Find a TenderAwarded without competition
Published 4 Apr 2025, 12:14 BST

Official UK procurement notice

500000.00 · UK public procurement notice

Official notice

Authority: Ministry of Defence (Central government)

ServicesAward procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Sectors: Architecture & Engineering (71) Delivery: UK
Awarded value£500,000published contract · exc. VAT
Awarded 31 Mar 2025no call for competition
Awarded to Malvern Optical Limited

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Tempest Production Assurance Testing (TPAT) for AJAX vehicles to ensure that platforms are security accreditable.

CPV: Technical inspection and testing services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1
Delivery: UK

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Legal basis
CELEX · 32009L0081 Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (Directive 2009/81/EC)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
4 Apr 2025, 12:14 BST
Last source update
4 Apr 2025, 12:14 BST
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-013056
Classification (CPV)
Technical inspection and testing services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04fd40 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
Published justification

The Secretary of State for Defence (the “Authority”), through the AJAX Programme within Defence Equipment and Support (“DE&S”) intends to place a contract with Malvern Optical Limited (“MOP”) for the Platform security accreditation and Initial Operating Capability (IOC) assurance The proposed contract will have a duration of 3 years and an estimated value of £500K and be placed as a supply of services contract.

As a covered procurement, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 (the “PA23”). It is considered that the direct award of the contract is lawful in accordance with section 41(1) and paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the PA23 because competition is absent for technical reasons such that only MOP can achieve the requirement and there is no reasonable alternative.

TEMPEST accreditation is required for platform security accreditation and assurance for IOC of the AJAX programme.. TEMPEST is a specialist field. Companies need to be accredited by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Platform TEMPEST Accreditation Scheme (CPTAS) to carry out this security accreditation. MOP is the only NCSC accredited TEMPEST Evaluation Partner and test house for vehicles and there is no reasonable alternative to the TEMPEST service and therefore MOP is the only supplier capable of meeting the Authority’s requirement.

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £500,0001 contract exc. VAT
Contracts signed 1latest 31 Mar 2025
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Malvern Optical LimitedSubcontracting: declared£500,000 †—Awarded

Contracts

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Ministry of Defence

Contracting authorityCentral GovernmentMinistry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisionsDefence Bristol, UKContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice.