call-off from the Government Commercial Agency’s Research and Insights Dynamic Purchasing System. The tender submission deadline was 28 August 2026 at 11:00. This was a single research-services requirement, with no lots identified. Small and medium-sized enterprises were considered suitable to participate; voluntary, community and social enterprises were not. No evaluation criteria are stated in the published process information.

The award demonstrates demand from DSIT for focused research into the practical barriers businesses face when adopting AI securely, including the tools that may impede adoption. A credible competitor for a future requirement of this kind would need to design and deliver a market assessment spanning businesses and markets across the UK and international locations. Research capability should include understanding business technology adoption and analysing how tools affect secure AI use. The contract was awarded to a small and medium-sized research and consultancy supplier, showing that this requirement was deliverable by an SME rather than being reserved to large suppliers. The procurement route was a call-off from a research and insights dynamic purchasing system, so suppliers seeking comparable work should be able to compete through that route.

## Notice

***** THIS IS AN AWARD NOTICE, NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION ***** This procurement is being concluded following a competitive procurement exercise via Government Commercial Agency RM6126 Research and Insights DPS for the provision of PS26218 - Market assessment to identify tools which are preventing businesses from securely adopting AI

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/927cdc51-b771-4877-bb17-f527f9cac892 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Dynamic |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a dynamic purchasing system |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Contract period | 2 Oct 2026 - 15 Jan 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £90,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £78,000 |
| 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 | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Postcode area | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FF |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | BLUE BOW RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY LTD |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 14 Oct 2026 at 12:34 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/927cdc51-b771-4877-bb17-f527f9cac892

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/927cdc51-b771-4877-bb17-f527f9cac892
  14th October 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-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8e1dc489-738b-4d4a-919b-edca7ec397ce.json.