--- title: "Contracts for Innovation: UK Space Agency Unlocking Space for Defence (USD) and National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) BOREALIS Resident Space Object (RSO) Characterisation Development" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06df60" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06df60" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06df60.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06df60.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "Department for Science, Innovation & Technology" published: "2026-08-07" --- # Contracts for Innovation: UK Space Agency Unlocking Space for Defence (USD) and National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) BOREALIS Resident Space Object (RSO) Characterisation Development Buyer: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06df60 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06df60) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06df60.json) ## Summary The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, through the UK Space Agency’s Unlocking Space for Defence programme and the National Space Operations Centre, is procuring research and development services for initial proof of concepts in resident space object characterisation. The work should produce solutions that improve the quality of data ingested by the BOREALIS system and strengthen analysis capabilities within the National Space Operations Centre. This is industry-specific software development work, potentially involving software, data-processing and space-domain expertise. Delivery is for a sovereign UK capability. Participation is restricted to UK-registered companies, including UK-registered universities, on national security grounds. The opportunity is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and is being procured as a single lot. The procurement has reached tender: the buyer invited offers through an accelerated open procedure. Enquiries had to be submitted by 17:00 on 24 August 2026, and applications had to be submitted electronically through the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal by 15:00 on 4 September 2026, in English. The anticipated award decision date is 21 September 2026. The contract period is 21 September 2026 to 31 March 2027. Between three and five contracts are expected, each valued at £120,000 to £250,000 inclusive of VAT. The total estimated value is £625,000 excluding VAT (£750,000 including VAT). Proposals are evaluated on the proposed idea or technology (40%), project management (30%), value for money (20%) and benefit to the UK (10%). This opportunity suits UK-registered technology businesses, research organisations and universities able to develop and demonstrate proof-of-concept solutions for resident space object characterisation or related data-quality problems. Strong applicants will bring relevant software development, data ingestion, space-domain analysis or similar technical capability, with evidence that their proposed technology can improve information used by BOREALIS and support enhanced characterisation analysis. Applicants need a credible delivery team, including any partners or subcontractors, with the skills, capabilities and experience required for the intended benefits. They must also provide a practical project plan, milestones, resources, risk controls and financial justification. The work is aimed at SMEs, but suppliers must be able to manage a publicly funded research and development project and demonstrate measurable benefits for the UK economy, supply chain and public. ## Notice UK Space Agency's Unlocking Space for Defence (USD) and the National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) are offering funding to eligible organisations. It is anticipated that between three and five contracts will be awarded, each valued between PS120,000 and PS250,000 (inclusive of VAT), to eligible organisations to apply, to research and develop initial proof of concepts for characterisation of resident space objects and similar solutions that directly improve the quality of data being ingested within the BOREALIS system, contributing to enhanced characterisation analysis capabilities within NSpOC. This funding is from the UK Space Agency only and applicants should note this competition is wholly run and administered by the UK Space Agency. Applicants should note that as BOREALIS is a sovereign UK capability and this work is to develop solutions that eventually can be deployed into use, this competition is restricted to UK registered companies on grounds of national security. For the avoidance of doubt, this can include UK-registered universities. Full details are provided in the attached Competition Brief. This notice relates to the intended procurement for a contract which is an exempted contract under s 3(6) and Schedule 2, Part 2 (Subject-matter exempted contracts), paragraph 22 (Research and Development Services) of the Procurement Act 2023 (the 'Act'). Exempted contracts are not a public contract as defined in s3 of the Act and therefore are not required to be procured in accordance with the provisions of the Act that relate to a covered procurement. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075408-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 7 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | 4 Sep 2026 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 21 Sep 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £625,000 | | Lots value | £625,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Department for Science, Innovation & Technology | | Locality | LONDON | | Postcode area | 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 - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support ### Codes - 72212100 - Industry specific software development services ## Release History - 7 Aug 2026 at 15:40 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075408-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075408-2026 7th August 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-20367 Competition Brief - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-20368 Annex B -Contracts for Innovation Additional Guidance - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-20369 Annex C - Finance Sheet. - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-20370 Annex D - IP Declaration - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-20371 Annex A - Contracts for Innovation Model Contract ## Notice URLs - https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/ - https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/go/66309082019FDBF042B8 - 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-06df60. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06df60.json.