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NOC Research Vessel Dry-Dock Refit and Maintenance Contract 2026

National Oceanography Centre

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

ContractAmendment

09 Mar 2026 at 13:31

UK10 - Contract Change Notice
Award

19 Dec 2025 at 16:32

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

09 Dec 2025 at 17:07

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

24 Nov 2025 at 13:09

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The National Oceanography Centre is managing a procurement process for the 'NOC Research Vessel Dry-Dock Refit and Maintenance Contract 2026'. This contract, taking place in Southampton, United Kingdom, falls under the 'Vessel repair services' and 'Upgrading services of ships' within the industry category. The procurement process utilised an accelerated open procedure, governed by the Procurement Act 2023 due to urgent requirements. Updated amendments were published in March 2026, which allow for the extension of the contract term and incorporation of additional goods and services under justified modifications. The original tender period began on 24th November 2025, with the contract awarded on 19th December 2025, and scheduled to end on 18th December 2026 but can be extended until 2027. The contract includes annual refit works, maintenance, upgrades to the RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook vessels, ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation and industry standards.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in ship repair, maintenance, and upgrades. It is particularly suited for suppliers with capabilities to provide dock space, infrastructure, and technical services for large research vessels. The scope of work covers vessel systems like propulsion, electrical, and laboratory equipment, requiring skilled managers for UK-based suppliers and subcontractors. There is also flexibility for emergent works and unplanned repairs, making this an attractive opportunity for companies seeking stability and growth through long-term and repeat work with NOC, a reputable public authority. Businesses with robust plans for sustainable procurement and social value will be well-received, and this tender can help them expand their portfolio in marine industry services, leveraging considerable annual turnover. The contract promises both fixed-price and time-and-materials payment terms, allowing businesses to hedge against unforeseen costs effectively.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

NOC Research Vessel Dry-Dock Refit and Maintenance Contract 2026

Notice Description

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) conducted this procurement with a state of urgency under an accelerated open procedure in accordance with Section 54 of the Procurement Act 2023, which governs time limits for competitive tendering procedures. Section 54(3) and (4) permitted the reduction of minimum time periods where there was a state of urgency that made compliance with standard time limits impracticable. The procedure was run as an open process under Section 20(2)(a) of the Act, allowing any interested and qualified supplier to submit a tender within the shortened timescale. All tender documentation, including the specification and supporting schedules, was made available via the MyTenders portal. Tenders were evaluated according to the methodology set out in the Invitation to Tender. This included compliance checks to ensure all mandatory requirements and pass/fail criteria were met, with non-compliant bids excluded. Qualitative and technical responses were scored against published weighted criteria, with minimum pass marks applied where specified. Pricing was evaluated using the stated formula, and overall ranking was based on the combined quality and price scores to identify the most economically advantageous tender. The preferred bidder was subject to due diligence checks, including insurance and financial verification, prior to contract award. A mandatory standstill period applied before contract conclusion to ensure fairness and compliance with the Procurement Act 2023. NOC sought the provision of scheduled dry-dock refit, maintenance, and upgrade services for the research vessels RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook. The contract covered annual refit works, intermediate docking surveys, class certification renewal, equipment inspection and servicing, and minor upgrades to vessel systems including propulsion, electrical, laboratory, and deck handling equipment. All works were required to comply with UK health and safety legislation, marine industry best practice, and relevant classification standards. The supplier was required to provide suitable dock space and infrastructure, office accommodation for the Marine Superintendent, and facilities to support mobilisation and demobilisation. Robust management of UK-based suppliers and subcontractors was expected, with a commitment to sustainable procurement and social value. The contract allowed for flexibility to address emergent works and contingency repairs as required, ensuring both vessels remained fully operational, compliant, and ready to support world-class scientific research. Pricing was provided in accordance with the requirements set out in the pricing schedule. All costs were stated in pounds sterling and exclusive of VAT. The price submitted remained fixed for the initial term of the contract, with provisions for indexation as detailed in the tender documents. Suppliers ensured consistency across all pricing sections and provided commentary where required. The contract operated on a combination of fixed-price and time-and-materials arrangements, with milestone payments structured around key project deliverables. All documentation, including completed questionnaires, pricing schedules, and supporting evidence, was submitted electronically via the portal by the stated deadline. Submissions complied with all word and page limits, and any additional information was clearly referenced to the relevant question. The successful supplier was required to deliver the contracted services in accordance with the specification and all applicable standards, ensuring the vessels were ready for service within the defined mobilisation windows. This UK4 notice appeared as though it had no prior notices. This was solely due to a technical limitation of our e-tendering platform, which did not allow previous notices to be linked or referenced in the publication workflow for UK4. For transparency, the prior notices relevant to this procurement were as follows: UK3: Planned Procurement Notice Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-074178 Published: 14 November 2025, 5:39pm UK2: Preliminary Market Engagement Notice Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-055122 Published: 9 September 2025, 3:49pm Please note that goods could also be purchased through this contract and, due again to limitations of the e-tendering portal, this could not be selected. These notices remain applicable and form part of the procurement record for this process. Despite the terminology used within the terms, this procurement was for a single contract award covering two distinct vessel refit projects (RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook). While the contract terms allowed for flexibility in scoping and delivery of work packages, all requirements were specified and awarded under one contract through this tender process. For the avoidance of doubt, this was not a framework agreement in the sense defined by the Procurement Act 2023; there was no umbrella arrangement for future call-offs or multiple suppliers beyond the scope provided for. All works instructed under this contract were binding and formed part of the awarded contract, ensuring compliance with standard contract procedures.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: The contract includes an option for the supplier to provide global support services for the RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook. While the scope of the contract allows for urgent and non-planned works to be carried out worldwide, this is not a mandatory requirement and will not be evaluated as part of the tender process. The intention is to secure comprehensive global support in the full refit contract that will follow this interim arrangement. If urgent or unplanned work arises before the new contract is in place, the successful supplier under this contract may be approached to deliver these services prior to any further tendering. This ensures continuity and responsiveness for the vessels, but suppliers are not required to offer global support as part of their bid for this contract.

Renewal: The contract allows for a single extension of up to twelve months. This extension will only be considered under exceptional circumstances, specifically if the planned retendering of the full requirement in early 2026 is unsuccessful. It is anticipated that the extension will not be required and the contract will conclude as scheduled following a successful retendering process.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e760
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020896-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK10 - Contract Change Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50241100 - Vessel repair services

50245000 - Upgrading services of ships

50246100 - Dry-docking services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,500,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£2,500,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£2,500,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£2,500,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Mar 20265 months ago
Submission Deadline
4 Dec 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Dec 20258 months ago
Contract Period
19 Dec 2025 - 18 Dec 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
2026-01-31

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
National Oceanography Centre
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
SOUTHAMPTON
Postcode
SO14 3ZH
Postcode Area
Southampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ32 Southampton
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Southampton
Electoral Ward
Bargate
Westminster Constituency
Southampton Itchen

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

A & P FALMOUTH LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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