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CETUS Trials and Evaluation

Submarine Delivery Agency

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

ContractTermination

08 Jul 2026 at 09:22

UK11 - Contract Termination Notice
Award

25 Jun 2026 at 15:00

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

15 Jun 2026 at 15:25

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

15 Apr 2025 at 11:32

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Submarine Delivery Agency, a central government public authority located in Bristol, United Kingdom, has undertaken a direct procurement process for the CETUS Trials and Evaluation project in defence and security. This initiative involves trials and evaluation to enhance the operational capability and military utility of the CETUS Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The procurement method was a direct award to M Subs Limited, the sole designer and manufacturer of the CETUS vessel, possessing unique technical and proprietary knowledge necessary for the project's execution. The contract was signed on 24th June 2026 and will run until 1st May 2028, with numerous milestones set to monitor deliverables and project schedules closely. The gross value of the contract is £8,016,176.65, encompassing military research and technology services.

This procurement presents significant opportunities for businesses in the defence and security sectors, especially those involved in military research and technology. M Subs Limited's involvement underscores the importance of specialised knowledge and capabilities in the operation of military-grade AUVs. While the immediate trials are exclusive due to the unique expertise required, future procurement will offer broader competition for longer-term operations and varied payload development, inviting a wider range of suppliers to contribute to advancing military capabilities. Businesses with expertise in autonomous systems, maritime technology, and payload innovation stand to benefit from participating in forthcoming competitive tenders related to the CETUS project.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

CETUS Trials and Evaluation

Notice Description

Defence and security - necessary to enhance or maintain operational capability, effectiveness, readiness for action, safety or security of the armed forces The SDA require Trials and Evaluation (T&E) to be undertaken using the CETUS vessel that is currently being developed by M Subs. T&E is required to de-risk underwater autonomy and demonstrate military utility through payload testing. As the sole designer and manufacturer of CETUS, M Subs hold all technical and proprietary knowledge of the vessel's form and function, and as such are uniquely positioned to safely operate the vessel in the execution of trials. Initial trials are a repeat of S201 trials XLAUV trials previously performed by M Subs on a smaller vessel within Project Manta), which M Subs delivered through the DASA Open call (competitive) contracting. Knowledge of these trials is advantageous in allowing these activities to be repeated consistently and efficiently. While there are alternative commercial operators of AUVs, none currently hold the necessary system knowledge to operate this unique system appropriately. Choosing an alternative supplier risks delay, increased cost, or higher system risks (e.g. of system damage) while this knowledge is gained. This would impede development of this capability, which the Authority has a military imperative to advance. Once the initial trials have been undertaken there will be greater scope for the Authority to compete longer term operation of the system once it is better understood by all parties allowing a meaningful competition to be undertaken. Separate to the operation of CETUS, the Authority intends to competitively seek different payloads from the open market in the coming years, allowing a broad range of suppliers to participate in advancing military capability within this project.

Procurement Information

The SDA require Trials and Evaluation (T&E) to be undertaken using the CETUS vessel that is currently being developed by M Subs. T&E is required to de-risk underwater autonomy and demonstrate military utility through payload testing. As the sole designer and manufacturer of CETUS, M Subs hold all technical and proprietary knowledge of the vessel's form and function, and as such are uniquely positioned to safely operate the vessel in the execution of trials. Initial trials are a repeat of S201 trials XLAUV trials previously performed by M Subs on a smaller vessel within Project Manta), which M Subs delivered through the DASA Open call (competitive) contracting. Knowledge of these trials is advantageous in allowing these activities to be repeated consistently and efficiently. While there are alternative commercial operators of AUVs, none currently hold the necessary system knowledge to operate this unique system appropriately. Choosing an alternative supplier risks delay, increased cost, or higher system risks (e.g. of system damage) while this knowledge is gained. This would impede development of this capability, which the Authority has a military imperative to advance. Once the initial trials have been undertaken there will be greater scope for the Authority to compete longer term operation of the system once it is better understood by all parties allowing a meaningful competition to be undertaken. Separate to the operation of CETUS, the Authority intends to competitively seek different payloads from the open market in the coming years, allowing a broad range of suppliers to participate in advancing military capability within this project.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-050312
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063930-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK11 - Contract Termination Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73410000 - Military research and technology

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£6,680,147 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£6,680,147 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
15 Apr 20251 years ago
Contract Period
24 Jun 2026 - 1 May 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Terminated

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Submarine Delivery Agency
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8JH
Postcode Area
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
Not specified
Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

M Subs Limited

M-Subs Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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