---
title: "AWARDED CONTRACT: Project Black Opal"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-6db9eb9c-012a-4ee2-8208-c61ea6ba37fb"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-6db9eb9c-012a-4ee2-8208-c61ea6ba37fb"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6db9eb9c-012a-4ee2-8208-c61ea6ba37fb.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6db9eb9c-012a-4ee2-8208-c61ea6ba37fb.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE"
published: "2024-02-19"
---

# AWARDED CONTRACT: Project Black Opal

Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-6db9eb9c-012a-4ee2-8208-c61ea6ba37fb

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract titled "Project Black Opal" to Montvieux Limited. This project, managed by the Army Futures Directorate, seeks to leverage artificial intelligence and data exploitation to enhance the British Army's capabilities and strategic advantage. The total contract value is £3,792,769.95 GBP. The procurement method used was selective, involving a call-off from a framework agreement. The tender period ended on 22nd January 2024, with the contract period running from 12th February 2024 to 30th August 2024. The procurement falls under the main procurement category of services in the IT and research sectors.

This awarded contract offers business opportunities for companies specializing in IT services, consulting, software development, and research. As the project focuses on leveraging AI and data analytics, businesses with expertise in these areas would be well-suited to compete. The Ministry of Defence, serving as the buyer, aims to work with SMEs and encourage collaboration between commercial solutions and military applications. The contract presents an opportunity for businesses to contribute to national strategic priorities and support the British Army in adapting to emerging technologies.

## Notice

ARMY FUTURES DIRECTORATE - Project BLACK OPAL Established to set the British Army's aiming mark and drive change, the Army Futures Directorate, is uniquely positioned as the Army's engine for research, experimentation, and innovation. Our purpose, to win in competition conflict, and create strategic advantage which out paces that of our adversaries. The environment in which the Army operates continues to be ever more dynamic, complex, and rapidly evolving. Against a backdrop of societal and environmental change, adversaries are investing heavily in the application of emerging technologies which challenge our capabilities and threaten our national interests. The adoption of innovative commercial and military technologies, at the pace of relevance, is essential to achieve competitive advantage as the British Army adapts and transforms. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of those technologies. BLACK OPAL will, through data exploitation and the use of AIs, enhance our insights, assessment, and measurement of effectiveness, in a single visualised version of the truth, whilst increasing tempo, and competitive advantage over our adversaries by; 1. Apply contemporary technologies and data exploitation to enable competitive advantage. 2. Cohere an SME ecosystem, which brings innovative commercial solutions into alignment with military application, and National Strategic Priorities. 3. Upskill service personnel to develop digital and data literacy levels, to drive the adoption of a quantifiable approach to solve the most complex adversarial threat challenges. 4. Demonstrate the strategic importance of data to the British Army, and how the application of machine intelligent processes can provide insight beyond the capability, or capacity of humans. 5. Demonstrate the British Army's Approach to AI in action, so that whole force can benefit from the outcomes. BLACK OPAL will build a specialist team, to drive a human centric approach to the application of AI, using data driven decision making capability. BLACK OPAL will formalise a quantifiable and measurable approach to continuously addressing evolving adversarial threats, with novel solutions. It will do so in alignment with ambitious, safe, and responsible AI governance. Please note the SOR and contract has been heavily redacted due to sensitive information This contract was competed through G-Cloud 13 lot 2

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ad9b557f-d0c8-4add-9470-ec90636491bd |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 19 Feb 2024 |
| Submission deadline | 22 Jan 2024 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 9 Feb 2024 |
| Contract period | 12 Feb 2024 - 30 Aug 2024 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £3,792,769 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £3,792,769 |
| 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 | ANDOVER |
| Post town | Salisbury |
| Postcode | SP11 8HJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| ITL 3 | TLJ36 Central Hampshire |
| Local authority | Test Valley |
| Electoral ward | Andover Millway |
| Westminster constituency | North West Hampshire |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | MONTVIEUX |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 19 Feb 2024 at 13:43 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ad9b557f-d0c8-4add-9470-ec90636491bd

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ad9b557f-d0c8-4add-9470-ec90636491bd
  19th February 2024 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/7e804167-8100-4488-b2c2-6b0bf77fa9a0
  Redacted G-Cloud 13 contract for Black Opal

## 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-b5fd17-6db9eb9c-012a-4ee2-8208-c61ea6ba37fb. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6db9eb9c-012a-4ee2-8208-c61ea6ba37fb.json.