---
title: "UK5- NMS NEL Flow Programme (phase 1 interim contract)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ceef"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ceef"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ceef.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ceef.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY"
published: "2026-07-21"
---

# UK5- NMS NEL Flow Programme (phase 1 interim contract)

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ceef

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## Summary

The procurement process for the "UK5- NMS NEL Flow Programme (phase 1 interim contract)" has been completed by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. Situated in London, this central government authority has awarded the contract to the TUV SUD National Engineering Laboratory, a large supplier based in Glasgow. This procurement falls under the industry category of laboratory services and serves the purpose of supporting the digital economy through the development of measurement techniques for emerging technologies. The process utilised a direct award method due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, with key dates including the award date on 21 July 2026 and the contract period from 30 to 31 July 2026. The programme plays a crucial role in maintaining the UK's primary measurement standards, thus contributing to environmental sustainability, utility metering, and technological innovation.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, particularly for companies engaged in providing high-precision laboratory services and cutting-edge technological measurements. Given the direct award nature of the contract, it highlights opportunities for businesses proficient in specialised technical capabilities and possessing unique measurement expertise. While TUV SUD National Engineering Laboratory has been designated the current supplier due to its technical exclusivity, firms aiming to expand in the metrology sector may benefit from partnering or proposing complementary solutions that align with national measurement standards, thereby positioning themselves for future collaborations or tender processes in this vital scientific field.

## Notice

This is an interim contract to ensure continuity of NMS service delivery while Phase 2 contracts are finalised. Please refer to the original phase 1 notices: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062778-2026 Please refer to the phase 2 contract notices here: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022587-2026 The NMS labs support the digital economy by developing measurement techniques for emerging technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), helping the UK stay at the forefront of technological innovation. Metrology labs contribute to environmental sustainability by providing accurate measurements for monitoring air and water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. This supports the UK's efforts to transition to clean energy sources and mitigate climate change. The TUV SUD National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) enables accurate and precise measurements of flow, such as of oil, water, and gas, through the maintenance and dissemination of the UK's primary measurement standards. This supports domestic and industrial utility metering, the roll-out of alternative fuels, and the development of carbon capture and storage, among other things. DSIT's National Measurement System underpins all science, technology and R&D activities in the UK. The extensive scientific and technical infrastructure, expertise, and resources necessary to provide these services mean that there is an absence of competition from other providers. The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason: absence of competition for technical reasons. NMS contracts are therefore awarded directly.

### Procurement Information

Single supplier - intellectual property or exclusive rights Single supplier - technical reasons Direct award is justified through absence of competition due to exclusivity requirements and technical market constraints.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068633-2026 |
| 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 | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 Jul 2026 |
| Contract period | 29 Jul 2026 - 31 Jul 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,300,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | TÜV SÜD NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 71900000 - Laboratory services

## Release History

- 21 Jul 2026 at 10:38 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068633-2026
- 20 Jul 2026 at 13:22 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068286-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068633-2026
  21st July 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068286-2026
  20th July 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022587-2026
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062778-2026
- 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-06ceef. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ceef.json.