Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Tactical Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAS) System Managed Service

Home Office

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

04 Feb 2026 at 10:10

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Home Office is in the planning stage of procuring a Tactical Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Managed Service. This procurement aims to support the Border Security Command's Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations within UK Territorial Waters and the wider UK Area of Operations, including the English Channel. The project, valued at £29,000,000, is expected to formally start its tendering process in May 2026. Suppliers interested in participating must initially register on the Home Office's eSourcing portal and express their interest by February 17, 2026. Following this, there will be an Industry Day scheduled for early March, with the procurement process anticipated to conclude by December 2026. The main procurement category is goods, specifically non-piloted aircraft, and the procurement method will likely involve further competition via the Crown Commercial Service Space Enabled and Geospatial Services RM6235 Dynamic Purchasing System.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specializing in unmanned aerial vehicles, data services, and intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance systems. Companies with experience in providing complete managed services for RPAS operations, especially those capable of offering real-time situational awareness and operational decision-making support, are particularly well-suited to compete. As this contract involves a substantial commitment of 5,000 on-task sensor coverage hours annually for a duration of three to four years, it is ideal for established companies with robust operational capabilities. Businesses registered on the Crown Commercial Service Dynamic Purchasing System will have an advantage, making this an attractive opportunity for growth in the defence and public safety sector.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Tactical Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAS) System Managed Service

Notice Description

The Home Office seeks an experienced commercial provider to supply capable Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to support the Border Security Command's (BSC) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The RPAS must be capable of detecting, identifying, and tracking vessels and individuals within the defined area of operations, operating as part of a multi layered ISR framework that includes manned aviation, maritime assets, and land based infrastructure. The systems will provide enhanced situational awareness to inform operational decision making and support the effective tasking and coordination of operational assets The primary operational role of the RPAS will be to conduct routine surveillance missions in support of Search, Rescue and Recovery (SRR) activity.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The primary operational requirement is for RPAS' that can conduct routine surveillance flights to detect, track, and identify vessels and people to support the primary Search, Rescue and Recovery (SRR) Vessels within the area of operations. The SRR vessels will operate primarily within UK Territorial Waters (TTW) and the wider UK Area of Operations, including the English Channel. RPAS' information will be transmitted in real-time to an existing Command and Control facility to enable real-time coordination of responses to threats. RPAS' will also be required to perform targeted surveillance to record high-quality video footage to support Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) prosecutions. The Home Office have a requirement for one (1) Supplier to provide RPAS' for 5000 on-task sensor coverage hours per year, over three (3) separate task lines, for the purpose of supporting BSC operations. The Home Office requires availability of two (2) task lines to provide year-round coverage including weekends and public holidays. An additional third task line will be required for approximately six-months per year. Additional information: The contract will be for three (3) years fixed with a possible plus one (1) year extension, if mutually agreed at the time by both parties. There is a requirement for the service to be fully operational within four months of the contract being awarded (Contract Award will be on/or before 30th November 2026). There will be an expected mobilisation period starting on the 1st December 2026

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06467c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009804-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

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

CPV Codes

34711200 - Non-piloted aircraft

35613000 - Unmanned aerial vehicles

35720000 - Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance

72300000 - Data services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£29,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Feb 20266 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 May 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Home Office
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
Not specified
Postcode Area
Not specified
Country
Not specified
Major Region (ITL 1)
Not specified
Basic Region (ITL 2)
Not specified
Small Region (ITL 3)
Not specified
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Not specified
Electoral Ward
Not specified
Westminster Constituency
Not specified

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...