--- title: "Defence Test and Evaluation Service Future (DTES)(F)" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-050df5" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-050df5" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050df5.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050df5.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT" published: "2026-01-08" --- # Defence Test and Evaluation Service Future (DTES)(F) Buyer: DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-050df5 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-050df5) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050df5.json) ## Summary The Ministry of Defence (MOD), through its Defence Equipment and Support organisation, is in the planning stage for its Defence Test and Evaluation Service Future (DTES)(F) procurement process. Focused on the Test and Evaluation (T&E) industry category, this procurement aims to transform how T&E services are provided to enhance military capabilities. The project is located in Bristol, UK, and is identified with the ocid: ocds-h6vhtk-050df5. Businesses interested in participating should take note of a critical milestone, as they are required to register their interest by 22 January 2026 to receive documentation, with submissions due by 25 February 2026. The goal is to engage industry in shaping future T&E service delivery, leveraging innovative technologies across virtual, live, and deployable platforms. This tender presents significant growth opportunities for businesses specialising in test and evaluation services, particularly those boasting expertise in innovative technological solutions for military applications. Companies that can offer robust solutions in virtual modelling, live testing infrastructures, or deployable technology platforms could find this opportunity highly beneficial. Given the broad scope of the transformation programme, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with specialised capabilities have the potential to compete effectively. The long-term nature of the project, planned to commence in 2033, provides an extended horizon for strategic partnerships and sustained engagement in defence service provisions. ## Notice The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has an enduring requirement for the provision of Test and Evaluation (T&E) services. T&E is core to all Defence equipment programmes to ensure the reliability and fitness for purpose of the equipment it uses. The MOD has established a T&E Transformation Programme which is reviewing how T&E will be delivered in the future and how new, innovative technologies can improve and enhance current capability to enable T&E for military advantage rather than solely for equipment acceptance. The Transformation Programme is developing a new requirement for the provision of future T&E services and there is an opportunity for Industry to help shape this. The MOD has identified the following potential grouping of T&E services to facilitate a conversation with industry, but this is not exhaustive and will likely evolve because of our engagement: * Virtual T&E Platform: Common infrastructure, architecture, assets and capabilities required to support modelling and simulation-based T&E. * Live T&E Platform: Centrally funded estate, range infrastructure and T&E capability to support real world testing and data capture for evaluation and model validation. * Deployable T&E Platform: Common enablers of T&E capabilities that can be deployed and user-operated anywhere. ### Planning Information The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has an enduring requirement for Test and Evaluation (T&E) services, critical to ensuring the reliability and fitness for purpose of all Defence equipment. To meet future challenges, MOD has launched the T&E Transformation Programme, exploring how innovative technologies can enhance capability and deliver T&E for military advantage, not just equipment acceptance. As part of this transformation, MOD is developing our strategy for delivering future T&E services. Industry is invited to help shape this strategy. MOD are interested to gather insights on capabilities, processes, and innovative approaches for delivering T&E across Virtual, Live, and Deployable platforms. This includes a theoretical problem statement to understand how industry would respond to a Defence tasking both from a technical perspective and a process perspective. The Theoretical Problem Statement and Request for Information (RFI) response form will be a Microsoft Word Document held by the DTES(F) Project Team. Suppliers are to register their interest to respond to the Theoretical Problem Statement and RFI by emailing the DTES(F) Multiuser account (DES-DTESF@mod.gov.uk) by 22/01/2026. Suppliers who register interest will then receive a copy of the Theoretical Problem Statement and RFI on 23/01/2026 via email. Suppliers should submit their responses to the RFI via the DTES(F) Multiuser account (DES-DTESF@mod.gov.uk) by 25/02/2026. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001550-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 8 Jan 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 31 Mar 2029 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Mar 2033 - 1 Apr 2043 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £1 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT | | 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 - 73430000 - Test and evaluation ## Release History - 8 Jan 2026 at 15:20 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001550-2026 - 9 May 2025 at 12:10 - PlanningUpdate - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020060-2025 - 7 May 2025 at 13:54 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019422-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001550-2026 8th January 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020060-2025 9th May 2025 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019422-2025 7th May 2025 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/toolkit/notice/showNationalData.do?noticeId=1374557#fh - https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/toolkit/noticeFts/info/1478002/view.si#fh - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-equipment-and-support - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-050df5. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050df5.json.