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CEFAS26-130 Cefas Research Vessel

CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

01 Oct 2026 at 11:55

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, intends to procure a replacement research vessel to support its work at sea. This is a shipbuilding requirement: the vessel must provide research-vessel infrastructure for future delivery of Cefas’s activities at sea. The procurement is intended to secure a vessel that can be designed, built and supported using sovereign UK shipbuilding capability, reflecting the stated national security purpose. Delivery is described as within the United Kingdom. The earlier market engagement for the replacement vessel has concluded, and the approach contemplated in that earlier engagement will not be taken forward.

This is at planning stage: Cefas and Defra have set out an intention to run a competitive procurement, but there is no invitation to tender yet. The intended competition is outside the Procurement Act 2023, as Defra considers the contract exempt on national security grounds. Participation is expected to be restricted to shipyards meeting UK eligibility requirements, which are to be set out in the procurement documents. The stated estimated value is £115 million including VAT. The planned contract period runs from 1 September 2027 to 31 March 2033. A further notice is expected on 1 December 2026; this is the buyer’s indicative publication date, not a bid deadline. The process is organised as a single lot. The market engagement associated with the earlier procurement approach has concluded.

The requirement is most relevant to UK shipyards able to design, build and support a research vessel, and to firms with the capacity to deliver complex vessel infrastructure over a multi-year contract. Defra says eligibility will be limited to shipyards satisfying UK requirements, with the detailed conditions to be set out in future procurement documents. Suppliers should therefore assess whether they can meet those UK eligibility conditions and demonstrate the sovereign shipbuilding capability needed to protect the national security interests identified by the buyer. The earlier market engagement has ended and the previous procurement approach will not proceed; this is a revised route to market. Specialist vessel designers, marine engineering and shipbuilding businesses, and potential delivery partners with relevant vessel construction and support capability are the supplier types best placed to monitor the forthcoming competition.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

CEFAS26-130 Cefas Research Vessel

Notice Description

1. The purpose of this notice is to inform the market that the market engagement described in Prior Information Notice (PIN) 2024/S 000-028748 relating to the procurement of a replacement Cefas research vessel has concluded, and that the procurement approach contemplated in connection with that notice will not be progressed. 2. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), acting through its executive agency, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) issued PIN 2024/S 000-028748 in September 2024 in relation to the procurement of 'Cefas Research Vessel Infrastructure to Support Future Delivery at Sea'. Since that time, the Government has published further policy and guidance on the protection of national security through public procurement. 3. In June 2026, the Cabinet Office published Procurement Policy Note 025, Protecting the UK's National Security through Public Procurement. Having consulted the National Shipbuilding Office, Defra has determined that, in the interests of national security, and the availability of the sovereign UK shipbuilding capability required to design, build and support vessels carrying out such functions in times of need, the contract for the replacement Cefas research vessel should not be subject to the Procurement Act 2023. The contract is accordingly an exempted contract under paragraph 25 of Schedule 2 to that Act. 4. Defra therefore intends to conduct a competitive procurement designed to protect the national security interests identified above. Participation will be limited to shipyards satisfying the UK eligibility requirements to be specified in the procurement documents. 5. This notice is published voluntarily for transparency and market-notification purposes, to inform organisations that expressed an interest in, or may otherwise have been interested in, the opportunity described in PIN 2024/S 000-028748 of the conclusion of that market engagement and of Defra's revised procurement approach. 6. We request that all future communications are sent to ResearchVesselProcurement@cefas.gov.uk

Planning Information

1. The purpose of this notice is to inform the market that the market engagement described in Prior Information Notice (PIN) 2024/S 000-028748 relating to the procurement of a replacement Cefas research vessel has concluded, and that the procurement approach contemplated in connection with that notice will not be progressed. 2. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), acting through its executive agency, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) issued PIN 2024/S 000-028748 in September 2024 in relation to the procurement of ‘Cefas Research Vessel Infrastructure to Support Future Delivery at Sea’. Since that time, the Government has published further policy and guidance on the protection of national security through public procurement. 3. In June 2026, the Cabinet Office published Procurement Policy Note 025, Protecting the UK's National Security through Public Procurement. Having consulted the National Shipbuilding Office, Defra has determined that, in the interests of national security, and the availability of the sovereign UK shipbuilding capability required to design, build and support vessels carrying out such functions in times of need, the contract for the replacement Cefas research vessel should not be subject to the Procurement Act 2023. The contract is accordingly an exempted contract under paragraph 25 of Schedule 2 to that Act. 4. Defra therefore intends to conduct a competitive procurement designed to protect the national security interests identified above. Participation will be limited to shipyards satisfying the UK eligibility requirements to be specified in the procurement documents. 5. This notice is published voluntarily for transparency and market-notification purposes, to inform organisations that expressed an interest in, or may otherwise have been interested in, the opportunity described in PIN 2024/S 000-028748 of the conclusion of that market engagement and of Defra's revised procurement approach. 6. We request that all future communications are sent to ResearchVesselProcurement@cefas.gov.uk

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077e81
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/092783-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34500000 - Ships and boats

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£115,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Dec 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Sep 2027 - 31 Mar 2033 Over 5 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
CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LOWESTOFT
Postcode
NR33 0HT
Postcode Area
Norwich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH63 East Suffolk
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
East Suffolk
Electoral Ward
Kirkley & Pakefield
Westminster Constituency
Lowestoft

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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