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Maritime Simulation Upgrade

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

07 Oct 2026 at 14:34

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

07 Oct 2026 at 14:30

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Plymouth is upgrading and enhancing its existing maritime simulation facilities in Plymouth. The work moves its Navi-Trainer Professional simulation environment from version 5.40 to version 6, with associated software licences, integration and commissioning. It also includes technical support, software maintenance and upgrades for the simulation system. The aim is to keep the university’s maritime training aligned with current standards, improve simulation capability and extend the operational life of its existing Wärtsilä equipment. Support covers online technical assistance, remote monitoring, updates, preventative maintenance visits and training support. The equipment supports maritime education and professional training, and the upgrade is funded through the Office for Students’ defence-related skills funding.

The procurement is complete, and the University of Plymouth selected Wärtsilä Voyage Oy for a direct award. The award is pending. Its value is £191,600 excluding VAT (£229,920 including VAT). The contract period runs from 1 January 2027 to 1 January 2030, with a possible two-year extension to the annual support programme. The award was recorded on 28 September 2026. The university used a single-supplier route, citing Wärtsilä’s exclusive intellectual property and technical control of its proprietary platform, licences and upgrade pathway, with no reasonable alternative compatible with the installed system. The requirement was procured as one lot; no separate evaluation criteria are stated.

This award shows a buyer requirement for specialist maritime simulator upgrades that preserve an installed proprietary training environment, rather than replacing the simulator estate. A credible supplier would need direct rights to the software, licences and upgrade pathway, and the ability to integrate and commission the new version with existing bridge simulators, instructor stations and related software. The selected supplier also needs to provide dependable ongoing support, including round-the-clock online technical assistance, priority response, remote monitoring, maintenance visits, training support and future software updates. Manufacturer-level product knowledge and compatibility with the university’s existing Wärtsilä infrastructure were decisive: a general simulator supplier without those rights and technical capabilities would not meet this specific requirement. The work is relevant to maritime simulation vendors and authorised platform providers with support capacity for professional education environments.»}

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Maritime Simulation Upgrade

Notice Description

The University of Plymouth requires the upgrade and enhancement of its existing maritime simulation facilities supplied by Wartsila Voyage Oy. The procurement will deliver an upgrade of the existing Navi-Trainer Professional simulation environment from version 5.40 to version 6, ensuring continued alignment with current maritime training standards and enhanced simulation capabilities. The procurement also includes a three-year Smart Support Agreement covering technical support, software maintenance and upgrades from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029. Support services include 24/7 online technical support, priority assistance, access to the knowledge base, remote software monitoring, software updates, annual preventative maintenance visits, training support, guaranteed response times and future software upgrades. This upgrade will maximise the value of the University's existing Wartsila simulation infrastructure, extend the operational life of the equipment, maintain compliance with evolving maritime training requirements and support the continued delivery of high-quality maritime education and professional training. This upgrade is part of the Office for Students Defence related skills funding.

Procurement Information

The below justification set out in Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 applies to this Direct Award; Single Supplier (5)The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract-- (a)due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b)there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. (6) The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract-- (a)due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b)there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. The University's maritime simulation suite is an existing Wartsila Voyage Oy installation comprising Navi-Trainer Professional simulators, instructor stations, Model Wizard software, bridge simulators and associated software licences. The requirement is for an upgrade of the existing proprietary simulation platform from version 5.40 to version 6 together with associated software licences, integration, commissioning and support services. The upgrade must be fully compatible with the University's existing Wartsila simulation infrastructure and software environment. The proprietary software, licences, source code, intellectual property rights and upgrade pathways are owned and controlled exclusively by Wartsila. No alternative supplier can lawfully provide the required software upgrades, licences, manufacturer-certified integration, maintenance or future support for the existing platform. Procuring an alternative system would require replacement of the University's existing simulator estate and associated retraining, resulting in disproportionate technical, operational and financial impacts. Accordingly, competition is absent for technical reasons and the contract can only be performed by Wartsila Voyage Oy.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0782d8
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094808-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34150000 - Simulators

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£191,600 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
28 Sep 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 1 Jan 2030 3-4 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
UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
PLYMOUTH, DEVON
Postcode
PL4 8AA
Postcode Area
Plymouth
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK4 Devon
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK41 Plymouth
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Plymouth
Electoral Ward
Drake
Westminster Constituency
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Wartsila Voyage Oy

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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