Published date: 3 February 2026

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 23 May 2025, 1pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Market research services - 79310000

Location of contract

SE1 9HA

Value of contract

£693,106

Procurement reference

tender_489560/1500648

Published date

3 February 2026

Closing date

23 May 2025

Closing time

1pm

Contract start date

23 June 2025

Contract end date

6 July 2029

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Call-off from a framework agreement

A mini-competition or direct purchase from a pre-established framework agreement.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

The primary objectives of this survey are:
- To continually inform Ofcom's understanding of news consumption and attitudes across the UK, and within each UK nation.
- To inform Ofcom's current regulatory duties, including those relating to Purpose 1 of the BBC Charter and Agreement, and ongoing policy work. To ensure the News Consumption Survey continues to function as a robust single source of news consumption among adults and teenagers across the UK.

Our specific objectives are:
- To continually measure the use of news providers and news services across platforms (TV, VoD, radio, audio, online, print)
- To provide an accurate measure of the use of online intermediaries for news (social media, search engines and news aggregators) and direct access through online sites
- To understand overall attitudes towards, and perceptions of, individual news providers and news hosting services, in particular metrics such as trust, accuracy, impartiality and high quality.
- To understand the importance of news providers and news hosting services to individuals and to society
- To understand interest in and satisfaction with local news

We are seeking to measure all of the above in a robust annual continuous survey that includes all audiences, including those who may not be online. As such, the selected agency will need to have the necessary capabilities to deliver these with appropriate methodologies.

The key metrics need to be analysed by core sub-groups, as defined in our sample section below. Given the need to both overhaul the survey, while maintaining the ability to compare data with past years on key consumption and attitudinal metrics, we will work closely with the agency to design the new survey in order to achieve the above objectives.

Award information

Awarded date

18 June 2025

Contract start date

23 June 2025

Contract end date

6 July 2029

Total value of contract

£693,106

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

Critical Research Ltd.

Address

Unit 7 Baden Place, Crosby Row, London, SE1 1YW

Reference

Companies House number: 6566825

Supplier is SME?

Yes

Supplier is VCSE?

No

About the buyer

Address

Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA
England

Email

procurementnotice@ofcom.org.uk