---
title: "715870474 OSDEP LM UK5 - Transparency Notice"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06b513"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06b513"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b513.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b513.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT"
published: "2026-06-15"
---

# 715870474 OSDEP LM UK5 - Transparency Notice

Buyer: DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b513

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## Summary

The procurement process titled "715870474 OSDEP LM UK5 - Transparency Notice" is led by Defence Equipment and Support, a central government public authority, located in MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol, United Kingdom. As of 15th June 2026, the procurement has reached the Award stage and involves a direct award method due to the specialised technical and certification constraints outlined. The industry category pertains to military transport helicopters, with a specific focus on extending the out-of-service date of the Merlin Mk2 platform. The contract period is scheduled to begin on 1st June 2027 and conclude by 31st March 2035, with the potential for extension up to 31st March 2040. The activities are expected to be executed across the United Kingdom.

This tender provides significant opportunities for businesses involved in defence sector manufacturing and maintenance, particularly those with expertise in military aviation technologies and airworthiness certification. However, due to the specialised nature of the project requirements, the direct award is made to Lockheed Martin, the recognised Design Authority with exclusive technical know-how and engineering capabilities. For large-scale businesses with similar expertise, this contract demonstrates the importance of possessing niche technical skills and qualifications to engage in future procurement opportunities within the defence and security domain. Companies that can offer innovative solutions or supplementary services aligned with such complex technical constraints may find expanded opportunities in supporting ongoing and subsequent projects related to military equipment and infrastructure.

## Notice

Out of Service Date Extension Programme DEMONSTRATION AND MANUFACTURE LM

### Planning Information

DIRECT AWARD AND WORKSHOPS WITH SUPPLIER

### Procurement Information

Assessment Phase activity included a review of whether the OSDEP requirement could be delivered through competition or required a single source approach. This concluded that Lockheed Martin UK Ltd (LM) hold the exclusive technical know-how, engineering expertise and manufacturing capability necessary to deliver the required modifications. LM are the recognised Design Authority for the Merlin Mk2 platform and is responsible for certification and continued airworthiness. Delivery of the requirement necessitates integration within existing platform architectures and safety-critical systems, continuity of Design Authority and certification activity, and access to platform-specific engineering capability, tooling and expertise. Any attempt to introduce an alternative supplier would require replication or transfer of Design Authority capability and associated certification frameworks. This would result in disproportionate cost, delay, and unacceptable technical and safety risk. The Authority therefore considers that the absence of competition arises from technical and certification constraints rather than reliance on exclusive rights, and that no reasonable alternatives or substitutes exist.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056267-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Planning, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 15 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 17 Jun 2026 |
| Award date | 15 Jun 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 May 2027 - 31 Mar 2035 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £512,560,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £512,560,000 |
| 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 | DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS34 8JH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire |
| Local authority | South Gloucestershire |
| Electoral ward | Stoke Park & Cheswick |
| Westminster constituency | Filton and Bradley Stoke |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | LOCKHEED MARTIN |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

### Codes

- 35612400 - Military transport helicopters

## Release History

- 15 Jun 2026 at 13:58 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056267-2026
- 15 Jun 2026 at 13:28 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056237-2026
- 15 Jun 2026 at 13:16 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056226-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056267-2026
  15th June 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056237-2026
  15th June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056226-2026
  15th June 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-equipment-and-support
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-gb/index.html

## 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-06b513. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b513.json.