---
title: "Development of enhanced glass blown rubidium cells for UK tactical atomic clocks"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-067ca6"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-067ca6"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067ca6.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067ca6.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY"
published: "2026-04-07"
---

# Development of enhanced glass blown rubidium cells for UK tactical atomic clocks

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-067ca6

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## Summary

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, located in London, UK, has completed a procurement process for the 'Development of enhanced glass blown rubidium cells for UK tactical atomic clocks'. The procurement, which was conducted under the legal framework UKPGA 2023/54, followed the 'Below threshold - without competition' method, indicating a direct procurement approach. The contracting process, tagged under the 'goods' category, was awarded on 25th March 2026, with the contract active from 26th to 31st March 2026, carrying a gross value of £59,400. The primary location for the delivery of these precision laboratory instruments is the United Kingdom.

This contract presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in the manufacture and supply of laboratory, optical, and precision equipment. Given the procurement's focus on enhancing manufacturing capabilities for atomic clocks and its emphasis on the delivery of specialised equipment, companies with expertise in precision engineering and optical technologies will find this tender particularly suited to their skills. Moreover, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) like HCD Research, which successfully secured this contract, exemplify how smaller entities can thrive by addressing niche requirements in governmental projects.

## Notice

Project to provide UK sovereign capability in both manufacturing the glass blown shapes for vapour cells and rubidium standards for use in atomic clocks.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031302-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 7 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 25 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 26 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £49,500 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1A 2EG |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | HCD RESEARCH |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

## Release History

- 7 Apr 2026 at 09:27 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031302-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031302-2026
  7th April 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-067ca6. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067ca6.json.