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Provision of a TETRA/ MCX Interworking Gateway Solution for the Emergency Services Network (ESN)

Secretary of State for the Home Department

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

16 Oct 2025 at 16:57

Award Notice
Tender

20 May 2024 at 17:25

Tender Notice
Planning

20 Sep 2023 at 09:18

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process for the provision of a TETRA/MCX Interworking Gateway Solution for the Emergency Services Network (ESN) is being handled by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, a national authority in the UK. This service procurement process, initially planned in 2023, entered the tendering phase in 2024 and was finally awarded in October 2025 to Etherstack Wireless Limited. The contract, valued at £14,246,433.64, involves developing a platform interconnectivity software solution to support the transition from the current Airwave system to the ESN for UK emergency services. This competitive procedure with negotiation ensures that the selected supplier can provide technical, social value, and price considerations, with the procurement process expected to unfold over multiple stages, including a Selection Questionnaire and negotiations. The final contract for these services commenced with the signing on 16th October 2025.

This contract offers substantial opportunities for businesses specialising in software development, particularly those with capabilities in platform interconnectivity and networking software services. Companies with a strong background in communication and multimedia software development and a track record of handling large-scale, critical infrastructure projects would be well-suited to compete in this tender. The procurement presents growth potential by offering access to a high-value contract serving a critical national infrastructure, with the supplier playing a key role in modernising communications for the UK's emergency services, impacting an approximate 300,000-user base. Additionally, businesses focusing on technical delivery, deployment, and long-term support services will find opportunities in the auxiliary services related to this project.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of a TETRA/ MCX Interworking Gateway Solution for the Emergency Services Network (ESN)

Notice Description

This Award Notice relates to the Award of a contract for a TETRA/ MCX Interworking Gateway (IWG) solution to be provided to the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP).

Lot Information

Lot 1

This Award Notice relates to the Award of a contract for a TETRA/ MCX Interworking Gateway (IWG) solution to be provided to the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP). The supplier will provide this IWG to support the transition from Airwave to ESN for approximately 300,000 users across 107 User Organisations. The IWG will link together Airwave talk groups to their equivalent new ESN talk groups, allowing migrated ESN users to make Group and Emergency Calls to, and receive Group and Emergency Calls from, unmigrated Airwave users. The Authority is seeking to procure a Network Interworking Service to support the transition from Airwave to ESN for approximately 300,000 users across 107 User Organisations. The Network Interworking Service will use an Interworking Gateway (the subject of this procurement) to link together the 6000 busiest Airwave talk groups to their equivalent new ESN talk groups, allowing migrated ESN users to make Group and Emergency Calls to, and receive Group and Emergency Calls from, unmigrated Airwave users. The Interworking Gateway is assumed to be a software product that can be deployed onto physical or virtual servers provided and hosted by the ESN User Services Supplier, who will also be responsible for service integration, first line and second line maintenance, with the Interworking Gateway supplier responsible for third line support. The type of interface to be used between Airwave and the Interworking Gateway will be DCS, (Motorola DIMETRA(tm) Dispatch Communications Server), because this is the only interface available on the Airwave radio service. This is the same interface as used for standard control room system connections that provide service to over 4000 control room ICCS (Integrated Communications Control System) desks. A quantity of 600 active DCS ports (plus an extra 300 ports for resilience) will be assigned to the Interworking Gateway, serviced by three Airwave DCS data centres.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-040228
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/066061-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive procedure with negotiation
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72211000 - Programming services of systems and user software

72212100 - Industry specific software development services

72212200 - Networking, Internet and intranet software development services

72212210 - Networking software development services

72212211 - Platform interconnectivity software development services

72212215 - Networking developers software development services

72212500 - Communication and multimedia software development services

72212510 - Communication software development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£17,100,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£17,100,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£14,246,433 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Oct 202510 months ago
Submission Deadline
5 Jul 2024Expired
Future Notice Date
15 Jan 2024Expired
Award Date
16 Oct 202510 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Secretary of State for the Home Department
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E20 1JN
Postcode Area
East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI41 Hackney and Newham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Newham
Electoral Ward
Stratford Olympic Park
Westminster Constituency
Stratford and Bow

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Etherstack Wireless Limited

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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