Tender

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Mission Feasibility Studies - Spacecraft Life Extension Service Demonstration

Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

30 Oct 2026 at 18:56

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

19 Oct 2026 at 17:07

UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, through the UK Space Agency, is seeking research and development services for spacecraft life-extension mission feasibility studies. The work will develop and compare credible mission concepts for an in-orbit demonstration using rendezvous, proximity operations and docking with a prepared client spacecraft. Studies must consider the client and servicing spacecraft, launch, operations and ground segment, and assess how concepts could support a future service such as refuelling, relocation, repair, refurbishment or control-system takeover. The aim is to establish whether a safe, reliable and repeatable demonstration is feasible and inform a later procurement and business case. The requirement concerns delivery in the United Kingdom. It is one of two concurrent space demonstration discovery procurements; the other concerns in-orbit manufacturing research and development.

The buyer invited offers through an open competition for research and development services. The procurement reached the tender stage, with bids submitted electronically through the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal. Questions were due by 17:00 on 13 November 2026, and submissions by 13:00 on 27 November 2026. The planned contract period runs from 4 January to 15 June 2027, with an award decision scheduled by 22 December 2026. The estimated value is £2.1 million excluding VAT (£2.52 million including VAT). There is one lot, and small and medium-sized enterprises are considered suitable. Evaluation is based on proposed idea or technology (20%), technical feasibility (20%), project management (15%), value for money (10%), commercial and strategic potential (20%) and benefit to the UK (15%).

This opportunity is suited to organisations able to carry out credible spacecraft mission-concept studies and assess rendezvous, proximity operations and docking with a cooperative or prepared spacecraft. Strong bids will show technical capability across the client spacecraft, servicer, launch service, mission operations and ground segment, and explain how the proposed concept would demonstrate safe, reliable and repeatable operations. Suppliers should be able to compare options and identify the evidence, costs, risks, dependencies and decision points needed to shape a future demonstration and its business case. The work is research and development, rather than delivery of a complete life-extension service or an operational spacecraft demonstration. Small and medium-sized enterprises are explicitly considered suitable, and the scoring gives substantial weight to technical feasibility, the proposed idea, and commercial and strategic potential alongside UK benefit.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Mission Feasibility Studies - Spacecraft Life Extension Service Demonstration

Notice Description

This is one of two concurrent procurements being progressed, the other being for In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) Maturation Research & Development Projects. Please see the respective notice on Find a Tender: * Title: In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) Maturation Research & Development Projects The UK Space Agency is launching a Contracts for Innovation competition to fund approximately three Phase 0/A mission feasibility studies examining credible options for a potential future in-orbit demonstration of a Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD)-enabled spacecraft Life Extension service. The studies will develop and assess mission concepts capable of performing safe, reliable and repeatable RPOD with a cooperative or prepared client spacecraft. The intended demonstration may enable or de-risk a future Life Extension service such as refuelling, Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS) takeover, relocation, component replacement, repair, upgrade or refurbishment. The demonstration would not necessarily be required to perform the complete future service. The Life Extension feasibility studies will: * Develop and compare credible mission concepts for an RPOD-enabled Life Extension service demonstration with a prepared client spacecraft, including analysis of the client, servicer, launch service, operations and ground-segment options required to deliver the mission. * Assess how each concept could demonstrate safe, reliable and repeatable RPOD operations and support a commercially relevant Life Extension service such as refuelling, AOCS takeover, relocation, repair, upgrade or refurbishment. * Identify the evidence, costs, risks, dependencies and decision points required to inform a potential future Life Extension demonstration procurement and associated Business Case. This procurement is for exempted contracts under section 3(6) and paragraph 22 of Schedule 2, Part 2 (subject-matter exempted contracts) of the Procurement Act 2023. Exempted contracts are not public contracts as defined by section 3 of the Act and are therefore not required to be procured in accordance with the provisions of the Act relating to covered procurement. This competition concerns Research and Development services. Bidder Engagement Event The UK Space Agency will hold an optional in-person Engagement Event covering both ISAM In-Orbit Demonstration Programme Discovery Phase competitions. The event will provide an overview of the tender documentation and published tender requirements for both procurements and include a clarification Q&A session. Transcriptions and any clarifications that materially affect the procurement requirements will subsequently be uploaded to the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal. The Engagement Event will take place on 6 November 2026 at the UK Space Agency Conference Centre, Harwell Campus, OX11 0FD. Bidders may attend either the morning session (10:00-12:00) or the afternoon session (13:00-15:00). Organisations wishing to attend must express their interest by 15:00 UK time on 4 November 2026 by emailing UKSA.commercial@dsit.gov.uk with the subject line "IOD Discovery Phase Engagement Event". The email must state which session the organisation wishes to attend and provide the name and email address of the proposed attendee. Attendance is limited to one representative per organisation. Subject to capacity, a second representative may be accommodated. Organisations wishing to send two representatives should request this when registering their interest. UKSA will confirm by 15:00 UK time on 5 November 2026 whether a second attendee can be accommodated.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078b35
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103472-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
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

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

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

32534000 - Satellite platforms

34700000 - Aircraft and spacecraft

34712000 - Spacecraft, satellites and launch vehicles

34712100 - Spacecraft

34712200 - Satellites

35631100 - Communication satellites

35631200 - Observation satellites

35631300 - Navigation satellites

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,100,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£2,100,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Oct 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
27 Nov 20264 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
23 Oct 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
4 Jan 2027 - 15 Jun 2027 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
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 2EG
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...