Source: https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a13d20-e814-721d-8478-1045177f8bd8/survey-of-age-assurance-circumvention-by-young-people

awarded GB restricted procedure Suitable for SMEs

# Survey of age assurance circumvention by young people

[DSIT](https://tendernation.io/buyers/dsit)

Estimated value

£49,500

Published

19 Mar 2026

Deadline

Closed

13 Feb 2026

## 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

In July 2025 the Online Safety Act's Child Safety Duties came into force, requiring

online services to implement highly effective age assurance measures to prevent children

from accessing harmful or age-inappropriate content. These duties were a major milestone in

the government's approach to improving children's online safety.

Following implementation, Ofcom reported that UK daily active users of virtual private

networks (VPN) apps temporarily doubled to around 1.5 million. Emerging research suggests

that this spike in VPN usage was not primarily driven by child users. We are interested in

exploring this further. Findings will inform government understanding, help shape future

interventions and ensure the Act delivers its intended protections for children.

To inform government understanding, we want to explore the impact of circumvention

techniques and VPNs further. To better understand the prevalence and methods of age

assurance circumvention among children, including the use of VPNs.

## CPV classification

Research and development services and related consultancy services

Source

Contracts Finder (UK)

[View official notice](https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/b5c5dba0-9154-4fe4-b4f8-e916d7aade35)

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.

[Track tenders free](https://tendernation.io/register)

[Buyer profile DSIT: past awards and live tenders](https://tendernation.io/buyers/dsit) [Sector More Research & development tenders](https://tendernation.io/sectors/research-development)

## More tenders like this

[Research and development consultancy services – ATU wishes to establish a Panel of National Contact Point Experts across EU Member States to build capacity to incorporate EU Results-Based Payments Schemes in Public or Private Support Schemes. · Atlantic Technological University · 438 days left · 31 Dec 2027](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-ccf1-7050-b440-6554b4a1426f/ireland-austria-slovenia-research-and-development-consultancy-services-atu) [Research services – Evaluatie van de implementatie van de proeftuin Pioniersscholen · Vlaamse Overheid · 21 days left · 9 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-cecf-7255-bee1-542f502ed088/belgium-research-services-evaluatie-van-de-implementatie-van-de-proeftuin-pi) [Research services – KPN/28/2026 „Charakterystyka biogeochemiczna gleb i roślin wybranych torfowisk subalpejskich ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem torfowiska u źródeł Úpy na Równi pod Śnieżką” · Karkonoski Park Narodowy z siedzibą w Jeleniej Górze · 35 days left · 23 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-97ae-7315-8e1a-e686bca1e724/poland-research-services-kpn282026-charakterystyka-biogeochemiczna-gleb-i) [Research and development services and related consultancy services – Evaluation of Five Pilot Projects Testing Exemptions from Provisions of the Local Government Act, the Property Tax Act, the General Practitioner Regulations, and Other Regulatory Frameworks · Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development · 15 days left · 3 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-a35e-73b3-8bf4-7d33c32cf58b/norway-research-and-development-services-and-related-consultancy-services-ev) [Research and development services and related consultancy services – Zabezpečenie trvalých a analytických činností pre oblasť dopravy · Ministerstvo dopravy Slovenskej republiky · 31 days left · 19 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-ce90-72fd-b25d-99b3ee2e8b4b/slovakia-research-and-development-services-and-related-consultancy-services) [Development consultancy services – Accompagnement à la stratégie d'attractivité économique du territoire de GrandSoissons Agglomération (02) · GrandSoissons Agglomération · 44 days left · 2 Dec 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156aa-1b92-70f5-96fc-71a2756e9dc1/france-development-consultancy-services-accompagnement-a-la-strategie-dattr)
