Whitehall’s transport agency has signed a six-figure deal covering the next two years and supporting the creation of strategies for deploying artificial intelligence, and then identifying and implementing specific tools
The Department for Transport has put in place a contract potentially worth more than £400,000 and intended to support the organisation in the coming months in creating strategies and building skills in artificial intelligence.
The deal for “DfT AI upskilling” was awarded to supplier PA Consulting and came into effect at the start of this week. At least £90,000, plus VAT, will initially be spent via the engagement – and the value may rise to as much as £420,000 by January 2027.
During that time, the consultancy firm will provide the department with its “AI Strategy, Blueprint and Roadmap”, as set out on the government’s Digital Marketplace platform.
The service – which is priced at between about £1,270 and £3,650 per day, depending on what offerings are delivered – is intended to “support developing AI strategies, which feed into an AI blueprint… ensuring AI initiatives become integral parts of the broader strategic organisational intent”, according to its online listing.
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This includes a “comprehensive assessment of existing infrastructure, data and organisational readiness”, supported by the creation of a “tailored AI strategy aligned with business objectives and goals”.
As organisations begin to deploy tools, the supplier will deliver “expert guidance on AI implementation, from prototyping to deployment” and assistance with work to “prioritise impactful AI use cases, right for the business”.
The product outline adds that the service will also cover “vendor evaluation and recommendation for AI tools and platforms” and efforts to “upskill internal teams in AI technologies and best practices”, as well as “risk assessment and mitigation strategies for ethical [and] legal compliance.”
The DfT awarded the contract through the G-Cloud 14 framework.