---
title: "RFI: AISI - Post-Award Research Grant Administration"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077aa2"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077aa2"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077aa2.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077aa2.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Department for Science, Innovation & Technology"
published: "2026-09-25"
---

# RFI: AISI - Post-Award Research Grant Administration

Buyer: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077aa2

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## Summary

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), through its Artificial Intelligence Security Institute, is exploring whether a specialist provider could take on some or all post-award administration for future research grant programmes. The work would cover grants awarded to universities, research institutes and non-profit organisations in the UK and overseas, including collaborative research projects. Potential services include preparing and managing grant agreements, changes and extensions; monitoring and reporting; checking claims and expenditure; arranging payments; assurance, audit and counter-fraud controls; maintaining grant records and management information; and closing grants. The scope includes due diligence before agreements are signed, but excludes assessing applications, evaluating proposals and selecting recipients, which remain with DSIT. Delivery would support grants across the UK and internationally.

This is preliminary market engagement at the planning stage, not a tender or commitment to buy. DSIT is seeking supplier views to test the feasibility, deliverability and commercial attractiveness of the proposed service, including delivery models, commercial viability, risks and implementation. Responses are voluntary and will not be scored or affect participation in any later procurement. The buyer asks for responses by 23:59 BST on 9 October 2026. If it proceeds, DSIT currently expects to run a procurement through the Fund Administration & Disbursement Services Dynamic Purchasing System (FAADS, RM6322); it has not committed to doing so or to using that route. The existing portfolio is about £20 million across roughly 100 live grants, with individual grants of £100,000 to £1 million and typical durations of 6 to 24 months. Future programmes may differ in scale, scope and delivery model.

The engagement is relevant to established grant-administration providers and to specialist organisations, SMEs, new entrants and others with relevant delivery experience. Suppliers should be prepared to explain how they could administer a varied research portfolio, including grants to overseas recipients and collaborative projects, and how they would handle agreement management, monitoring, claims validation, payments, grant changes and extensions, assurance and audit, counter-fraud, records and closure. DSIT is also seeking insight into commercial models, operational risks, dependencies, due diligence and assurance, systems and reporting, international delivery and frontier AI research. Any future operating model would leave overall grant accountability and application assessment with DSIT; its grant managers would retain decision-making responsibility, with agreed limits on partner decisions and matters to escalate. Suppliers outside the FAADS system may wish to consider applying to join it, but engagement or application does not guarantee a later procurement or work.

## Notice

The Artificial Intelligence Security Institute (AISI), a directorate of the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), is seeking information from the market to help test the feasibility, deliverability, and commercial attractiveness of a proposed requirement for the AISI Grants Portfolio. The AISI funds external research through competitively awarded grant programmes. Awards are made to universities, research institutes and non-profit organisations. The Authority currently administers grants in-house and is considering whether a specialist delivery partner could provide all or part of the post-award administration function for future grant programmes. This Request for Information (RFI) is intended to inform the Authority's understanding of market capability and delivery models. This engagement does not constitute a procurement process and places no obligation on either the Authority or participating suppliers. The Authority's current portfolio comprises approximately: * PS20m of live grant funding; * around 100 active grants; * individual grants ranging between PS100,000 and PS1,000,000; * typical grant durations of 6 to 24 months. Future programmes are expected to be broadly similar in nature, although scope, scale and delivery models may change. The grants are primarily research-focused and commonly involve: * UK universities; * overseas universities; * research organisations; * non-profit entities; * collaborative research projects. The Authority is seeking information on supplier capability to deliver post-award grant administration services. For the purposes of this engagement, "post-award" includes all activities following the Authority's funding decision, including due diligence activities conducted prior to execution of grant agreements. The assessment of applications, evaluation of proposals and selection of grant recipients will remain the responsibility of the Authority and its expert reviewers and are not within scope. Accountability for each grant remains with the Authority under GovS 015: Grants. Any operating model will retain the Authority's grant manager in a decision-making role, with defined thresholds for what a delivery partner may decide and what must be escalated. Potential activities may include, but are not limited to: * issuing and executing grant agreements using Authority-provided templates; * managing amendments, variations, novations and extensions; * managing monitoring and reporting processes; * validating claims and expenditure submissions; * administering payment schedules and disbursements; * administering grants to overseas recipients; * managing underspend, reprofiling and no-cost extensions; * supporting suspension, recovery and clawback activity; * operating assurance, audit and counter-fraud controls; * maintaining grant records and management information; * undertaking grant closure activities and record retention. The Authority is keen to receive feedback from established grant-administration providers, specialist organisations, SMEs, new entrants and other organisations with relevant delivery experience. The Authority currently anticipates that, should it decide to proceed with a procurement following this preliminary market engagement, the opportunity would be conducted through the Fund Administration & Disbursement Services Dynamic Purchasing System, RM6322 ("FAADS"). You do not need to be an existing supplier on the Fund Administration & Disbursement Services DPS, RM6322 ("FAADS"), to respond to this market engagement. Suppliers that are not currently appointed to RM6322 are encouraged to consider applying to join the DPS if they may be interested in participating in any future procurement. Further information about RM6322 and the supplier application process is available through the Crown Commercial Service Supplier Registration Service: Fund Administration & Disbursement Services DPS (FAADS) - GCA The RM6322 application process and this RFI are independent: * completing the RFI does not result in appointment to the DPS; * applying to the DPS does not constitute an RFI response; and * neither activity guarantees that a procurement will proceed or that an organisation will receive work. RFI responses are requested solely to help the Authority understand market capability, delivery models, commercial viability, risks and implementation considerations. Responses will not be scored and participation will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in a future procurement. The Authority does not guarantee that a procurement will take place or that RM6322 will ultimately be used.

