--- title: "Uncrewed Surface & Subsurface Vessel (USSV)" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE" published: "2022-09-02" --- # Uncrewed Surface & Subsurface Vessel (USSV) Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def.json) ## Summary The Ministry of Defence is seeking bids for the procurement of an Uncrewed Surface & Subsurface Vessel (USSV) as part of a military research and technology project. The contract is valued at £4.45 million and will follow a restricted procedure. The tender deadline is October 4, 2022, with a contract period starting on October 17, 2022, and ending on March 31, 2025, based in Bristol, South West, United Kingdom. Companies interested in designing, manufacturing, and operating autonomous vessels should demonstrate their capabilities by providing supporting evidence. This opportunity presents a chance for businesses specializing in autonomous vessel technology to compete for a framework contract under a selective procurement method. The Ministry of Defence is looking for companies that can deliver innovative solutions meeting specific requirements within the stipulated time frame. SMEs are encouraged to participate, and successful bidders will compete for funding to accelerate system development, aiming for a full-scale demonstration within the contract duration to maximize value for money in the procurement process. ## Notice The Authority has a developing requirement to demonstrate a full-scale prototype of an autonomous vessel capability that is able to transit on the surface at speed, quickly transitioning sub-surface for covert delivery of capabilities. Integration into an open architecture network (NSN) will be critical for these vessels to operate autonomously and deploy modular mission payloads. The littoral strike battlespace commander requires surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and strike effectors, which can be covertly deployed to multiple simultaneous maritime locations and persist to enhance commando operations. The capability must have a useful service life, operate from the broadest range of platforms, worldwide, by day and night, survive likely threats and be deliverable. Due to the rapid timescales the authority is driving, we would expect that companies we will be working with will have already successfully designed, manufactured and operated an autonomous vessel (as described above) capable of surface and sub-surface operation up to at least fully-operational demonstrator stage. If companies have not achieved this to date, we would expect companies to achieve a minimum entry criteria, potentially backed up by authority SQEP panel via on-site visits to confirm that you have capabilities, resources, plans and measures in place to meet this requirement within the given timescales. Please provide supporting evidence to the above within the white paper. It is expected that the work will involve experimentation and demonstrations of an uncrewed Surface and subsurface vessel. The contractual mechanism is intended to be a multi-supplier framework. Potential bidders are invited to register their interest in receiving an Invitation to Tender to join the framework by first completing the associated Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) and White Paper template. The Authority intends to invite all eligible companies who pass the PQQ to tender for the Framework. Companies who successfully pass the PQQ will be considered eligible to receive an Invitation to Tender at the next stage of the programme. c.PS4.45M inc VAT is available to be split amongst multiple companies under a competitive process and assessed for best Value For Money (VFM), awarding to 1 or more companies to accelerate towards Min Viable Product (MVP) within the Design/Re-design, Manufacture and Demo phases between Dec 22 and Mar 25. The process as currently defined post PQQ will be to issue an ITT against a minimum requirement, select bidders, accelerate the proposed systems through funding, with the intent of having a full scale demonstration within the framework duration. As with any framework, there can be no guarantee of any particular quantity of work being put through it. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d755aaa2-888f-45b0-a428-63a8054f9f86 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Restricted procedure (above threshold) | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 2 Sep 2022 | | Submission deadline | 4 Oct 2022 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 16 Oct 2022 - 31 Mar 2025 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £4,445,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | MINISTRY OF DEFENCE | | Locality | BRISTOL | | Post town | Bristol | | Postcode | BS34 8JH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England | | ITL 3 | TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire | | Local authority | South Gloucestershire | | Electoral ward | Stoke Park & Cheswick | | Westminster constituency | Filton and Bradley Stoke | | Delivery location | TLK South West (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73410000 - Military research and technology ## Release History - 2 Sep 2022 at 19:55 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d755aaa2-888f-45b0-a428-63a8054f9f86 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d755aaa2-888f-45b0-a428-63a8054f9f86 2nd September 2022 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contracts.mod.uk/go/354527430182FFAD1B7F Link to PQQ ## 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-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8adf5d0c-6c64-4ac6-9736-e669b4dc3def.json.