Scope
Reference
DDAI006
Description
Description of the Procurement Opportunity
The Defence AI Centre (DAIC) Capability Development team are seeking outstanding AI thematic leadership and technical client-side support for its four programme pillars and a data science managed service that will work collaboratively across the programmes.
The four programme pillars are as follows:
AI Technology and Data Enablers (T&DE)
The AI Technology and Data Enablers programme within the DAIC aims to accelerate the delivery of AI in Defence by influencing and shaping the technical scaffolding required for delivering AI capability onto enterprise systems, through to systems in the battlespace, and out to the operational environment.
AI Assurance
The purpose of the DAIC AI Assurance Programme is to cohere and centralise current AI assurance activities across Defence, including scaling and deploying activities currently within S&T and innovation. It will establish a set of clear, robust assurance processes, tools, techniques and risk frameworks, for deployment across Defence, to ensure the safe and responsible adoption of AI.
Generative AI
Working within a rapidly evolving technological landscape, the DAIC Generative AI (GenAI) programme's mission is to drive and coordinate the safe and effective exploitation of GenAI capabilities, currently primarily LLM-based tools, at scale and pace across domains.
Battlespace Advantage
Our Battlespace Advantage effort works to accelerate and enable the adoption of AI into UK battlespaces systems, including planning, mission and combat systems.
This effort includes (1) conducting pre-discovery, discovery and small-scale pilot activities to enable other areas of Defence to develop and deploy AI solutions, (2) partnering with major existing battlespace programmes that are seeking to exploit AI and (3) providing DAIC embedded support that can offer technical expertise in both AI and Defence systems.
These programme pillars and the horizontal data science support have been split into 5 Lots:
Lot 1 - AI Data & Technology
Lot 2 - AI Assurance
Lot 3 - Generative AI
Lot 4 - Battlespace Advantage
Lot 5 - Data Science
For client-side support within Lots 1-4, the DAIC require:
• AI Theme Leads - responsible for shaping their relevant programme of work and providing strategic direction to their delivery teams whilst ensuring effective delivery; and
• AI technical expertise - led by Technical Leads that are responsible for providing day-to-day technical leadership, expert advice and technical assurance, whilst ensuring coherence across projects, programmes, and cross-government functions.
For Lot 5 - Data Science - the DAIC requires an AI Machine Learning and Data Science delivery function that can:
• Discover and develop user-facing ("B2C") AI tools up to proof of value or alpha stage. This involves creating innovative solutions that address specific user needs and demonstrate the potential of AI in Defence or operational environments.
• Develop performance metrics and AI assurance processes to evaluate prototypes and proof of value, deliver assured solutions to live environments, and supporting end-users in usage of developed solutions.
• Provide flexible AI ML data science embedded advice and technical support to emerging priority Defence challenges.
• Provide AI ML data science expertise on external AI solutions (suppliers or other projects), to ensure explainable methods and understanding, including technical discoveries.
• To build and sustain MOD's technical capabilities; the ability to place crown personnel, particularly graduates, into projects mentored by data scientists from this function. This approach ensures a continuous training and upskilling of fresh talent.
Key Information Regarding the Proposed Competition
• In order to augment supplier diversity delivering into DAIC Cap Dev programme pillars and encourage suppliers to prioritise bids on programme pillars that they have specific expertise, suppliers will be able to bid for a maximum of two (2) of the five Lots.
• Suppliers of all sizes, including small and Medium-sized Enterprises are encouraged to bid for the Lot opportunities.
• Suppliers are encouraged to form consortia for their bids, incorporating SME and micro supplier capabilities into their service offerings.
• For each of the 5 Lots, the Buyer intends to award one Call-Off Contract with the Winning Tenderer to provide the services.
• Contracts are intended to be placed for an initial two-year term (24 months), with a further 12-month extension option.
• Contracts are intended to contain a set Limit of Liability, functioning as a Not to Exceed Limit. As such, an initial Statement of Work is intended to be placed following Contract Award and further Statements of Work can be placed up to the contractual Limit of Liability to onboard AI technical expertise for Lots 1-4 and flexible data science support for Lot 5.
• Further detail on the Limits of Liability, Contractual Terms & Conditions, and evaluation criteria for the Lots will be contained in the tender documentation upon release.
• Please note, the value in the Total value (estimated) field below refers to the expected Limit of Liabilities (inc VAT and ex VAT) across all 5 Lots, and not singular Call-Off Contract Limit of Liabilities.
How to Join this Opportunity?
The DAIC intend to run the competition through the Crown Commercial Service Artificial Intelligence Dynamic Purchasing System (AI DPS/RM6200). More details on the AI DPS, including how competitions are run, can be found at:
https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6200
NB: Please note, as the AI DPS was established prior to the Procurement Act 2023, the AI DPS remains under The Public Contracts Regulations 2015, despite this Prior Information Notice (PIN) utilising the format of the Procurement Act 2023 'Pipeline Notice'.
If you are a supplier and interested in bidding for this opportunity, you can sign up for the AI DPS by following the instructions in this link:
https://supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/dps/RM6200?nav=0
To become a supplier on this commercial agreement, download the 'Bid pack' within the link, and read the 'Read First RM6200 - DPS Needs'. To apply, or to update your responses, click 'Access as a supplier' within the link to login/register.
Registration is free and there is no limit on the number of suppliers who can join this DPS Marketplace.
If you would like to check whether you are already an Appointed Supplier on the AI DPS, you can check for your company name in alphabetical order through the following link:
https://supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/dps-suppliers/RM6200
The estimated date that the DAIC intend to start the shortlisting procedure is the week commencing 28th July 2025.
Please note, it can take up to ten (10) working days to register for the AI DPS with the Crown Commercial Service, so please do this at your earliest convenience if this opportunity is of interest to you ahead of the expected start of shortlisting.
Additional PIN Information
Interested parties are to note:
• This Pipeline Notice is to alert the market to this potential future requirement and is not a formal request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) nor a commitment to run a procurement exercise.
• The Buyer reserves the right to vary its approach towards the competition structure outlined above. Where the Buyer does this, we will act transparently and publish a clarification to the Pipeline Notice to treat all suppliers interested in the opportunity equally.
• Please note that the Buyer and its advisors give no warranty in respect of the accuracy, permanence or completeness of any information provided. Reliance on, or use of, any such information is entirely at the risk of the person so doing and save in the case of fraud, under no circumstances will the Buyer or any of its advisors be liable for or accept any responsibility for any cost, expense or liability incurred by any person relying upon or using such information.
Total value (estimated)
- £17,500,000 excluding VAT
- £21,000,000 including VAT
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2027
- Possible extension to 29 September 2028
- 2 years, 11 months, 29 days
Main category
Services
CPV classifications
- 72266000 - Software consultancy services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
4 August 2025
Procedure
Special regime
Defence and security
Above or below total value threshold
Above or equal to threshold
Contracting authority
Ministry of Defence
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHVX-4316-ZVGZ
MOD Corsham, Building 405, Westwells Road
Corsham
SN13 9NR
United Kingdom
Contact name: Nicholas Griffin
Email: Nicholas.Griffin100@mod.gov.uk
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
Region: UKK15 - Wiltshire CC
Organisation type: Public authority - central government