---
title: "500000.00"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE"
published: "2025-04-04"
---

# 500000.00

Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40.json)

## Summary

The Ministry of Defence, through its Defence Equipment and Support division, has completed the procurement process for the Tempest Production Assurance Testing (TPAT) for AJAX vehicles. This contract, valued at £500,000, falls under the services category, specifically technical inspection and testing services. The contract has been directly awarded to Malvern Optical Limited without prior competition, as it is the only accredited provider for this specialized type of security testing. The process was regulated under the Procurement Act 2023, ensuring compliance with legal provisions due to the absence of a reasonable alternative supplier. The contract has been signed and commenced on 31 March 2025 and will span three years, covering the entire United Kingdom.

This tender presents significant growth opportunities for businesses involved in providing technical inspection and testing services, especially those with capabilities in high-security accreditation like TEMPEST. Companies operating in the defence sector and possessing specialised certifications from the UK National Cyber Security Centre will find this sector restrictive yet lucrative, given the stringent accreditation requirements. The tender is particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that can navigate highly specialized fields and are looking to secure government contracts to expand their portfolios and capabilities within the defence sector.

## Notice

Tempest Production Assurance Testing (TPAT) for AJAX vehicles to ensure that platforms are security accreditable.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Tempest Production Assurance Testing (TPAT) for AJAX vehicles to ensure that platforms are security accreditable.

### Procurement Information

The Secretary of State for Defence (the "Authority"), through the AJAX Programme within Defence Equipment and Support ("DE&S") intends to place a contract with Malvern Optical Limited ("MOP") for the Platform security accreditation and Initial Operating Capability (IOC) assurance The proposed contract will have a duration of 3 years and an estimated value of PS500K and be placed as a supply of services contract. As a covered procurement, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 (the "PA23"). It is considered that the direct award of the contract is lawful in accordance with section 41(1) and paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the PA23 because competition is absent for technical reasons such that only MOP can achieve the requirement and there is no reasonable alternative. TEMPEST accreditation is required for platform security accreditation and assurance for IOC of the AJAX programme.. TEMPEST is a specialist field. Companies need to be accredited by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Platform TEMPEST Accreditation Scheme (CPTAS) to carry out this security accreditation. MOP is the only NCSC accredited TEMPEST Evaluation Partner and test house for vehicles and there is no reasonable alternative to the TEMPEST service and therefore MOP is the only supplier capable of meeting the Authority's requirement.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013056-2025 |
| 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 | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 4 Apr 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 30 Mar 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £500,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MINISTRY OF DEFENCE |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Not specified |
| Postcode | N/A |
| Country | Not specified |
| ITL 1 | Not specified |
| ITL 2 | Not specified |
| ITL 3 | Not specified |
| Local authority | Not specified |
| Electoral ward | Not specified |
| Westminster constituency | Not specified |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | MALVERN OPTICAL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 71630000 - Technical inspection and testing services

## Release History

- 4 Apr 2025 at 11:14 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013056-2025

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-equipment-and-support

## 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-04fd40. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40.json.