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Space Weather R2O Maintenance - Lancaster University

Met Office

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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21 Oct 2026 at 14:14

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Met Office commissioned research and development to assess the quality of riometer observations and their suitability for operational use in its Optimised D-Region Absorption Model (ODRAM). Riometer measurements vary in quality, and existing guidance from instrument owners may be limited. The work is intended to develop an assessment that automatically assigns quality flags to the data, potentially as simple as “use” or “do not use”, and to determine whether the observations can be used in ODRAM operationally. The service was awarded to Lancaster University. Delivery locations cover England, including the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, and South West.

The procurement is complete: Lancaster University was selected and the contract was signed on 21 October 2026. The contract runs from 22 October 2026 to 31 July 2027. Its value is £48,356 excluding VAT and £58,027.20 including VAT. The Met Office used a selective route to award under a framework, below the relevant threshold; the call-off was not competitive. The procurement was for one lot, and the award is active. No award evaluation criteria are stated in the available process details.

This award shows demand for specialist research and development in space-weather data quality and operational modelling. Suppliers well placed for comparable work would need to understand riometer observations, assess variable-quality scientific datasets, and develop automated quality-control methods that can flag data as suitable or unsuitable for operational use. They would also need to evaluate whether measurements can be assimilated into a model such as ODRAM in an operational setting, rather than provide research findings alone. The selected supplier was a large university, indicating that research capability and the capacity to undertake this specialist assessment were relevant to the requirement. The work was awarded through a framework rather than an open competition, so credible suppliers would also need access to an appropriate framework route.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Space Weather R2O Maintenance - Lancaster University

Notice Description

Observations from riometers can be assimilated into the Optimised D-Region Absorption Model (ODRAM). However, the riometer observations are of variable quality and, even where guidance on the quality is available from the instrument owners, this guidance can be of limited use. The objectives of this project are to create: * An assessment of the quality of the riometer data, which would automatically put quality flags on these data. As the intention is to feed the riometer observations into an operational system, the quality flags could be as simple as 'use' and 'do not use'. * An assessment of the suitability of using riometer observations within ODRAM in an operational setting.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078cf3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099525-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - award under framework
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73100000 - Research and experimental development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£48,356 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
22 Oct 2026 - 31 Jul 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Met Office
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EXETER
Postcode
EX1 3PB
Postcode Area
Exeter
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK4 Devon
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK43 Devon CC
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Exeter
Electoral Ward
Pinhoe
Westminster Constituency
Exmouth and Exeter East

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Lancaster University

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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