---
title: "ARTIC Upgrade and ARTIC-Lite"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03b4e3"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03b4e3"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03b4e3.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03b4e3.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY"
published: "2023-03-21"
---

# ARTIC Upgrade and ARTIC-Lite

Buyer: DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03b4e3

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## Summary

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), under the UK Ministry of Defence, has recently awarded a Single Source Non-Qualifying Defence Contract to Roke Manor Research Limited. The contract involves upgrading the Argos Receiver Transmitter with Integrated Control (ARTIC) system, focusing on enhancing the capabilities of ARTIC (TUNDRA) and developing ARTIC-Lite. The contract is valued at up to £250,000. The procurement method used was a Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication, for Research and Development services related to military technology.

This tender presents a unique opportunity for businesses with expertise in military research and technology to collaborate with Dstl. Companies well-versed in satellite systems and research and development services for defence applications would be well-suited to compete. The tender location is in the UK, and the main procurement category falls under services. Interested parties should directly contact Roke Manor Research Limited for subcontracting opportunities related to this substantial defence technology contract.

## Notice

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), part of the UK Ministry of Defence intends to award a Single Source Non-Qualifying Defence Contract valued at up to PS250,000.00 (ex VAT) with Roke Manor Research Limited ("the Contractor") to carry out additional research and development services on the Argos Receiver Transmitter with Integrated Control (ARTIC), whereby the research requirement seeks to upgrade ARTIC (TUNDRA) and continue conducting research and development services enhancing the capability of ARTIC-Lite. The Contractor has successfully delivered an advanced Argos satellite tracking and locating beacon based on the ARTIC R2 chipset. Subsequently, Dstl have identified further research objectives including upgrade to the R3 chipset and development of ARTIC-Lite with focus on minimising size, weight and power (SWaP). It is considered that this Contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication of a contract notice pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC (Regulation 16(1)(c)) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011) for the provision of Research and Development services not excluded under the Regulation 7(1)(l) R&D Exclusion. The original contract with the Contractor has now been successfully completed. This proposed new contract will ensure continued access to research and development services which enable the Authority to fully benefit from the latest capabilities of the Argos Satellite System which provides a commercial, globally-reaching bearer system for transmitting short data messages over-the-horizon (OTH).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), part of the UK Ministry of Defence intends to award a Single Source Non-Qualifying Defence Contract valued at up to PS250,000.00 (ex VAT) with Roke Manor Research Limited ("the Contractor") to carry out additional research and development services on the Argos Receiver Transmitter with Integrated Control (ARTIC), whereby the research requirement seeks to upgrade ARTIC (TUNDRA) and continue conducting research and development services enhancing the capability of ARTIC-Lite. The Contractor has successfully delivered an advanced Argos satellite tracking and locating beacon based on the ARTIC R2 chipset. Subsequently, Dstl have identified further research objectives including upgrade to the R3 chipset and development of ARTIC-Lite with focus on minimising size, weight and power (SWaP). It is considered that this Contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication of a contract notice pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC (Regulation 16(1)(c)) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011) for the provision of Research and Development services not excluded under the Regulation 7(1)(l) R&D Exclusion. The original contract with the Contractor has now been successfully completed. This proposed new contract will ensure continued access to research and development services which enable the Authority to fully benefit from the latest capabilities of the Argos Satellite System which provides a commercial, globally-reaching bearer system for transmitting short data messages over-the-horizon (OTH). Additional information: This notice is not a request for expressions of interest so please do not apply to be invited to tender. This notice advises that the Authority has decided to negotiate a contract with the named supplier on a single source basis, and is published for reasons of transparency. If you are interested in becoming a sub-contractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named above.

### Procurement Information

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), part of the UK Ministry of Defence intends to award a Single Source Non-Qualifying Defence Contract with Roke Manor Research Limited ("the Contractor") It is considered that this Contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication of a contract notice pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC (Regulation 16(1)(c)) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011) for the provision of Research and Development services not excluded under the Regulation 7(1)(l) R&D Exclusion. Roke Manor Research Limited has extensive expertise of the Argos Satellite Constellation. The Contractor has previously successfully delivered an advanced Argos satellite tracking and locating beacon based on the ARTIC R2 chipset due to their leading knowledge in the Argos/Kineis system, certification procedures and chipsets. The Contractor has the tools, knowledge and know-how necessary to provide the required capability. Dstl intend to award a new contract to build upon the previous work to ensure necessary upgrades and further research and development are achieved.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008236-2023 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Negotiated without publication of a contract notice |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 Mar 2023 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 21 Mar 2023 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £250,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY |
| Locality | SALISBURY |
| Post town | Salisbury |
| Postcode | SP4 0JQ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK72 Wiltshire |
| Local authority | Wiltshire |
| Electoral ward | Winterslow & Upper Bourne Valley |
| Westminster constituency | Salisbury |
| Delivery location | TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ROKE MANOR RESEARCH |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73410000 - Military research and technology

## Release History

- 21 Mar 2023 at 21:03 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008236-2023

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory

## 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-03b4e3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03b4e3.json.