UK Telecommunications Physical and Personnel Security Assessment

The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is seeking accredited security consultancy firms to conduct a comprehensive physical and personnel security assessment of UK public telecommunications networks and services. Telecommunications networks are critical national infrastructure supporting all other sectors, the digital economy, and essential public services. Telecoms operators manage complex, geographically distributed systems including exchanges, data centres, transmission sites and access networks that are increasingly targeted by hostile state and state-aligned actors. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for preliminary market engagement to understand capability, capacity, security accreditation requirements and delivery approaches. Participation does not confer advantage in future procurement. The assessment should identify current vulnerabilities and threat vectors in physical and personnel security, and provide a prioritised list of recommended mitigations for operators. Mitigations should explain how existing NPSA guidance can be applied to address telecoms sector-specific vulnerabilities. The project is estimated to commence in October 2026 and conclude in February 2027, subject to tender launch and contract agreement. Core deliverables include a detailed report documenting vulnerabilities, threat vectors, and prioritised mitigations with clear recommendations for operators to reduce physical and personnel security risks.