Whitehall’s procurement agency reveals that one of its core arrangements to enable public bodies to buy AI tools is to be given a major expansion, with firms encouraged to apply

One of the public sector’s principal vehicles for buying technology and services from specialist artificial intelligence suppliers is to be extended to a near-seven-year term, with hundreds of millions of pounds added to the deal’s anticipated value.

The AI Dynamic Purchasing System was created by the Crown Commercial Service and came into effect in summer 2022 for an initial 18-month term. There have since been four discrete extensions, which took the planned end date of the engagement up to February 2026.

CCS has now announced plans for a fifth, and much longer expansion of the agreement – which will now run until early 2029. Alongside the increased timeline the expected value of the deal to the featured suppliers has bee doubled: from £240m to £480m, inclusive of VAT.

Unlike a standard static framework, the DPS model allows for new providers to be added throughout the lifespan of the contract.

In the three years since its launch, the AI DPS has assembled a total of nearly 600 suppliers.

As it moves into a further 36-month term, the agreement remains open to companies wishing to join.

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“Crown Commercial Service is inviting suppliers to request to participate in the Artificial Intelligence DPS,” the procurement agency said, in a newly published commercial notice. “This DPS offers a simple route to purchase artificial intelligence services in the public sector, allowing customers to access a wide range of competition in an emerging market, including discovery and consultancy services, licensing, customisation and support for AI applications, and end-to-end partnerships. If you are successfully appointed to the DPS, following your submission you will be invited by customers (buyers) to submit tenders for relevant services through a call for competition. This DPS remains open for any supplier to request to participate throughout the duration of the DPS.”

Information on the purchasing agreement published on GOV.UK states that the arrangement is available for use by all UK public sector bodies, as well as charities. While the agreement is comprised of a single unified lot, it aims to address four core service areas, including: AI research and consultancy services; deployment and support of AI tools; overarching partnerships with specialist AI firms; and technologies focused on health and social care.

“The services available enable you to scope a problem or project, understand how to solve problems using artificial intelligence, and maximise the value and efficiency of your processes,” the framework documentation adds. “If you are new to AI, you can procure services through a discovery phase, to get an understanding of AI and how it can benefit your organisation. If you are experienced in using AI, you can buy software licensing, customisation and support for your AI systems. If you would like both of these things, you can procure end-to-end partnerships with AI service providers. Health and social care bodies can procure AI applications such as medical imaging software, non-imaging diagnostic software and symptom-based software.”