--- title: "Contracts for Innovation: In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) of In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Phase 0/A Studies" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05d777" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05d777" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d777.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d777.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "UK SPACE AGENCY" published: "2025-10-30" --- # Contracts for Innovation: In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) of In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Phase 0/A Studies Buyer: UK SPACE AGENCY Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05d777 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05d777) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d777.json) ## Summary The UK Space Agency is currently inviting tenders for the "Contracts for Innovation: In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) of In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Phase 0/A Studies." This initiative aims to reinforce the UK's position as a leader in space-enabled manufacturing. The procurement falls under the industry categories of spacecraft, satellites, launch vehicles, and research and development services. It features a focus on enhancing space-environment-driven product creation for terrestrial use. The procurement, managed by an open procedure, is currently at the tender stage, with key dates including an enquiry period ending on 21st November 2025, and a tender period concluding on 1st December 2025. Contracts are expected to commence on 8th December 2025 and run until 31st March 2026. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses keen to innovate within the high precision and evolving space manufacturing industry. Companies focusing on healthcare, medical applications, or other innovation-driven sectors will find this procurement particularly attractive, as it supports the exploration and technological validation of in-orbit manufacturing processes. The UK Space Agency encourages applications from SMEs, promoting diverse participation in this transformative and high-potential domain. With a contract value of up to £720,000, this procurement offers substantial support for the development and commercialisation of cutting-edge space technologies, encouraging engagement with end-users and stakeholders to drive market readiness. ## Notice The UK is committed to advancing its leadership in space-enabled manufacturing, as outlined in the Space Industrial Plan (March 2024). In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) is one subset of the wider In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) market. Investing in ISAM allows the UK to exploit early investments to become leaders in the market. The UK has developed the essential building blocks for ISAM, but we need to act now to secure our competitive advantage. In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) represents a transformative opportunity to produce materials and products in space that offer superior quality and performance compared to those manufactured on Earth. By overcoming terrestrial limitations, IOM can unlock new markets and drive innovation across multiple sectors. This procurement is structured into two Lots to address distinct terrestrial applications: * Lot 1: In-Orbit Manufacturing for terrestrial healthcare or medical applications * Lot 2: In-Orbit Manufacturing for other terrestrial applications Applicants may apply to only one Lot and submit a single application. Each Lot will fund a feasibility study (Phase 0/A) to assess the technical and commercial viability of delivering an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), in accordance with UKSA's mission requirements (see Annex F). The competition aims to: * Demonstrate the technical feasibility of in-orbit manufacturing processes in LEO for the selected application area * Mature key payload and manufacturing technologies relevant to the chosen Lot * Evaluate suitable mission architectures and operational concepts for demonstration * Identify and assess risks, constraints, and enabling technologies * Develop a credible route to market, including engagement with end users and stakeholders Projects must address the high-risk, high-cost environment of in-orbit technology testing and provide evidence of engagement with end users to demonstrate commercial potential. Proposals should detail intended customer groups, integrators, and suppliers, and present a comprehensive management approach, including Work Package Descriptions (WPDs) and a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for both Phase 0 and Phase A. Applications must demonstrate compatibility against the mission requirements (Annex F) and ability to deliver the tasks set out below (Section 5). You should elaborate and critique these tasks, identifying any additional suitable activities (with justification). This competition aims to fund two studies. This notice relates to the intended procurement for a contract which is an exempted contract under s 3(6) and Schedule 2, Part 2 (Subject-matter exempted contracts), paragraph 22 (Research and Development Services) of the Procurement Act 2023 (the 'Act'). Exempted contracts are not a public contract as defined in s3 of the Act and therefore are not required to be procured in accordance with the provisions of the Act that relate to a covered procurement. ### Lot Information In-Orbit Manufacturing for terrestrial healthcare or medical applications In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) for terrestrial use shall be interpreted as: The process of creating products or materials in space that are intended for use on Earth, often leveraging the unique conditions of space to enhance their quality or properties. Proposals under this lot must be related to In-Orbit Manufacturing for terrestrial healthcare or medical applications In-Orbit Manufacturing for other terrestrial applications In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) for terrestrial use shall be interpreted as: The process of creating products or materials in space that are intended for use on Earth, often leveraging the unique conditions of space to enhance their quality or properties. Proposals under this lot must be related to In-Orbit Manufacturing for terrestrial use other than healthcare or medical applications ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069890-2025 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 30 Oct 2025 | | Submission deadline | 1 Dec 2025 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 8 Dec 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £600,000 | | Lots value | £600,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | UK SPACE AGENCY | | Locality | DIDCOT | | Post town | Oxford | | Postcode | OX11 0DF | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | | ITL 3 | TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC | | Local authority | Vale of White Horse | | Electoral ward | Hendreds | | Westminster constituency | Didcot and Wantage | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 34712000 - Spacecraft, satellites and launch vehicles - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ## Release History - 30 Oct 2025 at 16:54 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069890-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069890-2025 30th October 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-6908 Competition Guidance Notes - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-6909 Annex A: Contracts for Innovation Terms and Conditions - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-6910 Annex B: UKSA Contracts for Innovation Additional Guidance - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-6911 Annex C: Contracts for Innovation Finance Sheet - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-6912 Annex D: Evaluation Criteria - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-6913 Annex E: IP Declaration - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-6915 Annex F: IOD IOM Requirements - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-6918 Annex G: Application Form Template ## Notice URLs - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency - 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-05d777. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d777.json.