Award

UK5 - Transparency Notice

DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

14 Nov 2025 at 11:22

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process detailed pertains to a contract awarded by Defence Equipment and Support, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, based in Bristol. This contract is titled "UK5 - Transparency Notice" and falls under the industry category of Defence Services. The project location is the United Kingdom, specifically focusing on supporting the Ajax family of armoured fighting vehicles with a contract scope that includes fleet optimisation, engineering support, equipment upkeep, logistics, and compliance with regulations. The procurement stage has reached completion, with the contract scheduled to commence mobilisation on 1st July 2027, and official service delivery starting on 1st January 2028, extending up to 31st March 2033, with potential for two additional one-year extensions. The procurement method employed is a direct award to General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, justified by unique technical reasons under the Procurement Act 2023 and the Procurement Regulations 2024. The total contract value is estimated at £1 billion.

This tender presents significant business growth prospects, especially for large-scale defence contractors with expertise in armoured vehicle support and digitised military capabilities. Companies like General Dynamics, which possess proprietary information and technical expertise regarding the Ajax platform, will find this contract aligned with their capabilities. The contract covers extensive service areas including engineering and logistics support, offering opportunities for businesses with experience in procurement and inventory management, technical documentation maintenance, and the development of resilient supply chains. Moreover, firms with capabilities in policy and governance related to compliance with legal and regulatory standards will have an advantageous position in fulfilling the contract requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

UK5 - Transparency Notice

Notice Description

Ajax is a group of armoured fighting vehicles which provide the Army with its first fully digitised capabilities. The vehicles were designed and manufactured by General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd (GDUK Ltd) who are therefore the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Design Authority (DA). Defence Equipment & Support (DES), part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), is planning to award a five-year plus 9 months (plus two x one-year options) Ajax In-Service Support contract to GDUK Ltd for the In-Service Support, inclusive of an anticipated 6 month mobilisation period. The contract scope will contain support arrangements designed to ensure the sustained operational readiness and performance of the Ajax family of vehicles. The scope will cover: * Capability management activities including Fleet optimisation, update management and the provision for upgrade tasking. * Engineering support including Design Authority Services, Safety and Environment case support, technical documentation maintenance and configuration management. * Equipment Support including elements of maintenance and repairs, upkeep and post-Update training. * Logistics Support including elements of spares procurement and Inventory management, disposal and the development of resilient supply chains. * Policy and Governance including asset management and compliance with legislation and regulations. The contract value is an indicative value at this point in the procurement procedure. It may increase or decrease at contract award following negotiations and may also be increased at a later date to enable surge for warfighting.

Procurement Information

The In-Service Support Contract is intended to cover a period of mobilisation from 1st July 2027 to 31st of December 2027 and will then provide for Service Delivery from the 1st January 2028 upon the conclusion of the current Service Delivery contract on 31st Dec 2027. This period will then endure for five years and three months until 31st March 2033. There will be a further two optional one-year extension periods. The contract will be awarded in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) and the Procurement Regulations 2024. It is considered that this contract can be awarded by way of a Direct Award to GDUK Ltd in accordance with Section 41 and Schedule 5 - Single Supplier, paragraph 6 of the PA23 due to the unique technical reasons relating to this procurement. The MoD does not currently have access to the necessary proprietary information or technical documentation for the Ajax platform. Only GDUK Ltd, as OEM and DA, has access to and rights in the necessary Intellectual Property (IP) and technical data which precludes This approach is necessary to ensure that the MoD can maintain operational capability and safeguard the effective support of the Ajax Platform.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e13e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/073890-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency 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

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

CPV Codes

75220000 - Defence services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£833,333,333 £100M-£1B
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Nov 20253 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
14 Nov 20253 months ago
Contract Period
30 Jun 2027 - 31 Mar 2033 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT
Contact Name
Andrew Taylor
Contact Email
des-leliosmultiusermailbox@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
Not specified
Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

GENERAL DYNAMICS UNITED KINGDOM

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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