The College of Policing has appointed Deloitte as PoliceAI’s lead delivery partner under a contract capped at £30 million including VAT. Announced on 16 October, the agreement began on 1 October and initially runs to 30 September 2029, with an option for another year.[1]
The contract supplies specialist capacity and supplier access for developing, testing and implementing AI across policing in England and Wales.[1]
The award notice commits £11.43 million including VAT in the first year for core resources. Other work requires statements of work specifying deliverables and knowledge transfer. The £30 million ceiling is not a record of money already spent.[1][2]
Deployment decisions remain local
The Home Office’s factsheet, updated on 22 October, places evaluation and adoption support at the national centre. Chief officers retain ethical judgements and operational decisions about AI. Day-to-day models are expected to run within forces or other national services.[3]
A public registry is being developed with CENTRIC at Sheffield Hallam University and tested with forces. It is intended to describe what tools do, why they are used and how risks are handled. The disclosure policy is still being agreed.[3]
June’s launch announcement said a first registry version would be available by autumn. The October factsheet now sets an intention to launch a public-facing pilot by the end of 2026.[4][3]
The register is meant to make local choices visible even when expertise has been assembled nationally. Delivery support, deployment authority and public disclosure remain separate parts of the programme.[3]
Sources & further reading
- Lead delivery partner appointment College of Policing · 16 Oct 2026 · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Contract award record BlueLight Commercial via D3 Tenders · 14 Oct 2026 · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Police AI responsibilities and register Home Office · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- PoliceAI launch announcement Home Office · 10 Jun 2026 · Accessed 29 Oct 2026