Key facts

  • Covers vendor evaluation, contract clause review and RFP question design.
  • Aimed at buyers, not vendors — this is about what you ask before you sign.
  • Start with the free vendor due diligence checklist.
  • Proportionate to your procurement volume — a lightweight process for occasional buyers, a fuller one for frequent AI procurement.
  • Works alongside wider AI governance and EU AI Act compliance work.

The problem

Many procurement processes were built before AI-specific risk was a consideration, so they miss the questions that actually matter: vendor role under the EU AI Act, risk classification, data governance and human oversight design. Risk that should have been caught at procurement ends up discovered later, when it's harder and more expensive to fix.

What the service includes

Reviewing or building your RFP questions for AI-specific procurement, reviewing draft contracts for the clauses that matter (role allocation, audit rights, incident notification), and building a repeatable vendor evaluation process your team can run without external help going forward.

How it works

1. Assess. Review your current procurement process and recent AI vendor decisions.

2. Design. Build or refine RFP questions, evaluation criteria and contract clause templates.

3. Test. Run the new process against a live or recent procurement decision.

4. Handover. Leave your team able to run it independently.

Why work with AI Act Ready

Practical, founder-led procurement design that fits how your organisation actually buys software, not a generic enterprise template. Get in touch to discuss your procurement volume and current process.

Frequently asked questions

What does an AI procurement readiness review cover?

Vendor evaluation, contract clause review, and RFP question design, built into a repeatable process.

Is this service for AI vendors or AI buyers?

For buyers — organisations procuring AI systems who want to catch risk before signing, not after.

Do we need a formal process if we buy AI systems rarely?

A lightweight version still helps — the free vendor due diligence checklist is a good starting point for occasional buyers.

How does AI Act Ready help?

Practical, founder-led design of RFP questions, evaluation criteria and contract clauses, handed over for your team to run independently.

What should we do before engaging this service?

Start with the free AI vendor due diligence checklist to see the shape of the evaluation work involved.

Related pages

Sources

Last updated 19 June 2026.