---
title: "713335450 - Supply of In-Service Support for Eddy Current Flaw Detector Equipment"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0562cb"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0562cb"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0562cb.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0562cb.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT"
published: "2025-10-10"
---

# 713335450 - Supply of In-Service Support for Eddy Current Flaw Detector Equipment

Buyer: DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0562cb

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence, through its arm Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), has awarded a contract to ETher NDE Limited for the provision of In-Service Support (ISS) for Eddy Current Flaw Detector Equipment. The contract is structured as a five-year term with the potential extension of three additional option years, commencing tentatively on 10th September 2025. The procurement method was a direct award, justified by the supplier's exclusive rights and technical capabilities as the original equipment manufacturer. The services encompass repair, maintenance, and calibration of equipment critical to the MOD’s air defence capabilities across various UK locations, with a contract value of £879,000 excluding VAT.

This contract presents significant opportunities for businesses in the non-destructive testing and aerospace maintenance industries. It is particularly advantageous for specialised companies holding exclusive rights to specific technologies and intellectual property, like ETher NDE. Organisations with expertise in software development, equipment calibration, and aircraft maintenance services could find lucrative and growth-promoting avenues in contracts requiring such bespoke and technically intensive solutions. By fostering relationships and expanding capabilities in these high-demand areas, businesses can not only secure government contracts but also broaden their market reach and adapt to future technological advancements within the defence sector.

## Notice

DE&S Deca, on behalf of the Air Commodities Delivery Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence ("MOD"), intends to enter into a 5 year plus 3 option years contract with ETher NDE Ltd for the provision of In-Service Support (ISS) services, including the repair and maintenance of the equipment, the calibration of the equipment and the provision of software updates, in relation to the Eddy Current Flaw Detector Non-Destructive Test Equipment held at various locations within the MOD, which equipment supports the MOD's Air Defence capabilities. The proposed contract is expected to commence on 8th September 2025 (subject to change) and to have a total Value of PS0.879M (Ex Vat).

### Procurement Information

This procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a planned procurement notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the Act) is lawful in accordance with paragraph 5 of Schedule 5 to the Act due to the proposed supplier having exclusive rights and paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 due to an absence of competition for technical reasons. This is because ETher NDE Ltd is the original equipment manufacturer of the equipment, the design authority for the equipment and the exclusive owner and holder of all intellectual property rights and proprietary technical information (including drawings, specifications and software) relating to the Eddy Current Flaw Detector Non-Destructive Test Equipment and the TE Test Software required to calibrate the equipment and the only supplier with access to the intellectual property rights and the proprietary technical information necessary to enable the ISS services to be performed. In addition, the ISS services, in particular the required software updates for the equipment, are necessary in order to maintain the interoperability of the equipment with other Non-Destructive Test Equipment operated by the MOD in support of the MOD's Air Defence capabilities. There are no reasonable alternatives to these ISS services, therefore Ether NDE is the only supplier able to perform the required ISS services.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064185-2025 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 10 Oct 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 21 Jul 2025 |
| Contract period | 9 Oct 2025 - 9 Oct 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £879,000 |
| Contracts value | £879,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT |
| Locality | FLINTSHIRE |
| Post town | Chester |
| Postcode | CH5 2LS |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL3 North Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL34 Flintshire and Wrexham |
| Local authority | Flintshire |
| Electoral ward | Queensferry and Sealand |
| Westminster constituency | Alyn and Deeside |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ETHER NDE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 71632200 - Non-destructive testing services

## Release History

- 10 Oct 2025 at 12:44 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064185-2025
- 29 Sep 2025 at 13:43 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/060540-2025
- 21 Jul 2025 at 10:52 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041576-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064185-2025
  10th October 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/060540-2025
  29th September 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041576-2025
  21st July 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://ethernde.com/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/des-deca
- 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-0562cb. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0562cb.json.