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UK Patrol Craft In-Service Support

Defence Equipment and Support

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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13 Oct 2026 at 09:56

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Defence Equipment and Support is procuring continued in-service support for the existing UK Patrol Craft fleet. The requirement is for boat and ship reconditioning and related support services, maintaining patrol craft originally procured through a Foreign Military Sales programme with the US Department of Defense. The work concerns the UK fleet; no specific delivery site is identified. This is a defence requirement managed by the Ministry of Defence’s Boats Team. The scope centres on supporting the existing craft in service, rather than buying a new fleet. Suppliers with relevant patrol-boat maintenance and reconditioning expertise are the closest fit.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded to Berthon Boat Company Limited through a direct award, justified on the basis that the company is the only UK provider approved by the US Department of Defense to receive essential technical information under ITAR, with no reasonable alternative identified. The award date was 13 October 2026. The five-year contract period runs from 22 October 2027 to 21 October 2032. The estimated contract value is £41 million including VAT (£34,166,667 excluding VAT). The requirement is arranged as one lot and is part of a closed framework agreement. The published rationale cites technical supplier exclusivity as the basis for the award; no separate scored evaluation criteria are described.

For suppliers who did not win, this award indicates that Defence Equipment and Support buys long-term support for its UK Patrol Craft fleet at substantial scale, through a direct award where access to controlled technical data is decisive. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need demonstrable capability to maintain and recondition patrol craft, as well as the necessary approvals and secure access to the fleet’s technical information. In particular, the winning supplier’s US Department of Defense approval to receive information under ITAR was central to its selection. Relevant boat-support experience alone may therefore be insufficient without equivalent authority to handle the required data. The opportunity was considered suitable for small and medium-sized businesses, showing that specialist SMEs can be relevant where they meet these technical and approval requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

UK Patrol Craft In-Service Support

Notice Description

Provision of In-Service Support for the UK Patrol Craft fleet

Procurement Information

The Boats Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (the Authority), intends to award a contract to Berthon Boat Company Limited (Berthon) for services to provide continued in-service support to the existing fleet of UK Patrol Crafts (the Boats) procured under a Foreign Military Sales programme with the US Department of Defense (DoD). The contract will be for a term of five years and has an estimated total value of PS41 million (inclusive of VAT). It is considered that this contract can be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 because the direct award justification specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 applies. Access to the Boats technical data is essential to carry out the required services. Berthon is an existing and approved subcontractor of DoD and is the only UK provider with approval from DoD to receive technical information under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Berthon is therefore the only supplier capable of fulfilling the contract requirements. There is no reasonable alternative.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078635
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096380-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50244000 - Reconditioning services of ships or boats

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£34,166,667 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
22 Oct 2027 - 21 Oct 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

Berthon Boat Company Ltd

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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