---
title: "VULCANS (the Virtual Centre for the Application of Nuclear Systems) is a multi-year Research & Development project aiming to help develop very small nuclear power systems to support sensors and propulsion in space and in other remote and challenging environments."
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-02edfc"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02edfc"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02edfc.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02edfc.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "BUSINESS ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY"
published: "2021-10-20"
---

# VULCANS (the Virtual Centre for the Application of Nuclear Systems) is a multi-year Research & Development project aiming to help develop very small nuclear power systems to support sensors and propulsion in space and in other remote and challenging environments.

Buyer: BUSINESS ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-02edfc

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## Summary

The Business Energy and Industrial Strategy has completed a procurement process for the VULCANS project, a multi-year initiative focused on developing small nuclear power systems for use in remote environments. The project falls under the services category, specifically installation services, and involves various aspects of research and development in the nuclear field. The contract was awarded on 19 October 2021 for a total value of £883,000. The procurement was conducted using a limited method without prior publication and focused on delivering essential specifications and exploratory R&D for nuclear technologies, mainly within the UK.

This tender presents opportunities for growth for businesses specialising in nuclear safety equipment, scientific technical simulators, and research and development consultancy services. Companies with capabilities in nuclear technology, isotopic systems, and fuel form development may find distinct advantages in competing for future contracts associated with this initiative. Given its emphasis on R&D, organisations experienced in innovation and advanced manufacturing processes will be particularly well-suited to engage in projects underpinning the deployment of micro-reactor systems and nuclear capabilities.

## Notice

Report on sector requirements and demand, covering: o Demand from public and private sector organisations for Deployable Nuclear Power Sources and their fuels; o Technical specification for isotope systems and fuel forms, in particular drawing on space mission profiles and launch safety requirements; o Capabilities required to exploit the UK's nuclear waste inventory for isotope systems; o Capabilities required and to develop micro-reactor fuel forms and reactors; o Demand for access to SACRED and PuMA2 (including associated potential revenue or cost recovery mechanisms); * Design/Engineering Specification for SACRED and for PuMA2 o Including project plan detailing path to final commissioning o Based on above identified sector requirements * Exploratory Research & Development into manufacturing approaches for fuel forms (both isotopic and fission) and subsequent performance testing * Report on future Critical Micro-Reactor Testing and Validation: o Technical requirements for a critical reactor facility o Potential location and licensing conditions o Level of investment required and customer pipeline o Links to the UK AMR Demonstration programme o Links to UKAEA's Fusion Programme.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

VULCANS (the Virtual Centre for the Application of Nuclear Systems) is a multi-year Research & Development project aiming to help develop very small nuclear power systems to support sensors and propulsion in space and in other remote and challenging environments.

### Procurement Information

Direct award due to absence of competition due to technical reasons or protection of exclusive rights (regulation 32(2)(b)

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026255-2021 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Oct 2021 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 18 Oct 2021 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £883,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | BUSINESS ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1H 0ET |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NATIONAL NUCLEAR LABORATORY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment
- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 51 - Installation services (except software)
- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 35113200 - Nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological protection equipment
- 35113210 - Nuclear safety equipment
- 38970000 - Research, testing and scientific technical simulator
- 51000000 - Installation services (except software)
- 73100000 - Research and experimental development services
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

## Release History

- 20 Oct 2021 at 12:54 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026255-2021

## Notice URLs

- http://www.beis.gov.uk

## 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-h6vhtk-02edfc. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02edfc.json.