---
title: "Adaptation of Large Language Models (PhD sponsorship)"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-8e54fdcb-a6cc-4319-b95b-4b3bfd2cc725"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8e54fdcb-a6cc-4319-b95b-4b3bfd2cc725"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8e54fdcb-a6cc-4319-b95b-4b3bfd2cc725.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8e54fdcb-a6cc-4319-b95b-4b3bfd2cc725.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "OFCOM"
published: "2023-09-06"
---

# Adaptation of Large Language Models (PhD sponsorship)

Buyer: OFCOM  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-8e54fdcb-a6cc-4319-b95b-4b3bfd2cc725

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## Summary

Ofcom has awarded a contract for the 'Adaptation of Large Language Models (PhD sponsorship)' to The University of Sheffield. The procurement process was completed under a direct procurement method, with a value of £46,000 in GBP. The contract period is from 1st September 2023 to 30th September 2027. The tender was for adult and other education services within the services category. The deadline for the tender was 9th May 2023, with the award date on 27th June 2023. The project is aimed at developing techniques for domain transfer in language models based on content moderation systems located in London, SE1 9HA. For more details, you can contact Alex Lindsay at alex.lindsay@ofcom.org.uk or 02079813600.

This contract presents an opportunity for organisations specializing in adult education services and domain transfer technologies to collaborate and grow. Businesses with expertise in speech and language technologies and their applications will find this tender particularly relevant. Given the specific focus on adapting large language models, companies with experience in artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and machine learning are encouraged to engage in this competitive environment. The direct procurement method used for this tender streamlines the bidding process, providing a straightforward path for businesses seeking to expand their presence within the education services sector regulated by Ofcom.

## Notice

Contribution to the funding of a 4 year PhD project at the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Speech and Language Technologies (SLT) and their Applications. The PhD is topic is "Adapting large language models to respond to domain changes in content moderation systems. The aim of this project is to develop new/improved techniques for domain transfer for large language models so that they can be rapidly and efficiently adapted/fine-tuned so that performance is maintained after one or more of these domain changes.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4b25dba9-1add-445a-aa9c-5f0bce0ce7ee |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Single tender action (below threshold) |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Sep 2023 |
| Submission deadline | 8 May 2023 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 26 Jun 2023 |
| Contract period | 31 Aug 2023 - 30 Sep 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £46,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £46,000 |
| 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 | 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 | THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80400000 - Adult and other education services

## Release History

- 6 Sep 2023 at 09:38 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4b25dba9-1add-445a-aa9c-5f0bce0ce7ee

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4b25dba9-1add-445a-aa9c-5f0bce0ce7ee
  6th September 2023 - 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-b5fd17-8e54fdcb-a6cc-4319-b95b-4b3bfd2cc725. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8e54fdcb-a6cc-4319-b95b-4b3bfd2cc725.json.