Source: https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a13d11-77af-701d-8e91-461fbc937f00/project-4850-research-potentially-harmful-oca-online-practices awarded GB restricted procedure Suitable for SMEs # Project\_4850 Research - Potentially harmful OCA online practices [Department for Business and Trade](https://tendernation.io/buyers/department-for-business-and-trade) Often single bidder Estimated value £79,925 Published 12 Aug 2025 Deadline Closed 3 Jun 2025 ## Who can bid - Buyer says suitable for SMEs The buyer ticked “suitable for SMEs” on the notice. Anyone can still bid. - Buyer says suitable for VCSEs The buyer ticked “suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises” on the notice. - Small contract value Valued under £135,018 including VAT, the lowest Procurement Act threshold for goods and services. [More contracts for small businesses and VCSEs](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/for-small-businesses) ## About this tender A study to provide foundational evidence to DBT's policy teams on the nature and extent of potentially harmful OCA practices employed by a selected sample of digital platforms. This evidence is crucial for subsequently developing appropriate regulatory responses and interventions to safeguard the interests of consumers and promote fair competition in online markets. The goods or services procured through this contract will be used by the Department for Business and Trade to: - Identify the types and frequency of potentially harmful OCAs used across selected online platforms. - Understand the probability of users encountering these practices on these platforms during their customer journey. - Obtain data-driven insights into the relationships between OCA prevalence and factors such as product categories, device types (desktop vs mobile), and platform types (e-commerce vs social media with market functions). - Establish an evidence base on the current state of potentially harmful OCA usage by major online platforms operating in the UK market. - Use these findings to scope future research projects examining the negative impacts of OCAs on consumer welfare, autonomy, and market competition. - Contribute with evidence to update relevant consumer protection and competition policies, guidance, and enforcement approaches to address consumer harms and anti-competitive effects arising from the use of potentially harmful choice architectures by online platforms. Read full description ## CPV classification Research and development consultancy services Source Contracts Finder (UK) [View official notice](https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/d6cd907c-487f-4c2b-81a4-7c9004fe2282) Never miss a tender like this again Get AI summaries, deadline alerts and a bid pipeline for tenders matched to your business. Free to start. 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