Award

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

ACTF2 - Keysight - GNSS Simulator Support

Defence Equipment and Support

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

22 Sep 2026 at 21:29

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Defence Equipment and Support, the Ministry of Defence organisation responsible for equipment support, procured through-life support services for a Keysight GSS9000 global navigation satellite system simulator installed in Anechoic Chamber Test Facility 2 at MOD Boscombe Down. The requirement covers maintenance and repair of the simulator, software support and licensing, technical support, calibration and verification, obsolescence management, and training support. It is a specialist engineering and technology support service involving satellite-navigation simulation, software, hardware and calibration processes. The work is associated with the United Kingdom and supports the simulator’s continued operation in a defence test facility. The procurement is classified as services and includes engineering support, software support, mechanical and electrical engineering, information-technology equipment maintenance, and global navigation and positioning systems support.

This procurement has reached completion and Keysight Technologies UK Limited was selected for the single lot. The authority used a direct award under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023, relying on technical reasons: competition was considered absent and no reasonable alternative supplier was identified. The awarded value is £400,000 excluding VAT and £480,000 including VAT. The contract period runs from 11 January 2027 to 10 January 2032. A contract signature milestone was scheduled for 4 January 2027. The award is above the relevant threshold. The rationale states that Keysight is the original equipment manufacturer and sole design authority, with the proprietary technical data, diagnostic tools, calibration equipment, engineering knowledge and processes required to support the simulator’s hardware, software and firmware.

This requirement indicates demand for highly specialised support of defence-grade GNSS simulation equipment rather than general IT maintenance. A credible future competitor would need demonstrable expertise in the relevant simulator hardware, software and firmware, together with the ability to perform OEM-level diagnostics, repair, software licensing and technical support. It would also need proven capability in precise calibration and verification of simulated GNSS environments, including access to suitable calibration equipment, technical data and controlled engineering processes. Experience managing component obsolescence and maintaining system availability in a defence test environment would be important, as would the capacity to provide structured training support. Suppliers should also be able to evidence robust engineering governance and the specialist resources needed for long-term through-life support.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

ACTF2 - Keysight - GNSS Simulator Support

Notice Description

Provision of a five-year Through Life Support contract for the Keysight GSS9000 GNSS Simulator installed within the Anechoic Chamber Test Facility 2 at MOD Boscombe Down. The contract will be worth approximately PS500,000 and will include maintenance and repair, software support and licensing, technical support, calibration and verification, obsolescence management and training support.

Procurement Information

The Authority (the Space Delivery Team within NAD-G) intends to award a contract to Keysight Technologies UK Limited (Keysight) for the provision of Through Life Support (TLS) services for the Keysight GSS9000 GNSS Simulator installed within the Anechoic Chamber Test Facility 2 (ACTF2) at MOD Boscombe Down. The required TLS services include maintenance and repair, software support and licensing, technical support, calibration and verification, obsolescence management and training support. The contract will be awarded by Direct Award under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. The Authority considers that the conditions set out in Schedule 5 Paragraph 6 (Technical Reasons) are satisfied because competition is absent for technical reasons and no reasonable alternative supplier exists. Keysight is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and sole Design Authority for the GSS9000 GNSS Simulator. Keysight alone possesses the technical expertise and engineering knowledge required to service and support the hardware, software, firmware and associated proprietary calibration processes necessary for the operation of the simulator suite and the accurate simulation of GNSS environments. No other economic operator possesses the technical expertise, engineering know-how, specialised OEM diagnostic tools, calibration equipment, proprietary technical data and associated calibration processes required to effectively service and maintain the Keysight GNSS Simulator. As a result, Keysight alone holds the capability necessary to maintain, calibrate, update and support all software, firmware and hardware aspects of the simulator to the standards required to sustain operational integrity and system availability. Accordingly, the Authority considers that only Keysight can provide the required TLS services and that, due to the absence of competition for technical reasons, no reasonable alternative supplier exists.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077805
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089875-2026
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

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

50 - Repair and maintenance services

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

38112100 - Global navigation and positioning systems (GPS or equivalent)

50312600 - Maintenance and repair of information technology equipment

71334000 - Mechanical and electrical engineering services

71336000 - Engineering support services

72261000 - Software support services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£400,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
11 Jan 2027 - 10 Jan 2032 Over 5 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
Defence Equipment and Support
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
Postcode Area
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

Keysight Technologies UK Limited

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...