Award

709378450 - Autonomy Software Development and Maintenance

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

13 Sep 2024 at 13:32

Award

19 Jan 2024 at 12:58

Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a contract for the development and maintenance of autonomy software to SeeByte Ltd, a specialised software developer based in Edinburgh, UK. This procurement process aims to ensure continued support for the software used in the Royal Navy's autonomous vehicles. The contract, valued at £50 million, was signed on 15th May 2024 and falls under the services category within the defence sector. The procurement was conducted using a limited negotiation method without a public tender notice, justified by technical reasons and the lack of suitable alternative providers. Key personnel involved include Mr Peter Allsop and Mr Garry Ogborne from the MoD's Mine Hunting Capability Team in Bristol.

This tender creates significant opportunities for businesses involved in the defence and software development industries, particularly those focused on military applications. Companies with expertise in developing and maintaining advanced software systems for autonomous vehicles will find this contract highly relevant. As the software is intrinsic to the Royal Navy's operational capabilities, the awarded contract underscores the importance of developing proprietary technologies that can integrate seamlessly into existing military infrastructure. The project duration allows for potential extensions, offering sustained business prospects and the opportunity to engage deeply with the defence sector.

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Notice Title

709378450 - Autonomy Software Development and Maintenance

Notice Description

Procurement of software development and maintenance services for Autonomy Software.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Procurement of software development and maintenance services for Autonomy Software. Additional information: This notice is not a request for expressions of interest so please do not apply to be invited to tender. This notice advises that the Authority has decided to negotiate a contract with the named supplier on a single source basis, and is published for reasons of transparency. Link to DSP Opportunity: https://www.contracts.mod.uk/go/39479209018D219DD6EE

Options: There will be 2 contractual options, each facilitating an additional year of services, within a maximum contract term of 5 years.

Procurement Information

In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (in accordance with the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 (as amended) for Technical Reasons. This requirement is for the continued support and development of SeeByte's suite of proprietary software which was privately developed by SeeByte. This software is widely used in different applications by the Royal Navy and works collectively and collaboratively to optimise the operation and effectiveness of its autonomous vehicles (both surface and underwater). This requirement is a direct continuation of the same services previously procured by the MoD, initially under the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory's Science & Technology (S&T) programme and more recently by MHC. Ensuring contractual cover to facilitate the continuing support and evolutionary development of this software is critical to maintaining the Royal Navy's existing capability. Given the history of the development of this software by SeeByte Limited, integrated into Royal Navy autonomous vehicles, there is no other reasonable alternative software available on the market that would meet the MoD's continuing requirements.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-042e7d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029433-2024
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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


CPV Codes

72231000 - Development of software for military applications

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£50,000,000 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Sep 20241 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
23 Nov 20232 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Contact Name
Attn: Mr Peter Allsop and Mr Garry Ogborne
Contact Email
desshipsacq-ifc-mhc-comrcl@mod.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8JH
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
TLM75 City of Edinburgh

Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SEEBYTE

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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