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for the completion of the Integrated Control & Safety System (ICSS) for the H3AT Tritium Facility at Culham

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

08 Sep 2026 at 08:43

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

02 Jul 2026 at 14:27

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

UK Atomic Energy Authority commissioned completion of the Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) for the H3AT Tritium Facility at Culham, Oxfordshire. The requirement covers continued design development, procurement, manufacture, testing, installation, verification and commissioning of the control, interlock and safety systems needed to operate the tritium plant safely. It is primarily an engineering services requirement, combining engineering design services with electrical engineering installation works. The system forms a critical part of a nuclear-grade facility and must integrate with plant systems and components already installed. The work is for UKAEA and relates specifically to the H3AT facility at the Culham Science Centre, rather than a general electrical or controls framework.

The procurement is complete and was awarded by direct award to Bilfinger UK Limited, following UKAEA’s intention to continue and complete partially delivered works. The award date was 8 September 2026. The award value is £3,256,918 excluding VAT, or £3,908,302 including VAT. The contract period runs from 1 October 2026 to 25 January 2028, with signature scheduled by 30 September 2026 and the standstill period ending on 17 September 2026. The procedure was justified under Schedule 5, clause 7(a) and (b) of the Procurement Act 2023, on technical and proprietary grounds. There was one lot. The stated basis was that changing supplier would create incompatibility, safety, programme and duplication risks.

This award demonstrates demand for specialist nuclear engineering and control-system integration capability at UKAEA’s Culham site. A credible future competitor would need to design, manufacture, install, test, verify and commission integrated control, interlock and safety systems in a safety-critical facility. Relevant experience includes managing partially completed systems, maintaining design continuity, integrating existing hardware and software, and producing the technical documentation and assurance evidence needed for a nuclear safety case. Suppliers would also need to understand Safety Integrity Level-rated systems, factory acceptance testing, statutory safety lifecycle deliverables and final commissioning. The incumbent’s advantage came from proprietary know-how, ownership of detailed implementation knowledge and responsibility for work already progressed, so competing firms would need demonstrable technical depth and the capacity to assume substantial legal, engineering and safety liability.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

for the completion of the Integrated Control & Safety System (ICSS) for the H3AT Tritium Facility at Culham

Notice Description

Scope of supply is for the continued design development, procurement, manufacture, testing, installation and verification activities for the H3AT Integrated Control and Safety System (ICS).

Procurement Information

This notice provides transparency of UKAEA's intention to award a contract to Bilfinger UK Limited (BUK) for the completion of the Integrated Control & Safety System (ICSS) for the H3AT Tritium Facility at Culham. The ICSS scope forms a critical part of the H3AT facility, covering the design finalisation, manufacture, installation, testing and commissioning of the control, interlock and safety systems required to safely operate the tritium plant. BUK was originally engaged as a specialist subcontractor under a wider contract with a previous main contractor (DBD), with direct responsibility for delivering the ICSS scope. Following the termination of the DBD contract, the ICSS works remain partially complete (approximately 50%) and have been significantly progressed by BUK. UKAEA intends to award a direct contract to BUK to complete the remaining works for the following reasons: * Proprietary Know-How & Design Continuity The ICSS design, software configuration, control architecture, and technical associated documentation have been uniquely developed and partially implemented by BUK, and are specific to their proprietary systems, tooling, and engineering approach. * Safety & Technical Risk Assumption : A change of supplier would require a third party to assume legal and technical liability to take over, reinterpret, and revalidate partially completed design and safety-critical systems, including Safety Integrity Level (SIL )-rated elements, which would introduce material technical and programme risk that cannot be mitigated by an alternative party * System Incompatibility: The ICSS must seamlessly integrate with existing plant systems and previously installed components already delivered by BUK. Substituting the supplier at this stage introduces in incompatibility risks across hardware, software, interfaces and safety validation activities. * Disproportionate Duplication & Rework: Replacement of BUK would lead to significant and wasteful rework, duplication of design assurance and testing, and potential invalidation of completed Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and statutory safety lifecycle deliverables. * Operational Hardship: These impacts would create disproportionate technical and operational difficulties, particularly in relation to safety assurance, system integration, and commissioning of a nuclear-grade system integration and final commissioning of the facility. On this basis, UKAEA considers that: * The proposed contract represents a partial continuation and completion of existing works by the original delivery party, and * Changing supplier would result in incompatible outcomes void existing warranties/assurances and cause disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance. The proposed direct award is therefore justified in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, Schedule 5, Clause 7 (a) and (b). In addition, due to the unique level of system integration, the proprietary nature of the partially completed design, and BUK's ownership of detailed implementation knowledge, there is an absence of alternatives who can complete the works without significant risk to the facility's safety case, delay, and substantial duplication of cost, further supporting reliance on Schedule 5 provisions.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c27d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084682-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award 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

45 - Construction work

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

45315100 - Electrical engineering installation works

71320000 - Engineering design services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£3,256,918 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 25 Jan 2028 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
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
OXFORDSHIRE
Postcode
OX14 3DB
Postcode Area
Oxford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
South Oxfordshire
Electoral Ward
Sandford & the Wittenhams
Westminster Constituency
Didcot and Wantage

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Bilfinger UK Limiited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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