AI note-taking and transcription tools
Case reference FOI2026/02449
Received 11 October 2026
Published 15 October 2026
Request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please could you provide the following information about AI note-taking, transcription or 'AI scribe' tools used by your social care services (for example Magic Notes by Beam, or similar products) at Herefordshire Council. This relates to the notice 'AI Social Care Recording Tool', published 9 January 2026, awarded to Beam Up Ltd.
1. Whether the contract can be extended beyond 22 December 2026, by how long, the cost of any extension, and whether any extension has been agreed.
2. The annual cost of the service and the total spent to date (the published value may cover more than one year).
3. The number of licences or users currently covered, and the teams using it.
4. The procurement route used (for example G-Cloud or another framework, a direct award, or a competitive tender), and whether a re-procurement timetable has been set.
Response
1. Whether the contract can be extended beyond 22 December 2026, by how long, the cost of any extension, and whether any extension has been agreed.
No, the contract cannot be extended beyond 22 December 2026.
2. The annual cost of the service and the total spent to date (the published value may cover more than one year).
Annual cost is £75,000. The contract is for one year.
3. The number of licences or users currently covered, and the teams using it.
The service is not billed ‘per person’ licence. It is organisation wide and is limited to 75,000 hours.
4. The procurement route used (for example G-Cloud or another framework, a direct award, or a competitive tender), and whether a re-procurement timetable has been set.
Direct award under G-Cloud 14. No re-procurement is currently planned.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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