--- title: "Hearing Protection Communication and Situational Awareness (HPCSA) Programme Early Market Engagement (EME)" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE" published: "2025-07-07" --- # Hearing Protection Communication and Situational Awareness (HPCSA) Programme Early Market Engagement (EME) Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0.json) ## Summary The Ministry of Defence is conducting an early market engagement for the Hearing Protection Communication and Situational Awareness (HPCSA) programme. This initiative, currently in the planning stage, aims to explore emerging technologies to enhance hearing protection and situational awareness for Armoured Fighting Vehicle crew and Dismount Close Combat personnel. The procurement focuses on protective gear and related safety headgear, aligning with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. A Market Interest Day is scheduled for 15th May 2025 at Warminster Garrison, with the engagement phase concluding by 30th September 2025 in the South West of the United Kingdom. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specializing in protective and safety gear, as well as those offering electronic data exchange services. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are encouraged to participate. Companies with innovative solutions that can integrate communication and noise attenuation technologies will find this an excellent opportunity to collaborate with the Defence Digital's Tactical Systems Service Executive. Participating in this engagement could lead to further contract opportunities with the Ministry of Defence. ## Notice The Hearing Protection Communication and Situation Awareness (HPCSA) programme wishes to horizon scan emerging technologies to address Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) crew and Dismount Close Combat personnel noise environments with a communications hearing protection and situational awareness system that provides the required levels of attenuation for impulse and continuous noise in conformance with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations (CNAWR) 2005. This notice is to inform the Market of an Early Market Engagement Exercise (EME) led by Defence Digital's Tactical Systems Service Executive (TacSys SE) in collaboration with the Army's Hearing Protection Communication Situational Awareness (HPCSA) Programme. The EME exercise will be in the form of a Request for Information (RFI) in MS Forms followed by a Market Interest Day event scheduled for Thursday 15th May 2025 at Warminster Garrison. For further detail on how to register for the Market Interest Day and to submit a response to the RFI, please view the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) Opportunity: https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=59700 Additional information: The DSP Opportunity Notice now contains the Market Interest Day Post Event Delegation Pack containing the slides from the day and MOD's responses to the Q&A sessions. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/086e80c6-7c18-41fc-865a-fede2c3997b2 | | Notice type | Planned Procurement 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 | 7 Jul 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 30 Sep 2025 | | 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 | 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 - 18 - Clothing, footwear, luggage articles and accessories - 64 - Postal and telecommunications services ### Codes - 18143000 - Protective gear - 18443300 - Headgear - 18444100 - Safety headgear - 64216110 - Electronic data exchange services ## Release History - 7 Jul 2025 at 10:34 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/086e80c6-7c18-41fc-865a-fede2c3997b2 - 24 Apr 2025 at 12:45 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/086e80c6-7c18-41fc-865a-fede2c3997b2 - 11 Apr 2025 at 14:05 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/086e80c6-7c18-41fc-865a-fede2c3997b2 - 9 Apr 2025 at 11:00 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/086e80c6-7c18-41fc-865a-fede2c3997b2 - 4 Apr 2025 at 13:10 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/086e80c6-7c18-41fc-865a-fede2c3997b2 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/086e80c6-7c18-41fc-865a-fede2c3997b2 7th July 2025 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/c6d5642d-4792-4987-b880-30af78ffdbb3 Invitation to Market Interest Day - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/ac6d2979-1809-4743-9240-50082f519b38 Background and Early Market Engagement Objectives - https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=59700 Link to Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) Opportunity - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/9d7f1d4a-94e9-4153-b8b2-d74d96d4b1d6 Updated signed invitation letter. Previous version referred to supplier exhibitions at the planned Market Interest Day, this has now been removed as it is not the Authority's intention to host these at the event. - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/163014b7-5da5-446b-98d1-ae7390830a8a Updated to move response to Market Interest Day deadline to Wednesday 30th April 25 and to update contact details. - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/6cda1bf6-0e45-46f3-8c50-0f85b8b6b017 Updated to move response to Market Interest Day deadline to Wednesday 30th April 25 and to update contact details. ## 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-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d8a827cb-ba19-4b55-b990-c592187e7bb0.json.