--- title: "Uncrewed Surface / Subsurface Vehicle (USSV)" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03659e" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03659e" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03659e.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03659e.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE" published: "2022-09-02" --- # Uncrewed Surface / Subsurface Vehicle (USSV) Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03659e [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03659e) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03659e.json) ## Summary The Ministry of Defence has initiated a tender for the development of an Uncrewed Surface / Subsurface Vehicle (USSV) utilising an e-Tendering system. The contract involves military research and technology services with a focus on autonomous vessel capabilities for covert delivery of mission payloads. The procurement stage is currently in the planning phase with a tender period ending on 4th October 2022. The total available funding for this framework is £4.45 million (inc VAT), distributed among multiple suppliers to accelerate product development between December 2022 and March 2025. This tender presents an opportunity for companies experienced in autonomous vessel design and operation to participate in experimentation and demonstration activities. Suppliers are encouraged to form collaborative team bids as the procurement method involves a selective process with a restricted framework agreement. Eligible businesses can register interest by completing a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire to progress to the Invitation to Tender stage, fostering competition and innovation in the development of uncrewed surface and subsurface vessels for military applications. ## 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. The Authority expects that suppliers will be capable of taking on the breadth and scope of each piece of work and therefore collaboration will be required between suppliers in a competitive environment (collaborative team bids are encouraged). ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024737-2022 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Restricted | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | 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 | 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 | 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 | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73410000 - Military research and technology ## Release History - 2 Sep 2022 at 19:52 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024737-2022 ## 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-03659e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03659e.json.