--- title: "AI Tutoring Tools Pioneer Programme - Subject-Matter Exemption - Research and Development" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-069256" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-069256" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069256.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069256.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY" published: "2026-07-03" --- # AI Tutoring Tools Pioneer Programme - Subject-Matter Exemption - Research and Development Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-069256 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-069256) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069256.json) ## Summary The "AI Tutoring Tools Pioneer Programme" procurement process is being conducted by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, in partnership with the Department for Education, located in London, United Kingdom. With the programme classified under research and development services, it specifically targets the EdTech sector within the education industry. The tender process is in the award phase as of July 2026, with contracts expected to be operational from the start of June 2026 and concluding by the end of March 2027. The procurement utilises an open method with a competitive flexible procedure to select potential suppliers for developing high-standard AI Tutoring Tools aimed at enhancing educational outcomes across England. This procurement presents significant opportunities for EdTech and AI development companies, especially those with established product deployment capabilities in educational settings. By collaborating in the development of innovative and scalable AI Tutoring Tools, businesses can enhance their reputation and expand into the educational technology market. Smaller and large enterprises alike, with proven expertise in delivering EdTech or AI solutions, can benefit by contributing to a project focused on improving academic attainment. SMEs are particularly encouraged to participate, given their agility and potential for innovative contributions. Consortia involving partner schools with diverse needs, particularly those facing higher levels of disadvantage, are ideal settings for such collaborative projects. ## Notice Contract Award Notice following Tender Notice: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/039400-2026 , which updated Notice https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/039400-2026. The AI Tutoring Tools Pioneer Programme contracts (a maximum of eight (8) identical contracts) will be awarded under a Procurement Act 2023 Section 3) (6) and Schedule 2, Part 2, paragraph 22, 2) (b), (c) subject-matter exemption for research and development services. The contracts to be awarded are exempt contracts and for that reason the procurement is not subject to the Procurement Act 2023. DSIT are using an informal procurement procedure (Competitive Flexible Procedure with a participation stage and two award criteria stages) which incorporates some elements of the Act and the Procurement Regulations but the notices will not include all the information required by the Procurement Regulations 2024. The outputs of the proposed contracts are intended for the benefit of the public and do not include the provision of AI Tutoring Tools. The latter would be procured via other sourcing procedures separate from this Pioneers Programme procurement. These contracts answer the need for research and development of a high-quality standard for AI Tutoring Tools. Although there is a wide range of Tutoring Tools available on the market, there is no established offer that meets the complete specification to a high-quality standard, encompassing all the necessary elements of an exceptional AI Tutoring Tool. Elements being for instance the digital curriculum (to be published) and multiple sources of data which require review. AI driven Tutoring Tools currently on the market are limited in quantity, scope and evidence base with few providing full tutoring capacity and with limited public access to the research and development that underpins them. The proposed contracts seek to research and co-design a high-quality, all-encompassing standard for AI Tutoring Tools and to initiate the development of innovative, effective and safe AI Tutoring Tools to that high-quality, all-encompassing standard thereby being the most transformative for educational outcomes. The aim of the Programme is to research, trial, develop and enable the future scalability and commercialisation of AI Tutoring Tools of the highest calibre which, alongside teachers, will improve the academic attainment of pupils across England, particularly the most disadvantaged. NOTE ON INFORMATION TO THE WIDER MARKET AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: The high-quality, all-encompassing standard co-designed during these contracts and the information shared by the participants (including the schools) with the Pioneer Programme suppliers, will be owned by DSIT/i.AI and will be shared with the wider market via a dedicated Pioneers Programme Reading Room. This is to enable other organisations to access the relevant information shared with the Pioneers Programme suppliers, the insights, the standards and quality expectations generated through the Programme's research and development work, without requiring the wider market to duplicate the research investment undertaken under the Programme. READING ROOM: The programme Reading Room will be hosted in the DfE Content Store. Details on accessing it will be published on the AI Content Store https://aicontentstore.education.gov.uk/ next week. Any further updates will be shared in the following webpage in the Summer of 2026: https://ai.gov.uk/our-work/education/ The foreground intellectual property (IP) created for the purposes of any possible prototype AI Tutoring Tool will be the property of the individual Pioneer Programme suppliers, and will not be widely shared. Early market engagement notice (UK2): https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015370-2026?origin=SearchResults&p=1 ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062797-2026 | | Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Large, SME | | All stages | Tender, Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 3 Jul 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 14 Jun 2026 | | Contract period | 28 Jun 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £2,400,000 | | Lots value | £2,400,000 | | Awards value | £300,000 | | Contracts value | £300,000 | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Complete | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Active | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY | | Additional buyers | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION; Missing | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South West London | | Postcode | SW1A 2EG | | 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 | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 9 | | Supplier names | EEDI; ELEVENLABS; FLINT; GOOGLE; LEARN ANYTHING EDUCATION; MEDLY AI; PA CONSULTING SERVICES; PEARSON EDUCATION; ZERO GRAVITY TECH | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support - 72212100 - Industry specific software development services - 72212190 - Educational software development services - 72254000 - Software testing - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services - 73100000 - Research and experimental development services - 73420000 - Pre-feasibility study and technological demonstration - 73430000 - Test and evaluation ## Release History - 3 Jul 2026 at 12:39 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062797-2026 - 2 Jul 2026 at 09:46 - AwardUpdate - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062117-2026 - 2 Jul 2026 at 09:37 - TenderCancellation - UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062109-2026 - 16 Jun 2026 at 14:17 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056738-2026 - 6 May 2026 at 11:36 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041484-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062797-2026 3rd July 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062117-2026 2nd July 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062109-2026 2nd July 2026 - Procurement termination notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056738-2026 16th June 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041484-2026 6th May 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.elevenlabs.io - http://www.learnanything.com - http://www.medlyai.com - http://www.pearson.com - http://www.zerogravity.co.uk - https://ai.gov.uk/our-work/education/ - https://aicontentstore.education.gov.uk/ - https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/ - https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=60989 - https://cloud.google.com - https://eedilabs.com/ - https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15110302/officers - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015370-2026?origin=SearchResults&p=1 - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/039400-2026 - https://www.flintk12.com/ - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-069256. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069256.json.