Award

UCL SDAC & MSc Nav Arc Course

SUBMARINE DELIVERY AGENCY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

23 Feb 2026 at 08:12

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Submarine Delivery Agency, a public authority under the central government of the United Kingdom, has concluded the award stage of a procurement process titled "UCL SDAC & MSc Nav Arc Course." This direct award contract has been granted to UCL Consultants Limited for engineering services related to naval architecture and submarine design. The location for this procurement is Abbeywood, United Kingdom, with UCL Consultants Limited situated in London. The procurement process follows the Procurement Act 2023 regulations, citing a single supplier due to exclusive intellectual property rights. Key dates include a contract period starting 1st September 2026 and ending on 31st December 2027, with the signature scheduled for 1st April 2026.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in naval defense engineering and educational sectors, particularly those specialising in submarine design and underwater craft functionality. By catering specifically to Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, it supports the technical development required for the Continuous at Sea Deterrent mission, granting long-term growth for suppliers with a unique capability in naval architecture courses. Large-scale businesses with experience in intellectual property-driven engineering services are well-suited to compete for similar opportunities in future tenders within the Ministry of Defence and affiliated agencies.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

UCL SDAC & MSc Nav Arc Course

Notice Description

The UCL Submarine Design Acquisition Course introduces SDA Naval Architects and Marine Engineers to the basic elements governing the design and acquisition of submarines and underwater craft. Starting from consideration of the operating requirements, it provides an approach to developing conceptual solutions, establishing feasibility, and delivering preliminary design details. The course shows how the various mobility elements of the vehicle, speed, endurance, diving depth and control interact, and how the demands of the equipment required to perform a vessel's operational function can govern the choice of vehicle and its configuration. The continued delivery of this SDAC training is essential to support the development of Suitably Qualified Experienced Personnel (SQEP) within SDA who sit within the scarce technical discipline of Naval Architecture. These skills and experience are needed to maintain SDA support to the Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD). The UCL offers the provision of a Nav Arch MSc tailored made course to include Warship specific elements which could include the focus of taught modules, coursework, design exercises and/or individual research projects. The core content of the course will provide students with a Masters level understanding of key Naval Architecture areas including Hydrostatics, Hydrodynamics and Structures. Naval architecture is a critical discipline within the SDA. Naval Architects within the SDA must be SQEP (Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel). The Qualified element will be delivered by the Naval Architecture course with experience gained in various posts applying the knowledge accrued from the course. Staff attending this course will gain specialised knowledge that directly enhances the SDA's technical competence in maritime engineering, enabling improved design, safety and compliance with maritime regulations.

Procurement Information

The intent is for the contract(s) to be awarded under the Procurement Act 2023 regulations with justification sought for a Single Source to the University College of London (UCL). The justification has been sought to request a contract for the SDAC & MSc Naval Architecture courses to ensure the continued development of our Engineering students within the Nuclear Profession. Justification has been sought against the headers outlined in the Procurement Act 2023, relating to Schedule 5, Subsection 5, Single Suppliers; - due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. Whereas this requirement is not labeled as a Defence & Security Contract, as outlined in Section 7 of the Procurement Act 2023, it is to be noted that the need for this course is to develop our engineering students to allow them to progress within the Defence and Nuclear profession as per Section 1, Subsection G. goods, services or works that are otherwise relevant to the operational capability, effectiveness, readiness for action, safety or security of the armed forces.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0659c0
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015888-2026
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

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

71300000 - Engineering services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£514,400 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
23 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Aug 2026 - 31 Dec 2027 1-2 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
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
ABBEYWOOD
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

UCL CONSULTANTS

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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