Consultant Opportunity

Public-Sector Technology Exit and Collaborative Open Source

Open Rights Group (ORG) is seeking an independent consultant or small consultancy to help produce an accessible report for UK government departments, agencies, educational and local authorities.

Building on Tech Giants and Giant Killers, the report will develop the idea of digital sovereignty for large public bodies. It will explain why organisations may want to reduce dependence on large technology infrastructure providers; the benefits, risks and trade-offs of doing so; practical routes for change; and the value of collaborating across the public sector.

The report will present collaborative open source as the preferred long-term model, while fairly addressing situations in which managed, proprietary or transitional approaches may be necessary. It should identify realistic early opportunities for public bodies to assess, and consider how greater control over software could benefit disadvantaged communities. The style must be clear, non-technical, evidence-led and engaging, using illustrations, tables and graphs where helpful.

We have a modest budget and welcome proposals tailored to it. The consultant could lead the research and drafting, or take a lighter-touch strategic and editorial role: shaping the report, identifying high-quality sources, developing key sections and reviewing a draft written with an ORG staff member.

Applicants should demonstrate relevant experience in public-sector digital transformation, technology procurement, open source, open standards, digital sovereignty, vendor dependence or public-interest technology. Strong desk-research, plain-English writing and editing skills are essential. Experience of UK central government, local government or education is especially welcome.

The report will be published under CC BY-SA 4.0. All original commissioned work must be suitable for release under that licence, and any third-party material must be appropriately licensed or flagged in advance.

To apply: please read the full brief (PDF, ODT) and send a short proposal (normally no more than two pages, excluding examples) to recruitment@openrightsgroup.org by 30 September 2026. Please include relevant experience and examples, your proposed approach and delivery model, availability, and a costed proposal.

ORG welcomes applications from individuals, partnerships and small organisations, and encourages applications from people from backgrounds under-represented in technology policy and public-sector digital work.