--- title: "Automated Online Product Search Tool (WebCrawler Procurement)" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03595e" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03595e" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03595e.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03595e.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "BUSINESS ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY" published: "2022-08-05" --- # Automated Online Product Search Tool (WebCrawler Procurement) Buyer: BUSINESS ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03595e [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03595e) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03595e.json) ## Summary The Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is planning a procurement for an Automated Online Product Search Tool, aimed at enhancing product safety regulation. This initiative falls under the software package and information systems industry category, with the procurement process currently at the planning stage. A pre-market supplier engagement event is scheduled for 7th September 2022, from 14:00 to 16:00 via MS Teams, which presents an opportunity for potential suppliers to inquire about the project. Following the event, BEIS intends to proceed to market by the end of September 2022, with a final notice set for 1st November 2022. This tender creates significant opportunities for businesses specialising in software development, particularly those with expertise in automated web tools and product safety solutions. Companies that provide web crawling technologies or have experience in compliance and risk management within online retail environments would be particularly well-suited to compete for this contract. The successful supplier will play a crucial role in modernising the validation processes for consumer products available online, thereby contributing to enhanced consumer protection and product safety compliance in the UK. ## Notice An automated online tool is required to search the web for potentially unsafe products at a much faster rate than is possible through manual process. A web crawler/scraper style tool will combine image and key word recognition, with the ability to automate searches. Distinguish between webpages offering products for sale and not just mention that product. Products for sale in the UK with UK shipping but not webpages offering something for sale but not available for purchase in the UK. To be able to capture screenshots to an evidential standard when a listing is identified as part of a search. This is then saved ready to be reviewed and used by an officer later. ### Lot Information Lot 1 The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), was created in January 2018 to deliver consumer protection and to support business confidence, productivity, and growth. We regulate a wide range of products with a focus on their safety and integrity. We work with local, national, and international regulators, with consumer representatives and with businesses to deliver effective protections and to support compliance. Our mission is to be a trusted product regulator for the UK. This means protecting people and places, enabling business to thrive and empowering consumers to make good choices. We will be a leader of good regulatory practice and a champion of local regulation. OPSS is: * the national regulator for all consumer products, except for vehicles, medicines, and food. * the national regulator for legal metrology, ensuring weighing and measuring instruments are accurate and reliable. Suppliers are strongly encouraged to read the text at the following link to gain a full understanding of the role of the enforcement services with Government: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-regulation-enforcement-services A growing area of work is enforcing product safety and standards for products being sold via online marketplaces. Our Online Regulation Team (EPE) is responsible for regulating this space, in particular identifying and removing unsafe products from the market. The Online Regulations Team (EPE) currently undertake manual web searches for known non-compliant/unsafe products. The searches are made by individual team members checking for the presence of unsafe products being sold by online retailors or seller websites using keywords and image searches. When unsafe products are found, a team member would contact the retailor or Primary Authority and ask them to remove the product from sale on safety grounds. Results are currently saved on an Excel spreadsheet saved on OPSS SharePoint. The current process is labour intensive and utilises limited resources. No sooner are non-compliant/unsafe products removed from websites they are often re-listed under different descriptions and revised images on alternative sites. An automated online tool is required to search the web for potentially unsafe products at a much faster rate than is possible through manual process. A web crawler/scraper style tool will combine image and key word recognition, with the ability to automate searches. Distinguish between webpages offering products for sale and not just mention that product. Products for sale in the UK with UK shipping but not webpages offering something for sale but not available for purchase in the UK. To be able to capture screenshots to an evidential standard when a listing is identified as part of a search. This is then saved ready to be reviewed and used by an officer later. BEIS is hosting a pre-market supplier event for this project which will take place on Wednesday 7th September 2022 at 14:00 - 16:0 via MS Teams. If you would like to attend this event, please contact David Boston on the details provided within this advertisement. If this event provides sufficient information BEIS will proceed to market with a procurement at the end of September 2022 This supplier engagement event provides an opportunity for suppliers to ask questions and highlight any potential issues. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021579-2022 | | Notice type | Planning Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Goods | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 5 Aug 2022 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 1 Nov 2022 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | BUSINESS ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South West London | | Postcode | SW1H 0ET | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London | | Local authority | Westminster | | Electoral ward | St James's | | Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 48 - Software package and information systems ### Codes - 48000000 - Software package and information systems ## Release History - 5 Aug 2022 at 13:30 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021579-2022 ## Notice URLs - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-regulation-enforcement-services ## 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-h6vhtk-03595e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03595e.json.