Contract

Autonomous vehicle PHD research

  • Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

UK7: Contract details notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-002281

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0603b8

Published 12 January 2026, 1:44pm



Scope

Reference

T280022987

Description

As autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies progress toward real-world deployment, regulatory agencies face the pressing challenge of ensuring that these systems operate safely and in compliance with the driving standards.

There is currently a lack of robust, interpretable methodologies for evaluating AV behaviour in both real and simulated environments—particularly in edge-case scenarios that pose the greatest risk to public safety. To address this gap, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is requesting to co-funding a PhD studentship titled Digital Commentary Driving for Regulatory Compliance and Risk Assessment in Autonomous Vehicles, which aims to develop novel, evidence-based methods for AV validation.


Contract 1

Supplier

Contract value

  • £47,000 excluding VAT
  • £56,400 including VAT

Below the relevant threshold

Date signed

23 December 2025

Contract dates

  • 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
  • 3 years

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 80000000 - Education and training services

Procedure

Procedure type

Below threshold - without competition


Supplier

University of Surrey

Stag Hill Court University Campus

Guildford

GU2 7JG

United Kingdom

Region: UKJ25 - West Surrey

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No

Contract 1


Contracting authority

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PTMM-2614-YJDV

Berkeley House, Croydon Street

Bristol

BS5 0DA

United Kingdom

Region: UKK11 - Bristol, City of

Organisation type: Public authority - central government