---
title: "MicroCarb - Edinburgh Innovations Ltd"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-067729"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-067729"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067729.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067729.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK SPACE AGENCY"
published: "2026-03-27"
---

# MicroCarb - Edinburgh Innovations Ltd

Buyer: UK SPACE AGENCY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-067729

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## Summary

The UK Space Agency, headquartered in Didcot, United Kingdom, has awarded a contract titled "MicroCarb - Edinburgh Innovations Ltd" to Edinburgh Innovations Ltd, based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. This procurement is in the industry category of engineering services and falls under the remit of public authority - central government. The procurement stage is at the Award, with the contract period set to start on 10th April 2026, concluding on 31st March 2027, with potential annual renewals extending up to 31st March 2030. The decision to directly award this contract was influenced by the unique expertise of Edinburgh Innovations Ltd, particularly in atmospheric transport modelling and data assimilation, crucial for the exploitation phase of the MicroCarb mission. The procurement method utilised was a direct award, justified by the specialised technical reasons and the existing collaborative framework with international partners such as CNES.

This tender creates opportunities for growth particularly for businesses within the engineering services sector, specialising in atmospheric science and satellite data assimilation. Edinburgh Innovations Ltd is leading activities that include the integration and validation of atmospheric data and the development of capability frameworks, engaging closely with international stakeholders. Such enterprises able to offer high-level scientific and technical expertise and collaboration are particularly well-suited for involvement in similar projects. With ongoing opportunities throughout the delivery period, businesses looking to enhance their experience in international space missions or develop their expertise in atmospheric data and CO₂ flux modelling could find this contract to be a strategic target for expansion. This tender underscores the value of technical proficiency and collaborative partnerships, inviting businesses with similar profiles to strengthen their presence in the science and innovation domain.

## Notice

The contract supports delivery of the MicroCarb exploitation phase through a structured programme of work packages covering validation, flux estimation, joint modelling, and ongoing project management. Activities include the configuration and application of atmospheric transport models (e.g. GEOS-Chem), integration and assimilation of satellite and ground-based observations, early ingestion and validation of MicroCarb data, and development of multi-satellite consistency assessments. The work also includes characterisation of CO2 fluxes and uncertainties through inverse modelling approaches, alongside development of joint CO2-SIF inversion capability and supporting analytical frameworks. Continuous project management, coordination with UK and international partners (including CNES), and representation in relevant programme forums are maintained throughout the delivery period

### Procurement Information

University of Edinburgh, due to their technical expertise and as a member of the Mission Advisory Group (MAG) for the MicroCarb mission, will continue to support the UK contribution to MicroCarb, carrying out activities through a structured programme of work packages covering validation, flux estimation, joint modelling, and ongoing project management. This work is overseen by CNES, who are the technical authority for the MicroCarb mission. The UKSA's Office for Chief Engineer, following consultation with CNES, advised in December 2025 that a Direct Award is the appropriate course of action: 'During the upcoming exploitation phase, these activities continue in order to exploit scientific data and contribute to ground algorithms within the science ground segment. Considering that this is an international collaboration, and that science exploitation strictly requires part of this work to be provided in order to complete the data processing pipeline (some of them are explicitly mentioned in the Implementation Arrangement as UKSA contribution), and given that the three organisations have distinctive expertise in the relevant application fields (i.e. SIF, CO2 flux mapping, optical ground calibration), from both a technical and programmatic perspective it is advised that the three existing organisations continue to support the mission during the exploitation phase. The involvement of new stakeholders, or the hand-over of ongoing activities to new organisations, would require a considerable effort in terms of knowledge transfer and an in-depth assessment of whether the required expertise could be fully covered. This is not feasible at this stage'. University of Edinburgh's activities include the configuration and application of atmospheric transport models (e.g. GEOS-Chem), integration and assimilation of satellite and ground-based observations, early ingestion and validation of MicroCarb data, and development of multi-satellite consistency assessments. The work also includes characterisation of CO2 fluxes and uncertainties through inverse modelling approaches, alongside development of joint CO2-SIF inversion capability and supporting analytical frameworks. Continuous project management, coordination with UK and international partners (including CNES), and representation in relevant programme forums are maintained throughout the delivery period. These activities form part of the ongoing UK contribution to the MicroCarb mission and are a continuation of the work undertaken by University of Edinburgh under the existing MoU.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028784-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 27 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 27 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 9 Apr 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,269,993 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Pending |
| 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 |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | EDINBURGH INNOVATIONS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 71300000 - Engineering services

## Release History

- 27 Mar 2026 at 21:21 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028784-2026
- 27 Mar 2026 at 21:15 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028783-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028784-2026
  27th March 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028783-2026
  27th March 2026 - Transparency 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-067729. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067729.json.