---
title: "Dstl Category Management - Project Thunderbolt Early Market Engagement - discussing a potential route to market for Defence R&D Weapons Category"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-57342dfb-eb27-4f7a-a844-3c00d8fbcdf4"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-57342dfb-eb27-4f7a-a844-3c00d8fbcdf4"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-57342dfb-eb27-4f7a-a844-3c00d8fbcdf4.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-57342dfb-eb27-4f7a-a844-3c00d8fbcdf4.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE"
published: "2024-09-13"
---

# Dstl Category Management - Project Thunderbolt Early Market Engagement - discussing a potential route to market for Defence R&D Weapons Category

Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-57342dfb-eb27-4f7a-a844-3c00d8fbcdf4

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is currently in the planning stage for Project Thunderbolt, which involves early market engagement activities discussing potential routes to market for the Defence R&D Weapons category. This effort is being led by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). The project covers research and development services within the defence and security sectors, with the industry category defined under CPV codes: 73100000, 73200000, 73210000, 73300000, and 73400000. The key milestone for this engagement is set for 16th September 2024, which includes an industry day conducted via Microsoft Teams. This engagement aims to collect market feedback and refine the approach for a successor Route to Market (RtM) following the completion of the Weapons Sector Research Framework (WSRF).

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in advanced technology and innovation in defence and security. With a focus on disruptive and innovative technology solutions, companies that can demonstrate flexibility, capability, and technical stewardship across various disciplines such as kinetic effects, energy, and hypersonic weapons will be well-suited to compete. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) are particularly encouraged to participate, making this an attractive tender for diverse businesses seeking to grow through involvement in cutting-edge defence projects.

## Notice

Suppliers are invited to attend an industry day led by Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), in support of a successor Route to Market (RtM) following the completion of the Weapons Sector Research Framework (WSRF). The successor RtM will deliver the MOD requirement to respond in a timely and efficient manner to stakeholder derived weapons S&T research needs and provide technical stewardship across several technical disciplines, including but not limited to, kinetic effects, energy and hypersonic weapons. The successor RtM will allow the best skills, knowledge, expertise and facilities to be brought together to deliver tasks. It must also focus on driving technology, where we will seek to shape the future of defence and security capability by finding and funding affordable technology solutions that are disruptive or innovative in nature and that will deliver a revolutionary change. Identifying these technologies and needs will require close interaction with the stakeholder and customer community that will enable us to deliver across a number of weapons S&T areas. The purpose of this EME day - Provide industry with visibility of the approach and the current options being considered for the successor RTM - Opportunity to collect wider external views in order to further assure/refine the approach and challenges based on the current market. - Dstl are looking for innovative suggestions, and ways in which this opportunity will be viewed as attractive across the breadth of potential tenderers. - Identification of how we need to adapt to meet the evolving demands of S&T in a rapidly changing environment, e.g. flexibility, capability etc. How to get involved; The industry day will take place at 16th of September 2024 at 13:00 - 16:00 on Microsoft Teams where interested companies can find out more detail on the requirements, security, commercial strategy, and Agile delivery, and have the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments. If your organisation is unable to attend but would like to bekept informed, please email either Gavin Bishop (gbishop@dstl.gov.uk), Sam Henry (sfhenry@dstl.gov.uk) or Chris Lingard (clingard@dstl.gov.uk). Find below the link to the Teams meeting for on the day if you would like to attend; https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19:meeting_NWJmMjIxYjgtZjI2Zi00YmI2LWI0MTMtYjgyN2VkMTI0NDNm@thread.v2/0?context={"Tid":"46c7b800-8aa6-4143-a299-3de8679a6ef7","Oid":"2935df34-b376-4a7f-8383-a3dfe73ed0fa"} Additional information: The Authority has used an e-Tendering system to publish this notice, please visit www.contracts.mod.uk for details

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2eb153bd-8d97-42c4-9446-a8de1214344e |
| Notice type | Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Not specified |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 13 Sep 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 16 Sep 2024 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MINISTRY OF DEFENCE |
| Locality | FAREHAM |
| Post town | Portsmouth |
| Postcode | PO17 6AD |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| ITL 3 | TLJ36 Central Hampshire |
| Local authority | Winchester |
| Electoral ward | Southwick and Wickham |
| Westminster constituency | Fareham and Waterlooville |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73100000 - Research and experimental development services
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
- 73210000 - Research consultancy services
- 73300000 - Design and execution of research and development
- 73400000 - Research and Development services on security and defence materials

## Release History

- 13 Sep 2024 at 12:16 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2eb153bd-8d97-42c4-9446-a8de1214344e

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2eb153bd-8d97-42c4-9446-a8de1214344e
  13th September 2024 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-sell-to-dstl-industry-academia-and-other-research-organisations
  https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=58739

## Notice URLs

- https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=58739
- https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19:meeting_NWJmMjIxYjgtZjI2Zi00YmI2LWI0MTMtYjgyN2VkMTI0NDNm@thread.v2/0?context=
- https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19:meeting_NWJmMjIxYjgtZjI2Zi00YmI2LWI0MTMtYjgyN2VkMTI0NDNm@thread.v2/0?context={"Tid":"46c7b800-8aa6-4143-a299-3de8679a6ef7","Oid":"2935df34-b376-4a7f-8383-a3dfe73ed0fa"}

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-57342dfb-eb27-4f7a-a844-3c00d8fbcdf4. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-57342dfb-eb27-4f7a-a844-3c00d8fbcdf4.json.