OSINT Platforms

The police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey are exploring the to understand providers of OSINT platforms capabilities and the ballpark pricing for the licencing.

The Force requires access to an OSINT platform capable of supporting digital investigations and intelligence development through the interrogation of publicly available online data.

Mandatory Requirements

1. Identifier-Based Searches

The platform must provide the ability to conduct searches against telephone numbers, email addresses and usernames on a 24-hour, 365-day basis.

1. Rich Account Attribution

The platform must provide results that extend beyond simple account details and, where available, return:

• Account identifiers and user IDs.
• Display names and usernames.
• Profile biographies.
• Profile and display images.
• Partial password recovery indicators.
• Account registration indicators.
• Other publicly available attribution data.

Particular emphasis should be placed on the retrieval of platform-specific user IDs, as these are often static identifiers that remain unchanged even when usernames and display names are altered.

1. International Coverage

The platform must support searches against both UK and international identifiers, including overseas telephone numbers, email providers and social networking platforms.

1. Data Correlation and Cross Referencing

Results must be presented in a format that allows investigators to rapidly identify and cross-reference linked accounts. The ability to navigate directly between associated accounts and services is highly desirable and should minimise manual analytical effort.

1. Platform Currency and Development

The supplier must demonstrate an active development programme that ensures:

• Ongoing support for emerging social media platforms.
• Continuous maintenance of existing platform integrations.
• Rapid adaptation to platform changes.
• Long-term resilience against changes introduced by social networking providers.

The Force requires assurance that temporary disruption caused by platform changes will be actively addressed and that functionality will be restored wherever technically and legally possible.

1. Reporting and Evidential Preservation

The platform must allow results to be exported into a format suitable for evidential retention and intelligence recording.

PDF export functionality is considered highly desirable as it provides:

• A permanent record of search results.
• Ease of storage within Force systems.
• Consistency for review and comparison purposes.

1. Supplier Engagement

The Force requires direct engagement with the supplier's development and support teams. This should include mechanisms for requesting support for new platforms and discussing operational requirements as investigative needs evolve.

1. Account Registration Intelligence

The ability to determine whether an identifier is registered with a service is considered highly valuable even when no further information is extractable. Such information is frequently used to inform investigative decision making and to support subsequent applications for legal process.

1. Enhanced Intelligence Capability

The platform must provide a richer intelligence picture than can be obtained through conventional contact synchronisation techniques conducted via mobile devices or emulators. The Force requires broader platform coverage, greater depth of returned data and enhanced attribution opportunities.

1. Wide number of users.

The solution should support deployment to a large user base without creating operational constraints through restrictive licensing arrangements. Bidders should demonstrate how their licensing model enables broad organisational access in a cost-effective and scalable manner, whilst maintaining appropriate governance, oversight and audit capability.

Responding:

If your organisation meets the above requirements and you would like to be sent the Request for Information document to complete, please email: paige.ward@sussex.police.uk by 4pm on the 16th September 2026.