Tender

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Space Regulatory Sandboxes, including the Re-Entry Regulatory Sandbox and the Multi-Mission Licensing Regulatory Sandbox

Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

This public procurement record has 10 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

30 Jun 2026 at 09:38

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

29 Jun 2026 at 16:22

UK4 - Tender Notice
PlanningUpdate

28 May 2026 at 15:35

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

28 May 2026 at 15:21

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

28 May 2026 at 15:17

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

19 May 2026 at 08:51

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

15 Apr 2026 at 11:39

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

14 Apr 2026 at 12:55

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

14 Apr 2026 at 12:53

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

14 Apr 2026 at 12:39

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology in London is conducting an open procedure procurement process titled "Space Regulatory Sandboxes, including the Re-Entry Regulatory Sandbox and the Multi-Mission Licensing Regulatory Sandbox," falling under the services category of research and development consultancy services. This multi-lot tender, valued at £1,000,000 inclusive of VAT, aims to develop two regulatory sandboxes in the 2026/27 financial year. These sandboxes will focus on high-growth areas and complex mission types, with Lot 1 dedicated to re-entry activities and Lot 2 to multi-mission licensing. Interested suppliers must submit their tenders via the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal by 12:00 BST on 10th August 2026. Key dates include the enquiry closure on 22nd July 2026 and the award announcement by 28th August 2026, with the contract period starting on 14th September 2026 and concluding on 31st March 2027.

This tender provides a substantial opportunity for growth, particularly for businesses specialized in research and development consultancy within the space sector. With separate contracts available for each sandbox topic, businesses with a capacity to handle complex regulatory challenges and a track record of innovation might find this an ideal opportunity. The dual focus on re-entry and multi-mission licensing allows companies to leverage their expertise to influence future regulatory frameworks, promoting sustained collaboration and innovation. Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are encouraged, as participation can increase their market visibility and leverage industry engagement opportunities for broader growth.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Space Regulatory Sandboxes, including the Re-Entry Regulatory Sandbox and the Multi-Mission Licensing Regulatory Sandbox

Notice Description

Following the successful delivery of the Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) regulatory sandbox, the Government intends to invest up to PS7 million in further regulatory sandboxes and innovative regulatory tools, focusing on high-growth areas and complex mission types. As part of this programme, we are intending to develop two sandboxes focused on regulatory activity within financial year 26/27. Lot 1 will focus on re-entry and lot 2 will focus on multi-mission licensing. For those who are aware of the previously published notice, this is now a multi-lot tender with a total value of PS1,000,000 inclusive of VAT across both lots. UKSA intends to offer lot 1 as the re-entry sandbox and lot 2 as the multi-mission licencing. Suppliers will be permitted to bid for both, but will be expected to demonstrate in their technical responses that they have capacity to fulfil both lots in the event they are successful. For the avoidance of doubt, suppliers can choose to bid for individual lots. The anticipated publication of the tender notice remains in July. Each lot will have a maximum contract value of PS500,000 inclusive of VAT.

Lot Information

Re-entry Regulatory Sandbox

The re entry regulatory sandbox is intended to clarify how the UK's existing regulatory framework operates in practice for re entry activities, and to improve coordination across regulators and government. The sandbox will follow a structured and iterative delivery model, combining scenario based testing, stakeholder engagement and progressive development of outputs.

Multi-Mission Licensing Sandbox

A time-limited regulatory sandbox provides a proportionate mechanism for the CAA and HMG to work with the space sector to develop and test potential new approaches in controlled conditions that do not affect live licensing decisions. Recently, the Rendezvous Proximity Operations Sandbox concluded and brought together regulators and industry participants to test regulatory approaches in a controlled environment, generating practical evidence on what works and where processes can be improved. It has strengthened collaboration, reduced uncertainty for participants, and provided a clear evidence base to inform future regulatory reform and more efficient licensing frameworks. This process has paved the way for future collaboration between HMG, the regulator and industry. One such approach is multi-mission licensing of satellites, under which a single licence could authorise a defined set of related activities rather than requiring separate licences for each mission. The sandbox provides an opportunity to explore how such an approach could operate in practice, including how similarities between missions can be assessed, what ongoing monitoring would look like, and how variation can be managed over time. Evidence generated through the sandbox will help turn the overall policy aim into a practical regulatory approach that can be applied in real cases. It will help identify the conditions under which multiple missions could be authorised and regulated under a single licence, the extent to which missions could vary while remaining within that licence, and the points at which further assessment may be required in order for the regulator to fulfil its statutory obligations. Testing this with industry input will help ensure that any future approach reflects technical design choices, operational approaches and commercial constraints. This should reduce the risk of rework, challenge or delay at implementation stage and improve confidence that any future model is credible, scalable and usable in live licensing, while maintaining assurance.

Planning Information

DSIT will be holding a webinar as part of its Governing Space Delivery group on Thursday the 11th of June between 11:00 and 12:00 BST to provide an opportunity for early engagement, including presenting the proposed scope and an opportunity to feedback on this for lot 2, which relates to multi-mission licensing. Please note engagement with this opportunity is for information only and is not required in order to participate in any future competitive procedure. Any future delivery of the sandbox will be subject to competitive procedure, which we anticipate will take place this summer. Dates provided within this notice are indicative only at this stage. To join the webinar, please email commercial@ukspaceagency.gov.uk to request joining details. Please note this session will not be recorded.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061032-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£889,188 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£889,188 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jun 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
10 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
31 Jul 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
14 Sep 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
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
SW1A 2EG
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

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...