Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

UK2 - Deployable Maritime Secure Analysis Capability - Preliminary Market Engagement

Ministry of Defence

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

28 Sep 2026 at 17:41

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

28 Sep 2026 at 17:39

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Defence is exploring a deployable maritime secure analysis capability: equipment and services that let users handle information securely at sea for extended periods and share it securely with shore-based users. The scope could include secure, marinised modular workspaces such as containers; integrated IT and communications; secure data-transfer hardware and software; and design, demonstration and a Secure by Design process. Solutions should be readily transportable by standard freight across air, land and sea. The Authority is also interested in ongoing maintenance, training and in-service support as part of the solution. Suppliers may offer a complete capability or contribute part of it, including through collaboration to develop a combined solution. The work concerns secure maritime systems, communications and specialist mobile infrastructure.

This is preliminary market engagement at the planning stage, not a competition or invitation to tender. The Ministry expects to use a competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, subject to approval, and is considering a paid development stage. It will use market responses to refine the requirement, commercial strategy and delivery plan before any competition; future participation will be open to suppliers meeting the published conditions, whether or not they joined the engagement. Expressions of interest for access to the RFI are requested by 16 October 2026. The RFI is expected by 21 October, with an industry day in early November and RFI responses during November 2026; these later dates are indicative. The planned contract period is 1 April 2027 to 1 April 2028. An indicative value of £1 is recorded.

The requirement may suit suppliers with expertise in secure, deployable maritime systems, containerised or modular workspaces, communications and IT integration, secure data transfer, or maintenance, training and in-service support. Providers able to design, demonstrate and apply a Secure by Design process may also be relevant. The Ministry welcomes suppliers able to deliver a whole solution as well as specialists offering a component, and expressly supports collaborative development between businesses. Small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises are considered suitable. Overseas suppliers may participate in the engagement if they can contract with the Ministry and comply with the information-handling conditions. Access to the RFI requires portal registration and verification of legal identity, ownership, eligibility to contract and relevance to an area of interest; the RFI is marked OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE and must be handled on a need-to-know basis. These are access checks, not qualification for a future competition.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

UK2 - Deployable Maritime Secure Analysis Capability - Preliminary Market Engagement

Notice Description

The Ministry of Defence (the Authority) is exploring the market for a deployable capability that would allow users to handle information securely while operating at sea for extended periods, and to share information securely between deployed and shore-based users. Existing arrangements provide limited capacity at sea. The Authority is interested in solutions that are readily deployable through standardised freight transport (air, land and sea) and can be procured with an ongoing maintenance, training and in-service support solution package. The Authority is also interested in suppliers who could provide all or part of such a solution and supports collaborative working with other suppliers to jointly develop a solution, together with appetite and capability for development. Areas of interest include secure marinised deployable or modular workspaces (e.g. containers), IT and communications integration, secure data transfer (including hardware and software), in-service support, and the design, demonstration and Secure by Design process for such a capability. This notice opens a staged engagement. Suppliers who register an interest and meet the access conditions below will receive a Request for Information marked OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE, followed by a clarification period and an industry day. The Authority will use responses to refine its requirement, its commercial strategy and its delivery plan before any competition. This notice is issued for preliminary market engagement only. It is not a call for competition, an invitation to tender or a commitment to procure. Participation is voluntary and at the supplier's own cost; responses are not scored. Any competition will be conducted under a separately published tender notice and will be open to all suppliers meeting its published conditions of participation, whether or not they took part in this engagement. The Authority anticipates a competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, subject to approval, and is considering whether a paid development stage may form part of that procedure.

Planning Information

This notice is issued for preliminary market engagement only. It is not a call for competition, an invitation to tender or a commitment to procure. Participation is voluntary and at the supplier's own cost; responses are not scored. Any competition will be conducted under a separately published tender notice and will be open to all suppliers meeting its published conditions of participation, whether or not they took part in this engagement. The Authority anticipates a competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, subject to approval, and is considering whether a paid development stage may form part of that procedure. To receive the RFI a supplier must submit the expression of interest described below and provide sufficient information to allow the Authority to verify: (a) its legal identity and that it is not excluded from public contracts; (b) its ownership; (c) its relevance to at least one area of interest in this notice; (d) its ability to contract with the Authority; and (e) its acknowledgement that the RFI is marked OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE and will be handled on a need-to-know basis in accordance with the handling instructions issued with it. Registration on the Defence Sourcing Portal is required. These checks control access to the RFI only; they are not a procurement evaluation or pre-qualification for any future competition. Facility Security Clearance is not required to receive the RFI. Overseas suppliers may take part provided they can contract with the Authority and comply with the handling conditions. Questions about this form: If you have a question that is necessary to complete this Expression of Interest form, please submit it to MARDEL <NAD-MARDEL@mod.gov.uk> At this stage, the Authority will only respond to questions that relate directly to completion of this form. Wider questions about the requirement, technical solution, scope, delivery model, commercial model, access arrangements or potential procurement process will not be answered at this stage. Further requirement-related clarification will be reserved for suppliers invited to participate in the subsequent RFI stage. Registration on the Defence Sourcing Portal is required. These checks control access to the RFI only; they are not a procurement evaluation or pre-qualification for any future competition. Facility Security Clearance is not required to receive the RFI. Overseas suppliers may take part provided they can contract with the Authority and comply with the handling conditions. Notice published: Monday 28th September 2026. Expressions of interest requested by: Friday 16th October 2026. RFI issued to suppliers meeting the access conditions, no later than COP Wednesday 21st October 2026. Industry day: Indicative date of early November 2026 (Date TBC). RFI responses due: Indicative date of November 2026 (Date TBC). Suppliers are requested to complete the below expression-of-interest MS Form by Friday 16th October 2026. Thirty-nine questions; no proposals, prices or classified material. Submissions after that date are accepted until any tender notice is published, but the supplier may miss the industry day. https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=7WB3vlNZS0iuldChbfoJ5W3zRlF2YItErKtGn0bBS41UMjdKQ0JQQlRSVEJOUDFSUUoySVRZMUdMUi4u Email multiuser: NAD-MARDEL@mod.gov.uk. Questions of general relevance are answered to all registered suppliers without identifying the source.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077be7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091608-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

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

CPV Codes

32000000 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment

34221000 - Special-purpose mobile containers

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
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
1 Apr 2027 - 1 Apr 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Ministry of Defence
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 2EU
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...