--- title: "Provision of Crypto Services for the Air Crypt Key Service Centre" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "Ministry of Defence" published: "2026-09-17" --- # Provision of Crypto Services for the Air Crypt Key Service Centre Buyer: Ministry of Defence Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4.json) ## Summary The Ministry of Defence commissioned crypto services to establish the Royal Air Force Crypt Key Service Centre (CKSC). The work covers designing and setting up a small specialist team, developing the strategy and policy for crypto management, supporting business change, and providing front-line crypto cell support. The programme is intended to implement major changes to how crypto is managed and to its associated equipment. This is a services contract for system implementation planning. Delivery is associated with the Ministry of Defence’s facilities in England and may cover the United Kingdom, Europe, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, British Overseas Territories and other locations internationally. The requirement concerns defence cryptographic management and implementation rather than general information technology support. The procurement is complete and has been awarded. The Ministry of Defence selected Qinetiq Limited on 18 August 2026 through a selective call-off from a framework agreement. The awarded value is £2,048,725. The contract period runs from 1 September 2026 to 1 March 2028. The underlying tender had a submission deadline of 17 August 2026. The contract was treated as a service procurement and the published classification was system implementation planning services (CPV 72224100). The award is active, and the contract covers the establishment and operation of the CKSC-related change programme. The opportunity was not an invitation for expressions of interest; it records an awarded contract for transparency. This award indicates demand for a substantial, specialist defence transformation capability focused on cryptographic key management, policy, equipment and operational support. A credible future competitor would need to combine system implementation planning with the ability to design and establish a small expert delivery team, translate strategy and policy into business change, and provide practical front-line support to crypto cells. Relevant experience of complex, security-sensitive defence environments, controlled technology change and the interaction between policy, equipment and operations would be important. The buyer’s assessment of the requirement as unsuitable for SMEs indicates that competing suppliers would need significant organisational capacity, mature governance and the resources to sustain a specialist service across potentially UK and international locations. Qinetiq Limited, a large supplier, was selected. ## Notice The Authority has awarded a contract for the establishment of a small team to design and establish the RAF's Crypt Key Service Centre (CKSC). The CKSC is to be established to develop the strategy and policy, business change activities and front line crypto cell support required to implement the changes how crypto is managed. This change is the largest change to the management and equipment of crypto in the last 30 years. This notice is not a request for expressions of interest. This notice publishes the contract for transparency. All redactions have been undertaken in accordance with the FOI ACT 2000 Part 2. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f1130766-532a-401e-8ca2-466dcfdacce8 | | Notice type | Award Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Large | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 17 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 18 Aug 2026 | | Contract period | 1 Sep 2026 - 1 Mar 2028 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £2,048,725 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | £2,048,725 | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Ministry of Defence | | Locality | WOLVERHAMPTON | | Postcode area | Wolverhampton | | Postcode | WV7 3EX | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire | | ITL 3 | TLG22 Shropshire | | Local authority | Shropshire | | Electoral ward | Shifnal Rural | | Westminster constituency | The Wrekin | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | QINETIQ LIMITED | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support ### Codes - 72224100 - System implementation planning services ## Release History - 17 Sep 2026 at 09:05 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f1130766-532a-401e-8ca2-466dcfdacce8 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f1130766-532a-401e-8ca2-466dcfdacce8 17th September 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/27a9ed85-5aff-4f21-bf4a-d6680bfdd1a8 n/a ## 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-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-61b14c2b-286d-4446-aa37-9e11ecf8f1d4.json.