---
title: "PS26088 - Consultancy Service Consisting of the Provision of an EM-based Sea Ice Thickness System"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-066c56"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-066c56"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066c56.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066c56.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION"
published: "2026-03-17"
---

# PS26088 - Consultancy Service Consisting of the Provision of an EM-based Sea Ice Thickness System

Buyer: UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-066c56

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## Summary

UK Research and Innovation, as the buying organisation, has concluded the procurement process for a consultancy service titled "PS26088 - Consultancy Service Consisting of the Provision of an EM-based Sea Ice Thickness System". This contract falls under the consultative engineering and construction services category and is governed by legislation 2023/54. The procurement, completed between 16th and 20th March 2026, was carried out directly without competition due to technical reasons, specifically awarding The University of Manchester for their unique electromagnetic sea-ice thickness measurement system developed for the UK Antarctic research station at Rothera. Situated in Swindon, the procuring entity collaborated with UK Shared Business Services Ltd to manage the contract.

This tender presents notable opportunities for businesses involved in innovative engineering solutions, especially those with expertise in advanced sensing technologies. As it targets the niche requirement of sea-ice thickness measurement, it offers growth potential for organisations specialising in scientific research equipment. Companies akin to The University of Manchester, especially those with unique technical capabilities and serving large-scale operations or being part of the VCSE network, are well-suited to compete in such specialised government contracts.

## Notice

***** THIS IS A CONTRACT DETAILS NOTICE, NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION ***** This procurement is being concluded without competition due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required. Brief Description of Requirement We propose to purchase a novel electromagnetic (EM) sea-ice thickness measurement system developed at the University of Manchester. This unique instrument, not currently available from commercial suppliers, provides a non-destructive method for measuring sea-ice thickness. The system integrates EM sensing technology within a sled-based platform that can be deployed across sea-ice surfaces to obtain continuous measurements. This approach will enable high-resolution observations of sea-ice thickness and spatial variability in the region surrounding the UK Antarctic research station at Rothera.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024102-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 13 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 16 Mar 2026 - 20 Mar 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £21,040 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION |
| Additional buyers | UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LTD |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 71310000 - Consultative engineering and construction services

## Release History

- 17 Mar 2026 at 14:06 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024102-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024102-2026
  17th March 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-066c56. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066c56.json.