---
title: "OpenAI Sector AI Evaluation Pilot"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "JISC SERVICES LIMITED"
published: "2026-08-26"
---

# OpenAI Sector AI Evaluation Pilot

Buyer: JISC SERVICES LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0.json)

## Summary

JISC Services Limited is procuring a time-limited evaluation service for OpenAI’s enterprise artificial intelligence environment. The service includes ChatGPT Edu, Codex, OpenAI proprietary models, application programming interfaces, GPTs, agentic and research capabilities, enterprise administration and governance, security controls, data residency options, support and associated services. Jisc will coordinate access for multiple UK further and higher education institutions on consistent terms. The evaluation is intended to produce evidence about onboarding, engagement, adoption, governance, security, technical integration, institutional value, commercial models and consumption across institutions with different cloud, productivity, identity, data and application estates. The procurement covers software and information technology services, with delivery across participating UK education institutions.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through a direct award. OpenAI OpCo, LLC was selected as the supplier for the single lot. The stated basis was that OpenAI exclusively owns and operates the required capabilities, and that alternative providers would offer materially different services; the authority therefore identified exclusive rights and technical reasons preventing reasonable competition. The contract period is scheduled from 1 October 2026 to 30 March 2029, with signature due by 30 September 2026. The awarded value is USD 7,560,000, or USD 9,072,000 including taxes. The buyer notes that the value and dates are high estimates based on expected cohort intakes and possible spend. The procurement is above the applicable threshold.

This procurement shows sustained demand from UK further and higher education institutions for coordinated access to enterprise artificial intelligence, rather than a standalone software purchase. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need a mature enterprise AI environment, education-sector suitability and the ability to support multiple institutions on consistent terms. Relevant capability includes secure administration and governance, data residency options, institutional identity and application integration, technical support, APIs, model access, GPT development, coding, agentic and research functions. Suppliers would also need to generate usable evidence on onboarding, adoption, engagement, institutional value, consumption and commercial models across varied technology estates. The scale and sector-wide coordination indicate a requirement suited to a large provider or a consortium with substantial delivery, support and governance capacity.

## Notice

JSL is in advanced negotiations to agree a contract with the supplier. The provision of a time-limited evaluation service comprising access to OpenAI's proprietary enterprise AI environment, including ChatGPT Edu, OpenAI models, APIs, GPTs and associated enterprise platform capabilities. The evaluation includes ChatGPT Edu, Codex, OpenAI proprietary models, APIs, GPTs, agentic and research capabilities, enterprise administration and governance functionality, security controls, data residency options, support arrangements and associated services made available within the contracted OpenAI environment during the evaluation period. This evaluation will be made available to multiple UK further and higher education institutions with Jisc facilitating a coordinated, sector-wide approach that enables participation on consistent terms. The objective of this evaluation is to generate evidence on the onboarding, engagement needs, adoption, governance, security, technical integration, institutional value, commercial models and consumption of OpenAI's first-party AI environment across institutions with different underlying cloud, productivity, identity, data and application estates.

### Procurement Information

As these capabilities are owned and operated exclusively by OpenAI and are not available from other providers, the contracting authority considers that the requirement engages exclusive rights within the meaning of Schedule 5, paragraph 5. In addition, because the purpose of the contract is to evaluate OpenAI's specific proprietary environment, alternative AI providers would constitute materially different services and would not meet the defined requirement; accordingly, there is an absence of reasonable competition for technical reasons within the meaning of Schedule 5, paragraph 6.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081466-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 26 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 1 Oct 2026 - 30 Mar 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £7,560,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Pending |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | JISC SERVICES LIMITED |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Postcode area | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS1 6NB |
| 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 | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | OpenAI OpCo, LLC |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems
- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

### Codes

- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
- 72222300 - Information technology services

## Release History

- 26 Aug 2026 at 15:54 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081466-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081466-2026
  26th August 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.jisc.ac.uk
- http://www.openai.com
- 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-06ecf0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ecf0.json.