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Find a TenderPast planning noticePreliminary market engagement notice
Published 19 Aug 2025, 16:17 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Low Earth Orbit Satellite Train Connectivity

Official notice

Authority: Department for Transport (Central government)

GoodsAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Sectors: Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment (32) Delivery: Delivery location not published
Planned pipeline valueValue not publishedpipeline notice, not a live tender
Tender notice expected Date not publishedfrom the planned procurement notice
Contract term 3 yrs 7 moends 1 Jan 2030 · starts 1 Jun 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Department for Transport secured funding as part of Spending Review 2025 to improve the provision of on-train wifi for rail passengers. Our objective is to retro-fit the majority of Great British Railway train operators' mainlines trains by 2030.

We intend to upgrade the existing in-carriage on-train wifi equipment to the latest standards, provide low earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet connectivity to enhance the existing mobile network operator connections, and hence deliver a more generally available higher speed internet connection for wifi-connected rail passengers.

To meet our objectives and timescales, we are developing our procurement and delivery strategies. To help shape our approach we are now seeking engagement with interested parties in the value chain including suppliers and stakeholders.

Details of this requirement, such as a firm value approach to procuring and competition timelines are unknown at this stage and will be informed by the outcome of this engagement exercise.

For further details of this requirement and how to engage with the Department, please follow this link to the Department’s e-sourcing platform dft.app.jaggaer.com/go/889244250198C2E6A8E3 ↗.

If you are not already registered on the Department’s e-sourcing platform Jaggaer, you can do so here dft.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html ↗

CPV: Communications network · Satellite communications equipment · Satellite-related communications equipment

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1Planned 3 yrs 7 moSMEVCSE
Contract period: 1 Jun 2026 – 1 Jan 2030 (3 yrs 7 mo)
Eligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
32412000 Communications network32530000 Satellite-related communications equipment32531000 Satellite communications equipment

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Goods
Notice status
Past planning notice
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
19 Aug 2025, 16:17 BST
Last source update
19 Aug 2025, 16:20 BST
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-049936
Latest notice
Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
Classification (CPV)
Communications networkSatellite communications equipmentSatellite-related communications equipment
Delivery area
Not published
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-058ac3 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

19 Aug 2025 → 1 Jun 2026 · 3 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    19 Aug 2025, 16:17 BST
  2. Market engagement
    15 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST

    Our intent is to undertake a two-part market engagement consisting of:

    An initial request for confidential responses from value chain suppliers to our five questions submitted in writing; and

    Potential follow up one-to-one conversations with the Department to discuss responses in further detail.

    The deadline for initial written responses to our questions is 15/09/2025. Follow up one-to-ones will continue after this date.

    The collated information will be used to inform the Department's procurement strategy and approach to delivering the government's objectives. Our intention is to not publish Supplier responses, nor a collated summary. Suppliers responses to this exercise will have no impact on any future competitions for this work.

    We may undertake further engagement throughout the process as we develop our procurement strategy and approach to delivering this requirement further.

    For full information on the requirement and details of the questions we are requesting initial responses to, please follow this link dft.app.jaggaer.com/go/889244250198C2E6A8E3 ↗.

    If you are not already registered on the Department’s e-sourcing platform Jaggaer, you can do so here dft.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html ↗

  3. Contract starts148 days ago
    1 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 19 Aug 2025
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    19 Aug 2025, 16:17 BST
    UK2
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    19 Aug 2025, 16:20 BST
    UK2

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Pipeline notice
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Department for Transport

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PLTC-5358-LTWZ Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, London, SW1P 4DRContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure