Institutional Readiness Assessment and AI Strategy Scoping

{
  "id": "056058-2026",
  "tag": [
    "planning"
  ],
  "date": "2026-06-15T10:41:04+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06b4ba",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PGRG-9322-VXQG",
    "name": "York St John University"
  },
  "tender": {
    "id": "TEN042",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "planning",
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2026-11-30T23:59:59+00:00",
          "startDate": "2026-09-01T00:00:00+01:00"
        }
      }
    ],
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1",
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "UKE21",
            "country": "GB",
            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
          }
        ],
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "id": "72220000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Systems and technical consultancy services"
          },
          {
            "id": "72221000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Business analysis consultancy services"
          },
          {
            "id": "79400000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Business and management consultancy and related services"
          },
          {
            "id": "79410000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Business and management consultancy services"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "Institutional Readiness Assessment and AI Strategy Scoping",
    "value": {
      "currency": "GBP",
      "amountGross": 60000
    },
    "status": "planning",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "description": "York St John University (YSJ) is preparing to procure specialist support to deliver a Governance and Institutional Readiness Assessment and AI Strategy.\nGenerative AI is already widely embedded across institutional activity, including teaching, learning, research and professional services, with evidence indicating the use of a significant number of tools across the University and a largely decentralised approach to adoption.\nIn response, the University is seeking to move from fragmented, unmanaged adoption towards a coherent, governed and strategically aligned approach to AI, enabling safe, effective and purposeful use at scale. \nThis pre-market engagement exercise is intended to inform the development of the full procurement and ensure that the Invitation to Tender (ITT) reflects current best practice, innovation and market capability.\nFor more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: \nhttps://neupc.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-York:-Systems-and-technical-consultancy-services./26QBGUNP78\nTo respond to this opportunity, please click here: \nhttps://neupc.delta-esourcing.com/respond/26QBGUNP78",
    "aboveThreshold": false,
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PGRG-9322-VXQG",
      "name": "York St John University",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKE21",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "York",
        "postalCode": "YO31 7EX",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Lord Mayors Walk"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PGRG-9322-VXQG",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "name": "Paul Revell",
        "email": "procurement@yorksj.ac.uk",
        "telephone": "01904 876611"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "planning": {
    "documents": [
      {
        "id": "056058-2026",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056058-2026",
        "format": "text/html",
        "noticeType": "UK2",
        "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-15T10:41:04+01:00"
      }
    ],
    "milestones": [
      {
        "id": "engagement",
        "type": "engagement",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "dueDate": "2026-07-03T23:59:59+01:00",
        "description": "Governance and Institutional Readiness Assessment and AI Strategy\nThe University’s objective is to establish a clear institutional AI strategy and governance model that enables a coordinated, controlled and adaptable approach to AI. \nThis includes strengthening the University’s ability to:\n•Shape how AI is used across academic and professional services\n•Manage associated risks, including legal, ethical and operational considerations\n•Monitor and assess AI usage across the institution\n•Enable consistent, safe and effective adoption at scale \nThe University is seeking market insight to inform how this requirement can best be delivered, including approaches, methodologies and innovations that are aligned to the Higher Education sector.\nIndicative scope of requirement\nWhile requirements continue to be refined, the University anticipates that the appointed partner will support:\n•AI Readiness and Maturity Assessment\nEvaluation of current AI adoption, governance effectiveness, and institutional risk exposure\n•Assessment of Existing Systems and AI Capability\nReview of enterprise platforms (e.g. M365, VLE, CRM) and embedded AI capabilities\nIdentification of value, gaps and unmanaged risk\n•AI Strategy Development (Primary Output)\nA clear, practical and implementable institutional AI strategy\nDefined principles covering teaching, research and professional services\n•Governance and Operating Model (Primary Output)\nDesign of a governance structure enabling effective oversight, control and decision-making\n•Platform, Access and Tooling Model\nApproach for providing safe, consistent access to approved AI tools\nReduction in reliance on unapproved or high-risk tools\n•Policy, Guidance and Acceptable Use Framework\nDevelopment of a clear and usable framework aligned to institutional governance and controls\n•User Experience and Adoption\nEnsuring tools and guidance are accessible, practical and embedded in workflows\n•Indicative Roadmap and Decision Framework\nA high-level, flexible implementation pathway supported by structured decision-making\n•Risk, Control and Benchmarking\nProportionate control framework and benchmarking against sector leaders\nPurpose of this engagement\nThis pre-market engagement exercise is designed to:\n•Test the University’s current assumptions about delivery approach and scope\n•Understand what represents standard practice in AI strategy and governance engagements\n•Identify innovative approaches, tools and methodologies emerging in the market\n•Explore delivery models appropriate to the UK Higher Education context\n•Ensure the eventual ITT reflects practical, implementable and market-aligned requirements\nInsights gathered will directly inform the final specification and procurement approach.\nEngagement activities\nDuring the engagement period, the University may:\n•Invite suppliers to submit written responses or position statements\n•Hold market engagement sessions or one-to-one discussions\n•Request demonstrations of relevant methodologies, frameworks or tools\nParticipation is entirely voluntary and will not influence any future procurement evaluation.\nHow to participate\nSuppliers interested in contributing to this engagement are be invited to register their interest by emailing an initial proposal to procurement@yorksj.ac.uk. Further details regarding timelines and engagement activities will be shared with participants.\nImportant notice\nThis notice is issued solely for the purpose of pre-market engagement.\nIt:\n•Does not constitute a call for competition\n•Does not form part of any procurement process\n•Does not commit the University to undertake any future procurement\nThe intention is to ensure that any future procurement is well-informed, proportionate and aligned to market capability."
      }
    ]
  },
  "initiationType": "tender"
}