---
title: "Profiling Floats for Ocean Data Collection"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-059f75"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-059f75"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059f75.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059f75.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MET OFFICE"
published: "2026-01-20"
---

# Profiling Floats for Ocean Data Collection

Buyer: MET OFFICE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-059f75

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## Summary

The procurement process for the "Profiling Floats for Ocean Data Collection" project is led by the Met Office, a central government public authority based in Exeter, United Kingdom. The procurement, completed on 20 January 2026, involved an open procedure and resulted in the award of a framework agreement for two lots: standard floats with Iridium communications and Iridium floats with bio-geochemical sensors. Both lots were contracted to nke Instrumentation from France, and Swale Technologies Limited from the United Kingdom. The contract, valued at approximately £2.58 million gross, runs from 27 January 2026 to 26 January 2029, with a possible extension for an additional year. The industry category for this procurement falls under meteorological instruments, with goods delivery slated for the UKK4 region in the United Kingdom.

This tender offers significant opportunities for SMEs, particularly those specialising in meteorological instruments and technology related to ocean data collection. The framework agreement is designed to accommodate new technological advancements over its duration, allowing for product range expansion. Businesses adept in producing advanced sensor technologies and communication systems for oceanographic applications would find this tender appealing. Moreover, the open procurement method underscores the competitive nature of the tender, encouraging a diverse range of businesses to engage in delivering innovative solutions for environmental data collection, ultimately aiding in scaling business operations and enhancing market presence.

## Notice

The Met Office awarded a framework agreement for the following Lots: Lot 1 - Standard floats with Iridium communications Lot 2 - Iridium floats with bio-geochemical sensors

### Lot Information

Standard floats with Iridium communications

Standard floats with Iridium communications (temperature, salinity and depth only).

Renewal: Available option to extend for a further 12 month period up to a total framework duration of four (4) years.

Iridium floats with bio-geochemical sensors

Bio-geochemical-Argo is the extension of the Argo array of profiling floats to include floats that are equipped with additional sensors for pH, oxygen, nitrate, chlorophyll fluorescence, suspended particles and down-welling irradiance. With respect to Lot 2, it is likely that purchases of such floats may range from those with a single additional sensor (most likely dissolved oxygen) through to the full sensor suite.

Renewal: Available option to extend for a further 12 month period up to a total framework duration of four (4) years.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005026-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 22 Oct 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 18 Dec 2025 |
| Contract period | 27 Jan 2026 - 26 Jan 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1,900,000 |
| Lots value | £1,900,000 |
| Awards value | £2,331,838 |
| Contracts value | £2,331,838 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MET OFFICE |
| Locality | EXETER |
| Post town | Exeter |
| Postcode | EX1 3PB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK4 Devon |
| ITL 3 | TLK43 Devon CC |
| Local authority | Exeter |
| Electoral ward | Pinhoe |
| Westminster constituency | Exmouth and Exeter East |
| Delivery location | TLK4 Devon |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 2 |
| Supplier names | NKE INSTRUMENTATION; SWALE TECHNOLOGIES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 38120000 - Meteorological instruments

## Release History

- 20 Jan 2026 at 16:48 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005026-2026
- 18 Dec 2025 at 16:49 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084620-2025
- 22 Sep 2025 at 15:08 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058638-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005026-2026
  20th January 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084620-2025
  18th December 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058638-2025
  22nd September 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://Swaleocean.co.uk
- https://nke-instrumentation.fr/
- https://procontract.due-north.com/Register
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

## 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-059f75. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059f75.json.