--- title: "Gladiator and Spartan Core Systems and Services (Amended)" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078dc3" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078dc3" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078dc3.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078dc3.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "Ministry of Defence" published: "2026-10-22" --- # Gladiator and Spartan Core Systems and Services (Amended) Buyer: Ministry of Defence Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078dc3 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078dc3) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078dc3.json) ## Summary The Ministry of Defence is procuring a managed service to sustain and enhance its Gladiator distributed synthetic training system and develop its potential use for maritime training through the SPARTAN programme. Gladiator links simulators to a central hub to provide secure, high-fidelity collective training across multiple domains, including with partner nations. SPARTAN is intended to support Royal Navy surface units with a hub for developing, delivering and debriefing training scenarios and synthetic tracks via Tactical Data Links. The work may involve integrating platforms and, subject to funding and approval, developing additional simulation applications, digital assets, scenarios and terrains. It is intended to support interoperability and adapt training to emerging requirements. The service is for delivery in the United Kingdom. The buyer invited offers through a competitive flexible procedure under a selective procurement method. The process uses a preliminary questionnaire to select between two and five suppliers for invitation to tender; the stated questionnaire stage has closed and will not reopen. Suppliers who pass mandatory questions are ranked on technical scores, with the highest-ranked candidates invited to tender. The enquiry deadline was 23 October 2026 at 12:01 and the expression-of-interest deadline was 23 October 2026 at 13:01. The contract is scheduled to run from 1 April 2028 to 31 March 2033, with options to extend by up to two years and purchase additional services. Estimated value is £50 million excluding VAT (£60 million including VAT). Evaluation covers price, technical quality and commercial factors; weightings are to be set out in the tender documents. The single lot is suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises. This opportunity suits suppliers able to operate and evolve complex defence simulation and synthetic-training services as an integrated managed service. Relevant capability includes sustaining existing training systems, connecting simulators and platforms, supporting secure high-fidelity collective training, and enabling interoperability across defence forces. Suppliers may also need to develop or integrate simulation applications, digital assets, scenarios and terrain, including maritime training and Tactical Data Link-based synthetic tracks. The requirement calls for flexibility to adapt services as standards, policy and operational threats change. Classified information up to UK or NATO SECRET is involved, so personnel need the necessary security clearances; suppliers without them must obtain clearance by contract award. The cyber risk profile is high. TUPE is anticipated, making the ability to manage a transferring workforce relevant. The buyer’s stated selection process assesses economic and technical conditions, with pass/fail and scored questions; successful suppliers are ranked on technical performance. ## Notice The Gladiator and Spartan Core Systems and Services Contract aims to: a. Sustain and Enhance existing Gladiator System Capabilities b. Support the exploitation and benefits of the capability through the integration of Platforms. c. Support Interoperability Across Defence Forces d. Adapt the capability to emergent synthetic training use cases, subject to additional funding and approvals. This may include, for example, the potential Royal Navy SPARTAN requirement as indicated below. The Gladiator system is a MOD-owned innovative, distributed, synthetic operational training capability that delivers high-fidelity, secure, and cost-effective team and collective training for Force Elements (FE); its agility has also enabled the RAF to use the capability for other modelling and simulation-based activities. It enables training across multiple domains alongside partner nations, and at a scale and complexity not achievable in live environments. By linking simulators to a central hub, Gladiator overcomes real-world constraints such as airspace limitations, costs, environmental factors, and operational security, providing a safe and scalable training solution. SPARTAN will aim to leverage the technology, systems and services developed by the Gladiator Programme to build a Distributed Synthetic Training Hub to deliver Maritime Collective Training to RN surface units. This will require a Hub that can develop, deliver and debrief training scenarios and synthetic tracks via Tactical Data Links. Initially the intention is that this should be developed using the existing capabilities of Gladiator, however SPARTAN may necessitate the development and integration of additional simulation applications, new digital assets, scenarios, and terrains to deliver training scenarios to evolve with the complexity, mass and speed of modern threats. This tender notice is for the award of a public contract through a competitive flexible procedure in accordance with section 20(1) and (2)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023. It is considered a Defence and Security Contract due to its scope and therefore the relevant provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 relating to defence and security contracts are applicable. The Gladiator & Spartan Core Systems and Services contract will be initially for 5 years with the discretionary option to extend for a further 2 years and will be delivered as a managed service. Certain information required to deliver the Gladiator & Spartan Service is classified up to and including SECRET (UK or NATO). Suppliers must have the necessary Personal Security Clearances (PSCs). Suppliers that do not hold security clearance would need to obtain by contract award. Further security requirements will be detailed during the tender process as part of the PSQ and subsequent invitation to tender. The Cyber Risk Profile for this requirement identified by the Cyber Risk Assessment is High (Reference - RAR-250303A03) It is anticipated that TUPE will apply to this requirement. A previous Planned procurement notice was published under Notice Reference 2026/S 000-046380 Please note, this is an amendment to the 715763450 - Gladiator and Spartan Core Systems and Services-UK4. Changes made to Procurement Description (UK4_21) only. The changes are intended to provide clarity only, and are not a change to the scope or requirement. Please note this is an update, as above, only. The PSQ has closed and will not be re-opened. Original notice can be found at: https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/toolkit/noticeFts/info/1588240/view.si#fh ### Lot Information Lot 1 Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. Option to purchase additional services as required Renewal: Option to extend the Contract for up to two (2) years in any combination of durations ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099917-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 22 Oct 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Apr 2028 - 31 Mar 2033 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £50,000,000 | | Lots value | £50,000,000 | | 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 | 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 - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80660000 - Training and simulation in military electronic systems ## Release History - 22 Oct 2026 at 12:01 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099917-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099917-2026 22nd October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/toolkit/noticeFts/info/1588240/view.si#fh - https://www.contracts.mod.uk - 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-078dc3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078dc3.json.