---
title: "NG-LFRic Project: LFRic Modelling Code Computational Performance Optimisation and Input/Output API infrastructure functionality development in XIOS - Third Procurement Stage Oct 2026 - March 2028"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078a07"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078a07"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078a07.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078a07.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Met Office"
published: "2026-10-20"
---

# NG-LFRic Project: LFRic Modelling Code Computational Performance Optimisation and Input/Output API infrastructure functionality development in XIOS - Third Procurement Stage Oct 2026 - March 2028

Buyer: Met Office  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078a07

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## Summary

The Met Office commissioned research and software development to improve the computational performance of its LFRic weather-modelling code and develop input/output API infrastructure using XIOS. The work supports Momentum, the Met Office’s next-generation forecasting capability, as it moves towards operational use. It builds on earlier work under the Next Generation Modelling Systems programme, including the Next Generation Architectures and LFRic Infrastructure projects. The initial focus is the global C896 model at 10 km resolution, using more than 10,000 computing cores, full physics and realistic diagnostic workloads. The supplier is also to investigate performance and scalability for kilometre-scale regional models. Performance analysis includes the model time-step and initialisation, using tools such as CrayPAT and Vernier on HPE AMD systems. Delivery is across the United Kingdom.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to the University of Edinburgh. The Met Office used a competitive selective process, making an award under a framework agreement. There was one lot. The award was made on 7 September 2026, and the contract was signed on 6 October 2026. The contract runs from 16 October 2026 to 31 March 2028, with an optional 12-month extension and a maximum end date of 31 March 2029. Its value is £1,268,467 excluding VAT (£1,522,160.40 including VAT). The procurement data describes the work and technical focus but does not set out evaluation weightings or a detailed scoring basis.

For suppliers assessing this buyer’s future demand, the award indicates a requirement for specialist high-performance-computing research and software engineering applied to operational weather models. A credible competitor would need to optimise complex scientific code, measure model time-step and initialisation costs, and demonstrate performance and scalability across large global and kilometre-scale regional configurations. Experience with LFRic or comparable modelling systems, full-physics workloads and realistic diagnostics would be relevant, alongside practical capability with performance-analysis tools such as CrayPAT and Vernier and HPE AMD computing systems. The work is substantial and technically focused, combining measurable optimisation with development of model input/output infrastructure using XIOS. The route used was a competitive award through a framework, so suppliers would also need to be positioned to compete through an appropriate framework arrangement.

## Notice

As the Met Office's next-generation weather forecasting capability, Momentum, moves towards operational implementation, it is essential to build on the foundations established through the Next Generation Modelling Systems (NGMS) Programme, including the Next Generation Architectures (NG-ARCH) and LFRic Infrastructure (NG-LFRic) projects. This work will focus on optimising operational model performance to achieve target resolutions while sustaining a full scientific workload. Initially, efforts will concentrate on the C896 configuration (10 km resolution, 10,000+ cores) with full physics and a realistic diagnostic workload. In parallel, we will investigate the performance and scalability of kilometre-scale regional configurations to support future operational requirements. Following on from the work undertaken on the Initial NG-LFRic project, the Met Office is looking to perform additional LFRic Modelling Code Computational Performance Optimisation, broken down into the cost of the time-step and the initialisation using tools such as CrayPAT and Vernier on HPE AMD systems for key model configurations such as the global 10km C896 model.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098921-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Award under framework |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 7 Sep 2026 |
| Contract period | 16 Oct 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,268,467 |
| Contracts value | £1,268,467 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Met Office |
| Locality | EXETER |
| Postcode area | Exeter |
| Postcode | EX1 3PB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK4 Devon |
| ITL 3 | TLK43 Devon CC |
| Local authority | Exeter |
| Electoral ward | Pinhoe |
| Westminster constituency | Exmouth and Exeter East |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | University of Edinburgh |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 20 Oct 2026 at 11:57 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098921-2026
- 16 Oct 2026 at 16:13 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098152-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098921-2026
  20th October 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098152-2026
  16th October 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-24384
  Redacted Contract

## Notice URLs

- https://www.ed.ac.uk/
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/1.0/ocdsReleasePackages/ocds-h6vhtk-050b9a
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

## 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-078a07. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078a07.json.