---
title: "Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Emergency Recovery System (ERS) - PMEN"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e632"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e632"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e632.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e632.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Ministry of Defence"
published: "2026-08-18"
---

# Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Emergency Recovery System (ERS) - PMEN

Buyer: Ministry of Defence  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e632

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence intends to procure an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Emergency Recovery System (ERS), combining unmanned underwater vehicle and marine equipment capabilities (CPV 35512400 and 34930000). The system is intended to provide a safer, more controlled way to recover AUVs during non-standard or emergency operations, reducing risks to personnel, the AUV and the host vessel. It must support an AUV up to 7 metres long and 3 tonnes, either independently or with existing vessel cranes. The solution should work across vessels with different deck layouts, freeboards and crane configurations, and in challenging maritime conditions. Delivery is expected in the United Kingdom. The requirement may include maintenance, support, operational training, certification, instructions and inspection information.

This procurement is at the planning and market-research stage; the Ministry of Defence has stated an intention to procure but has not issued an invitation to tender. The expected approach is a future contract notice, subject to funding and approvals, with delivery potentially within financial year 2026/2027. The buyer’s indicative date for a future notice is 31 October 2026. Suppliers wishing to express interest or raise clarification questions are asked to email the buyer by 18 September 2026, providing their organisation, point of contact and relevant capability information. The requirement is one planned lot, with an anticipated contract period from 1 February 2027 to 1 February 2029. The lot is marked as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises.

This will suit suppliers designing, manufacturing or integrating maritime recovery equipment for unmanned underwater vehicles, particularly businesses able to support vehicles up to 7 metres and 3 tonnes across varied vessel and crane arrangements. Relevant strengths include mechanical handling, lifting and recovery systems, vessel integration, maritime engineering and operation in difficult sea conditions. The buyer is looking for equipment that is simple to rig, transportable, repeatedly usable and recoverable after failures affecting propulsion, communications, navigation or power. Suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate safe operation, reduced personnel exposure at the vessel edge, and protection of both the AUV and host vessel. Useful preparation includes evidence of certification, operating instructions, maintenance and inspection regimes, through-life support, training provision, innovation, vessel integration experience and realistic delivery lead times.

## Notice

The intended procurement is for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Emergency Recovery System (ERS) to provide the Ministry of Defence with a safer, more controlled and lower-risk method of recovering AUVs during non-standard or emergency recovery operations. The system should be capable of supporting the recovery of an AUV up to 7 metres in length and up to 3 tonnes in weight, either independently or in conjunction with existing vessel crane arrangements. It should be compatible with a broad range of vessels including varying deck layouts, freeboards, crane configurations and operational constraints. The ERS is intended to reduce reliance on improvised recovery arrangements and improve operational resilience where the primary recovery system is unavailable or unsuitable. The system should reduce personnel exposure at the vessel edge, help mitigate the risk of person overboard incidents, and reduce the likelihood of damage to the AUV or host vessel. The Authority is also interested in solutions that are simple to rig, transportable, recoverable in challenging maritime conditions, and support emergency recovery scenarios where the AUV has suffered propulsion, communications, navigation or power-system failures. The ERS should be suitable for use in the maritime environment, capable of repeated operational use, and supplied with the necessary certification, operating instructions, maintenance information and inspection requirements to support safe use and through-life assurance. The Authority is also interested in any maintenance and support services, as well as options around operational training, where these are applicable. The Authority will be interested in average lead times from the point of order placement to delivery. The Authority is conducting market research to understand available recovery technologies, innovation potential, vessel integration considerations, certification requirements and value for money within the market. Subject to funding and approvals, the Authority may issue a contract notice for this requirement with delivery within financial year 2026/2027, subject to lead times. In issuing this Prior Procurement Notice (PPN) and engaging with the market, the MoD are not obligated to commit to carrying out any procurement in relation to the information stated in this PPN.

### Planning Information

No supplier engagement events are currently planned as part of this market engagement activity.
Suppliers wishing to express an interest in the requirement should do so by email to DESCommercial-SALMO@mod.gov.uk.
Any clarification questions relating to this notice should also be submitted to DESCommercial-SALMO@mod.gov.uk.
Responses should clearly identify the supplier organisation, point of contact, and any relevant information relating to the capability being proposed.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078382-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 18 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Feb 2027 - 1 Feb 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| 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 | Ministry of Defence |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Postcode area | 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 |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
- 35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

### Codes

- 34930000 - Marine equipment
- 35512400 - Unmanned underwater vehicles

## Release History

- 18 Aug 2026 at 09:39 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078382-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078382-2026
  18th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
- 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-06e632. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e632.json.