Planning

Gladiator and Spartan Core Systems and Services - PME

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

05 Mar 2026 at 08:46

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for the "Gladiator and Spartan Core Systems and Services" aimed at enhancing synthetic operational training capabilities. This procurement process falls under the defence services industry category and is scheduled to have an industry engagement day on the 30th March 2026, both in-person at TechUK, London, and online. The procurement seeks to build upon existing Gladiator technologies to bolster maritime collective training through the SPARTAN programme, with a contract value estimated at £50 million for training software packages, military electronic systems simulation, and defence services. The procurement planning outlines a timeline for the procurement activities and is set to commence in April 2028, running through to March 2032, with the option for renewal, located primarily in Bristol and London.

This procurement offers significant business growth opportunities for companies specialising in training and simulation, software development, and defence services. It targets SMEs as suitable contenders and promises engagement with innovative technologies that can transform training scenarios in maritime environments. Businesses involved in platform integration, system support, and enhancement, as well as those capable of interoperability across defence forces, will find this opportunity attractive. The procurement process encourages participation from enterprises eager to contribute to the development and sustainment of advanced synthetic training capabilities for the UK's military operations, expanding their expertise and footprint in the defence sector.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Gladiator and Spartan Core Systems and Services - PME

Notice Description

The Gladiator system is a MOD-owned innovative, distributed, synthetic operational training capability that delivers high-fidelity, secure, and cost-effective team and collective training for Force Elements (FE); its agility has also enabled the RAF to use the capability for other modelling and simulation-based activities. It enables training across multiple domains alongside partner nations, and at a scale and complexity not achievable in live environments. By linking simulators to a central hub, Gladiator overcomes real-world constraints such as airspace limitations, costs, environmental factors, and operational security, providing a safe and scalable training solution. SPARTAN is aiming to leverage the technology, systems and services developed by the Gladiator Programme to build a Distributed Synthetic Training Hub to deliver Maritime Collective Training to RN surface units. This will require systems onboard the operational platforms, but the first step is to develop a Hub that can develop, deliver and debrief training scenarios and synthetic tracks via Tactical Data Links. Initially this will be developed using the existing capabilities of Gladiator, but in time SPARTAN will be developing new digital assets, scenarios, terrains to deliver training scenarios that can represent the complexity, mass and speed of modern threats. The Gladiator and Spartan Core Systems and Services Contract seeks to deliver: a. Support, Sustainment and Enhancement of System Capabilities b. Platform Integration and Capability Development c. Interoperability Across Defence Forces d. Incorporation of the Royal Navy SPARTAN Requirements

Planning Information

The industry engagement day will take place on the 30th March 2026 at TechUK, London (online attendance option available). Suppliers who are interested in the pre-market engagement industry day can sign up via the below link to attend in person or online: https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/events/ministry-of-defence-industry-day-gladiator-and-spartan-systems-and-services.html The main purpose of the event is to: • To brief industry on the Gladiator system, its role and future direction. • To outline how SPARTAN will build on Gladiator for Maritime synthetic training. • To provide context as to the operation and use of the system. • To outline the timelines and plan for the Gladiator & SPARTAN Core Systems and Services Procurement. A further Notice shall be published after the engagement day, issuing a Request for Information, to seek further input.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06629f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019735-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

48931000 - Training software package

75220000 - Defence services

80660000 - Training and simulation in military electronic systems

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£50,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
30 Mar 20263 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2028 - 31 Mar 2032 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

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

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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