Award

DSIT NMS - NPL Energy and Environment

DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

09 Feb 2026 at 11:03

Award

19 May 2025 at 12:31

Award

12 May 2025 at 11:45

Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology has concluded a direct award procurement process for the "DSIT NMS - NPL Energy and Environment" project, which falls under the services industry category. This procurement concerns laboratory services across the UK, prominently involving the National Physical Laboratory. The procurement stage has reached completion, focusing on enhancing the UK's National Measurement System by fostering world-class measurement science and technology. The contract value encapsulates a substantial financial commitment, with the gross amount in one of the contracts reaching £135,858,658. The contract is set to run from 2nd June 2025 to 31st March 2026, following a robust market engagement process that took place from 20th August 2025 to 3rd September 2025, ensuring operational efficiencies and readiness to meet broader business needs.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in high-precision and innovative laboratory services. Companies with expertise in developing measurement techniques for emerging technologies such as quantum computing, AI, and IoT would find this tender particularly aligned with their capabilities. Additionally, laboratories focusing on environmental sustainability, healthcare accuracy improvements, and national security will benefit from involvement in the National Measurement System programmes. Given the substantial nature and specified requirements of this project, which were awarded due to the absence of competition for technical reasons, businesses with advanced technical resources and a strong track record in metrology and related fields are well-positioned to contribute to and gain from this initiative.

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Notice Title

DSIT NMS - NPL Energy and Environment

Notice Description

DSIT conducted National Measurement System (NMS) Programme market engagement activities from 20th August 2025 to 3rd September 2025 during which no alternative suppliers expressed an interest in delivering one of the proposed 9 separate NMS programmes in their entirety. DSIT therefore took the decision to retain the existing, aggregated contract structure of NMS for the multi-year period from 1st April 2026 onwards, in order to drive operational efficiencies, reduce administrative overheads, and create additional capacity with which to address wider business needs. Future NMS Programme iterations will conduct similar market engagement opportunities to explore the market's appetite to deliver all, or some, of the NMS programmes.

Procurement Information

This notice is to inform the market that a number of contract awards will be made in relation to the National Measurement System (NMS). The NMS is the system of laboratories and capabilities that underpin the UK's metrology. The NMS provides the UK with an infrastructure of laboratories that deliver world-class measurement science and technology and provide traceable and increasingly accurate standards of measurement. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the National Engineering Laboratory (TUV-NEL) develop and maintain measurement standards that support high-precision manufacturing processes. This ensures that UK manufacturers can produce high-quality products that meet international standards. The NMS labs support the digital economy by developing measurement techniques for emerging technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), helping the UK stay at the forefront of technological innovation. Metrology labs contribute to environmental sustainability by providing accurate measurements for monitoring air and water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. This supports the UK's efforts to transition to clean energy sources and mitigate climate change. The National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at LGC and other labs ensure the accuracy of measurements in healthcare, such as those used in medical diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. This helps improve public health outcomes and supports the development of new medical technologies. The NMS enhances national security by developing measurement standards for critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and emergency response. This ensures that the UK can effectively respond to and recover from various threats. The extensive scientific and technical infrastructure, expertise, and resources necessary to provide these services mean that there is an absence of competition from other providers. These contracts are therefore awarded directly. The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason: absence of competition for technical reasons

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0510d2
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011291-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services


CPV Codes

71900000 - Laboratory services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£113,215,548 £100M-£1B
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Feb 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
12 May 20259 months ago
Contract Period
1 Jun 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
fatima.patel@dsit.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1A 2EG
Post Town
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY

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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