---
title: "UK5 - Transparency Notice"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06d447"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06d447"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06d447.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06d447.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SUBMARINE DELIVERY AGENCY"
published: "2026-07-27"
---

# UK5 - Transparency Notice

Buyer: SUBMARINE DELIVERY AGENCY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06d447

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## Summary

The Submarine Delivery Agency, a central government body in the UK, has completed the procurement process for the "UK5 - Transparency Notice" concerning the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) assessments for HM Ships and Submarines. The procurement method utilised was a direct award to Cadence Design Systems Limited, as justified by technical and operational requirements under the Procurement Act 2023 regulations. This contract, valued at £199,166, is crucial for safety certification tasks performed for the Ministry of Defence and will commence on 1st January 2027, ending on 31st December 2029. The contract includes the provision of an annual Fine Marine CFD licence and advanced technical support, with options for extension via two potential one-year periods. The award was published on 27th July 2026, with a planned future signature date for the contract on 18th December 2026.

This contract presents opportunities for businesses that can offer complementary services or technologies aligned with defence and safety certifications. Companies specialising in defence services, engineering assurance, and software technical support could benefit from partnerships or subcontracting opportunities. The direct award process to Cadence underscores the importance of niche technological offerings that meet stringent defence specifications, making it particularly relevant for large-scale enterprises with specialised capabilities in computational assessments and high-performance computing environments. Engaging in such contracts can bolster a company's portfolio in defence and security operational domains, paving the way for future projects with the Ministry of Defence and similar organisations.

## Notice

The Naval Authority provides Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) assessments for HM Ships and Submarines; this supports the safety certification delegated by the Defence Maritime Regulator (DMR). The CFD analysis helps assess hydrodynamic performance and structural safety, this was used recently to investigate the hull damage on HMS Northumberland which contributed to the MoD Board of Inquiry and the safety assessments of other Type 23 frigates. Cadence Design Systems Limited is the only supplier of this software. This software has been used for over 6 years and underpins current capability to move to an alternative software would require a) it to be compliant with the software test plan, b) be able to deliver on the military safety criteria the MoD uses and c) construction, & validation of a model of every RN Ship in the fleet. This whole transition would take at least 2years to complete and have to run both software side by side until all aspects of the transition were approved. This is unviable and therefore MOD's requirement is to continue to use the CFD software. The resulting contract with Cadence Design Systems Limited, will be for the continued use of the current system, for annual Fine Marine CFD licence and 150 hours per year of advanced technical support. The continued use of CFD is essential for HM Ships and Submarines safety; Hydrodynamic analyses and ongoing defence investigation and assurance work. When Ship or Submarine hydrodynamic assessments are required CFD enables rapid root cause analysis and timely support to capability solutions, operational and safety decisions. CFD is not just a technical tool it is a mission critical capability which underpins the Royal Navy fleet safety, operational readiness, engineering assurance and defence decision making. Without the software, the MoD would face reduced confidence in HM Ships and Submarine safety, slower investigations and increased operational risk.

### Procurement Information

The intent is for the contract to be awarded under the Procurement Act 2023 regulations with the justification sought for a Direct Award Contract to Cadence Design Systems Limited. The CFD assessments are performed using the Naval Authority and Technology Group (NATG) high powered computer facility (Cluster). Recently the Cluster has been used to determine the loads on HMS Northumberland that caused the hull to buckle and consequential scrapping of the ship. This work feeds directly into the MoD Board of Inquiry and safety assessment for the other Type 23 frigates. The CFD assessments for HM Ships and Submarines support the safety certification delegated by the Defence Maritime Regulator (DMR).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070782-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency 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 | 27 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 27 Jul 2026 |
| Contract period | 1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £199,166 |
| 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 | SUBMARINE DELIVERY AGENCY |
| 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 | CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 75 - Administration, defence and social security services

### Codes

- 75220000 - Defence services

## Release History

- 27 Jul 2026 at 12:34 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070782-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070782-2026
  27th July 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.cadence.com/en_US/home.html
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/submarine-delivery-agency
- 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-06d447. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06d447.json.