105016 - Media Consumption Pathways and Trust

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Published: Jul 27, 2026

Updated: Jul 27, 2026

Source: uk_fts

About This Opportunity

This is a works contract in the media and communication, Research and social protection sectors, with a focus on Digital Media. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 1.5 million.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for civil works in the media and communication sector. Works contracts of this nature generally require demonstrated experience in similar infrastructure projects, adequate equipment and technical personnel, and financial capacity including bank guarantees. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.

Description

DCMS is seeking to commission a two-phase research project to investigate UK media consumption habits and public trust in media. Phase 1 would consist of a behavioural cohort study (or another appropriate methodology) to map the specific "user pathways" audiences take to find, consume, and value information across different media sources, such as traditional news broadcasts and social media, across different demographics. Building on these findings, Phase 2 would explore how individuals perceive trust in different media sources due to their own perception of mis/disinformation, assess the broader effects of these consumption pathways on factors such as viewer retention and wider social cohesion, as well as overall integrity of the UK’s information ecosystem. This project will be commissioned either through a Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, or through the RM6126 Research and Insights framework. This is part of the DCMS Science and Analysis R&D Programme, which supports R&D capability within the department. This project will run concurrently alongside three other large projects across 2027-2030; these include ‘what works’ research into AI adoption in DCMS sectors; a continuation of previous research to develop data-intensive approaches for capturing engagement at unticketed cultural, heritage, and sporting events/activities/locations, e.g. using mobile app data to model how people participate in our events; and a continuation of previous research to design and improve methods for holistically tracking the long-term impact of major events, tested on a major event.

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on July 27, 2026. Last refreshed today. Reference: 070952-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport has issued 112 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 3 currently open and 100 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Information & Communication Technology, Media & Communications, and Governance & Public Administration. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK Contracts Finder and UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: July 27, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 070952-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Department for Culture, Media and Sport in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Works contract in the Media & Communications sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is £1,500,000 - £1,500,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.