--- title: "Space Regulatory Sandboxes" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY" published: "2026-05-28" --- # Space Regulatory Sandboxes Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3.json) ## Summary The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is currently in the planning stage for a tender titled "Space Regulatory Sandboxes," focused on developing regulatory tools in the space sector. Located at 22 Whitehall, London, the department aims to set up multiple sandboxes, including those for re-entry and multi-mission licensing, with an estimated total budget of £1,000,000 inclusive of VAT. The procurement is set within the services category, specifically related to research and development services and consultancy, covering the UK region. Key milestones include a webinar scheduled for 11th June 2026, which provides an opportunity for early market engagement, although it does not preclude participation in future processes. This tender falls under central government as a public authority and intends to harness innovation and growth in complex mission areas. The anticipated commencement date for contracts is October 2026, with completion in February 2027. This procurement represents significant opportunities for businesses in the research and development consultancy sectors, particularly those capable of offering innovative regulatory solutions in the space industry. The initiative seeks suppliers with the capacity to manage complex projects, offering substantial growth potential for firms looking to establish or expand expertise within the space regulatory landscape. The competitive nature of the tender allows separate bids for individual lots, enabling small and medium enterprises to target specific areas of expertise, thus expanding their portfolio and increasing market presence. With up to £500,000 available per lot, participating businesses must demonstrate robust technical competency and the capability to deliver comprehensive solutions in compliance with UK space policy and regulations. ## Notice Following the successful delivery of the Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) regulatory sandbox, the Government intends to invest up to PS7 million in further regulatory sandboxes and innovative regulatory tools, focusing on high-growth areas and complex mission types. As part of this programme, we are intending to develop two sandboxes focused on regulatory activity within financial year 26/27. Lot 1 will focus on re-entry and lot 2 will focus on multi-mission licensing. For those who are aware of the previously published notice, this is now a multi-lot tender with a total value of PS1,000,000 inclusive of VAT across both lots. UKSA intends to offer lot 1 as the re-entry sandbox and lot 2 as the multi-mission licencing. Suppliers will be permitted to bid for both, but will be expected to demonstrate in their technical responses that they have capacity to fulfil both lots in the event they are successful. For the avoidance of doubt, suppliers can choose to bid for individual lots. The anticipated publication of the tender notice remains in July. Each lot will have a maximum contract value of PS500,000 inclusive of VAT. ### Planning Information DSIT will be holding a webinar as part of its Governing Space Delivery group on Thursday the 11th of June between 11:00 and 12:00 BST to provide an opportunity for early engagement, including presenting the proposed scope and an opportunity to feedback on this for lot 2, which relates to multi-mission licensing. Please note engagement with this opportunity is for information only and is not required in order to participate in any future competitive procedure. Any future delivery of the sandbox will be subject to competitive procedure, which we anticipate will take place this summer. Dates provided within this notice are indicative only at this stage. To join the webinar, please email commercial@ukspaceagency.gov.uk to request joining details. Please note this session will not be recorded. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050438-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 28 May 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 31 Jul 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Sep 2026 - 26 Feb 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £800,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## 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 | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ## Release History - 28 May 2026 at 14:35 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050438-2026 - 28 May 2026 at 14:21 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050425-2026 - 28 May 2026 at 14:17 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050421-2026 - 19 May 2026 at 07:51 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045614-2026 - 15 Apr 2026 at 10:39 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034111-2026 - 14 Apr 2026 at 11:55 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033730-2026 - 14 Apr 2026 at 11:53 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033725-2026 - 14 Apr 2026 at 11:39 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033719-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050438-2026 28th May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050425-2026 28th May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050421-2026 28th May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045614-2026 19th May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034111-2026 15th April 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033730-2026 14th April 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033725-2026 14th April 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033719-2026 14th April 2026 - Preliminary market engagement 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-0681e3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0681e3.json.