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715958490 - EOD Enabling Support Contract

Defence Equipment and Support

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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28 Sep 2026 at 10:53

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Defence Equipment and Support, for the Ministry of Defence, procured an enabling support contract for the armed forces’ in-service explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) bomb suits. The work covers service-life extension and through-life support of the equipment, together with its associated in-service support. The contract also includes options to buy further quantities of equipment related to this in-service capability. This is specialist support for an existing protective equipment capability, rather than a general clothing supply. The equipment is to be supported through its planned out-of-service date. No delivery location is stated.

The procurement is complete and NP Aerospace Limited was selected for the contract. It was awarded by direct award, on the basis that technical reasons and incompatibility with alternative suppliers meant there was no suitable alternative. The award value is £20 million including VAT. The initial contract period runs from 23 October 2026 to 22 October 2031, with four one-year extension options that could extend the term to 22 October 2035. The contract includes options for further equipment quantities. There is one lot, marked as suitable for SMEs. The award is recorded as pending; no separate award date is stated.

This outcome shows demand for long-term support of the Ministry of Defence’s existing EOD bomb-suit capability, combining equipment life extension, technical support and potential further equipment supply. A supplier competing for a comparable requirement would need demonstrable expertise with the equipment and its design baseline, alongside the ability to carry out safety-critical analysis, design assurance, post-design services, obsolescence management and life-extension work. Experience maintaining established safety assurance, qualification and certification arrangements would also be important. The buyer’s stated rationale places particular weight on compatibility with the existing equipment and avoiding operational disruption, duplicated costs and delays to critical capability. The opportunity is specialist and technically demanding; SME suitability for the single lot does not remove these capability requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

715958490 - EOD Enabling Support Contract

Notice Description

The Ministry of Defence (the "Authority") intends to award a contract to NP Aerospace Limited ("the Supplier") for the provision of Service Life Extension and Through Life Support through an enabling support contract for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bomb Suits (the "Equipment") and its associated In Service Support ("ISS") through to the planned Out of Service Date in 2035. The contract has an estimated value of PS20,000,000 including VAT. The contract will be for an intial 5 year duration with 4 x 1-year options available to the Authority, potentially extending the Contract up to nine ("9") years.

Procurement Information

The Ministry of Defence (the "Authority") intends to award a contract to NP Aerospace Limited ("the Supplier") for the provision of Service Life Extension and Through Life Support through an enabling support contract for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bomb Suits (the "Equipment") and its associated In Service Support ("ISS") through to the planned Out of Service Date in 2035. The contract has an estimated value of PS20,000,000 including VAT. The contract will be for nine ("9") years. In accordance with Section 41(1)(a) of the Procurement Act 2023 (the "Act"), the Authority intends to rely on the Single Supplier direct award justification, as set out in Paragraph 6 and Paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 of the Act, to award a public contract directly to the Supplier not being an excluded Supplier. It is considered that a direct award is permissible under the Act on the basis that, due to an absence of competition for technical reasons and the incompatibility of services by alternative suppliers, only the Supplier can carry out the services and there are no alternatives to those goods, services or works for the following reasons: The Supplier is the Original Equipment Manufacturer ("OEM") and Design Authority for the current in-service EOD Bomb Suit/Equipment capability. - As OEM, only the Supplier has the necessary technical knowledge and capability to undertake the required safety-critical analysis, design assurance activities, post-design services, obsolescence management and life-extension activities associated with the equipment. - A change of supplier would create significant technical and operational risks, including incompatibility with the current Equipment design baseline, disruption to established safety assurance arrangements, additional qualification and certification activity, duplication of costs, and unacceptable delays to the delivery of critical capability. - Such disruption would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in both operation and maintenance and would undermine the Authority's ability to maintain assured EOD protection capability of the Equipment. - The interoperability and integration issues created through the introduction of a new supplier would result in services incompatible with the existing goods, services or works and would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and/or maintenance of the Equipment. Accordingly, the Supplier is considered as the only supplier that can provide the services and there are no alternatives to those services as required by the Authority. The contract will not be awarded to an excluded supplier. A Contract Award Notice and Contract Details Notice will follow in accordance with Procurement Act 2023.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077b46
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091317-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

CPV Codes

35113400 - Protective and safety clothing

35812200 - Combat suits

71317100 - Fire and explosion protection and control consultancy services

90523200 - Bomb-disposal services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£16,666,666 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
23 Oct 2026 - 22 Oct 2031 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

NP Aerospace Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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