### Planning Information

This Request for Information is issued for preliminary market engagement purposes only. It is not an Invitation to Tender, a procurement process, or a commitment by DSIT to procure any goods or services. DSIT reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to amend, pause or discontinue this engagement and is not obliged to proceed to a procurement, issue tender documents, award a contract or enter into any commercial arrangement as a result of this RFI.
Participation in this RFI is voluntary. DSIT does not commit to cover any cost incurred in the preparation or submission of any response to the RFI. 
Responding or failing to respond to this RFI will not preclude the respondents from participating in any future DSIT calls or requests for information or other opportunities. 
Responses will not be formally evaluated or scored, and participation in this RFI will not advantage or disadvantage any supplier in any future procurement. If a procurement is launched, it will be conducted in accordance with applicable procurement law and all suppliers will be treated fairly and transparently.
Suppliers should clearly identify any commercially sensitive information included in their response.
The RFI questions are organised under the following sections.
1. Organisation information
2. Experience and Capability (Mandatory)
3. Commercial Model (Optional)
4. Risks and Dependencies (Optional)
5. International Delivery (Optional)
6. Due Diligence and Assurance (Optional)
7. Systems and Reporting (Optional)
8. Frontier AI research (Optional)
Please complete survey here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/A2HGiemFA4
The deadline for responses is 23:59 BST, 09/10/2026.
DSIT reserves the right to follow-up and ask clarification questions on any responses.
The guidance provided also accompanies the associated question within the Microsoft Forms survey. If you require a Word version of this request for information, please contact Emma.bracey@dsit.gov.uk.
In each section, please feel free to include as much relevant information as you like (responses limited to 4000 characters). All questions require a free-text response unless otherwise specified.
Note that questions denoted with an asterix, *, are mandatory.
Please provide answers including indications of where answers are actual or anticipated or where the information requested is currently unknown (for example subject to ongoing development).
1. How the information provided will be used and treated
AISI wishes to use this RFI to help test the feasibility, deliverability and commercial attractiveness of the proposed requirement. 
In the course of responding to this request for information, you have provided information about yourself ('personal data'). DSIT are the 'data controller' for this information, which means we decide how to use it and are responsible for looking after it.
In providing the information requested in this document the respondent confirms that they are giving written consent that the information provided may be shared with other departments, agencies, public bodies, and subsidiaries owned by the above, and their advisors. If any information is shared within government, it will be anonymised and will not identify any specific individual or organisation who provided it.
Information provided in response to this Request for Information, including personal information, may be disclosed in accordance with any applicable law (including the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004), by order of a court or as required by any body or inquiry which has the power to compel disclosure.
The RFI participation process, including how to send responses, appears in the section directly after the questionnaire, below. If the respondent wants the information provided to be treated as confidential, they are asked to please inform us. No commercially sensitive information will be shared outside of government. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee confidentiality in all circumstances. For any questions about this process, please email: emma.bracey@dsit.gov.uk.
We will process any personal data included in the responses for this Request for Information in accordance with all applicable data protection laws.
The information gathered will not be used beyond the stated purpose without explicit permission.
2. The type of personal information we collect
We will collect and process the following personal data:
Personal identifiers (name and contact details).
3. How we will use your data?
We will use your data to understand the origin of your submission - see above "How the information provided will be used and treated" in the RFI document for more information.
The lawful basis for processing your personal data under Article 6 of the UK GDPR is: Legitimate interests. As such, we will only use your data for the purposes for which we collected it or one that is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your data for an unrelated purpose, we will seek your consent separately to use it for that new purpose.
4. Who has access to your data?
Access to your data held by DSIT will be limited to staff within the department who need to view it as part of their work in carrying out the purposes described above.
Your personal data will not be shared outside of the department. Where information from the responses is shared wider, it will be anonymised.
5. Retaining your data
We will retain your personal data for no longer than one year. Anonymised and non-personal data may be kept for up to four years for statistical purposes.
6. Where we store and use your data?
Your personal data will be processed in the UK within secure UK government systems which use the Government Microsoft 365 environment hosted in UK-based data centres. As your personal data will be stored on our IT infrastructure it will be shared with our data processors Microsoft and Amazon Web Services and may be transferred and stored securely outside the UK. Where that is the case, it will be subject to equivalent legal protection through an adequacy decision, the use of Standard Contractual Clauses or a UK International Data Transfer Agreement. We will not make additional copies of personal data to store outside of this environment.
To exercise your rights please contact the Data Protection Officer using the contact details below.
7. How to contact us?
If you have any questions or concerns about our use of your personal information or are unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data, please write to the department's Data Protection Officer in the first instance using the contact details below;
DSIT Data Protection Officer,
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology,
22-26 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2EG.
Email: dataprotection@dsit.gov.uk
If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an UK independent regulator. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091020-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Dynamic |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 25 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Dec 2026 - 1 Jan 2027 |
| 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 | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | 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 |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 75 - Administration, defence and social security services

### Codes

- 75100000 - Administration services

## Release History

- 25 Sep 2026 at 13:50 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091020-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091020-2026
  25th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/A2HGiemFA4
- https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
- 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-077aa2. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077aa2.json.