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Manned Aircraft Mounted Lidar and Camera Instrumentation Retender

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

17 Aug 2026 at 08:44

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

27 Jul 2026 at 08:44

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Planning

24 Jul 2026 at 15:41

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is planning to procure, on behalf of the Environment Agency, two integrated airborne lidar and camera systems for operation from a manned light-aircraft platform. The equipment will support mapping of the terrestrial and coastal environment, particularly flood and coastal risk management and incident response. The requirement covers high-accuracy digital elevation data, four-band near-infrared and RGB aerial imagery suitable for orthophoto production, and simultaneous lidar and image capture. It includes software for mission planning, data acquisition, processing, quality assurance and workflow management, with industry-standard formats, UK coordinate systems and ArcGIS shapefile import. The lidar and camera systems must provide a cohesive end-to-end remote-sensing solution. Delivery and operational use are in the United Kingdom; sub-25kg drone systems and satellite remote sensing are outside the scope.

This is a planned procurement at the pre-tender stage: Defra has stated an intention to use an open procedure, but this record is not an invitation to tender. The estimated value is £3,727,048.04 excluding VAT (£4,472,457.65 including VAT). The single planned lot has an estimated contract period from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2031, with renewal options extending the maximum period to 30 November 2036. Defra expects to publish a future notice by 7 September 2026. Preliminary market engagement is planned for 27 August 2026, from 11:00 to 11:45, via Microsoft Teams, subject to supplier interest. Expressions of interest for that engagement were requested by 20 August 2026. Participation in engagement will not guarantee involvement in any later competition.

The requirement is suited to suppliers of airborne survey, lidar, aerial imaging, geospatial software and integrated remote-sensing systems, including small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises. Strong candidates will be able to provide and integrate lidar, metric four-band NIR-RGB cameras, aircraft-ready hardware, tightly coupled GNSS/IMU positioning and mission-planning, processing and quality-assurance software. Systems must maintain point density and accuracy across varied flying heights, capture reliable surface data and laser-return intensity, and detect low-reflectivity surfaces from higher survey altitudes using a Class IV laser. Suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate robust real-world operation, including UK performance data or evidence from equivalent high-humidity environments. The buyer is seeking a demonstrable improvement over its existing dual-sensor arrangement, with simpler processing and better-quality outputs.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Manned Aircraft Mounted Lidar and Camera Instrumentation Retender

Notice Description

Defra intend to run an open tender to procure two (2) Airborne Lidar and Camera Systems and are asking for Expressions of Interest. The systems will be used for mapping the terrestrial and coastal environment to fulfil our statutory requirements principally for flood and coastal risk management and incident response. The Environment Agency (EA) currently operates an airborne remote sensing programme, utilising lidar alongside RGBN cameras and from a light aircraft platform. EA have run the programme for many years and are looking to renew their current lidar and camera capabilities. The EA is looking for the Contractor to supply a fully integrated airborne lidar and aerial imaging system designed to deliver high-accuracy digital elevation data and 4 band NIR-RGB imagery. The camera must produce 4-band metric imagery suitable for orthophoto production and complementing the lidar data to support a wide range of geospatial outputs. The system must include a comprehensive software suite to support mission planning and execution, data acquisition, processing, and quality assurance. It must enable efficient workflow management, including compatibility with industry-standard formats and UK-specific coordinate systems. Mission planning tools must allow for the import of ArcGIS shapefiles. All contractors must demonstrate the robust performance of their systems through evidence of operation in real world environments. This should include performance data collected within the UK or in equivalent high-humidity conditions, demonstrating that the system can operate effectively and reliably under representative environmental conditions. Overall, the system must be delivered as a cohesive, end-to-end solution that ensures consistency, reliability, and efficiency from mission planning through to point cloud outputs and RGBNIR imagery. The system must represent a clear advancement over the Environment Agency's current dual-sensor configuration, improving operational efficiency, reducing processing complexity, and enhancing overall data quality. The lidar component must be capable of operating across a broad range of flying heights whilst maintaining consistent point density and accuracy. It must deliver reliable surface representation through evenly distributed point spacing and high-quality reflected laser pulse intensity data. The system must incorporate a class IV laser that is capable of detecting returns off low reflective surfaces from higher survey altitudes. The system must utilise a tightly coupled GNSS/IMU solution, supporting multiple satellite constellations to ensure robust positional accuracy in a wide range of operational environments. The integration between the positioning system, lidar sensor, and camera must be seamless, ensuring precise synchronisation and alignment of datasets. The aerial imaging component must be fully integrated with the lidar system, enabling simultaneous data capture without the need for separate hardware or software systems.

Planning Information

Depending on the level of interest received, a Preliminary Market Engagement exercise will be held via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 27th August, 11:00 to 11:45. This event will provide suppliers with an overview of the technical requirements relating to this upcoming tender. This session will also provide an opportunity for suppliers to ask questions regarding the requirement and the proposed procurement process. To attend please register your interest by emailing: DGC-LAWW-Buyer@defra.gov.uk, including your name and organisation by the 20th August 2026. It should be noted that this notice invites individuals and organisations to express an interest in this exercise only and participation in this engagement exercise does not guarantee participation in any future procurement process and does not constitute a call for competition or a commitment by the Authority to proceed with a procurement. Any subsequent procurement opportunity will be advertised separately in accordance with the Authority's procurement obligations.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d38d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077923-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

CPV Codes

38296000 - Surveying instruments

38300000 - Measuring instruments

38650000 - Photographic equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,727,048 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
7 Sep 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Dec 2026 - 30 Nov 2031 Over 5 years
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
DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS
Additional Buyers

Environment 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
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 4DF
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

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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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