Management of the UK Telecommunications Laboratory

CPV: Research and Development services on security and defence materials · Research and development services and evaluation tests

Procedure method

Negotiated without publication of a contract notice

Legal basis

CELEX · 32009L0081 Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (Directive 2009/81/EC)

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Awarded

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

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

16 May 2025, 14:30 BST

Last source update

16 May 2025, 14:30 BST

FTS notice number

2025/S 000-022277

Classification (CPV)

Research and Development services on security and defence materialsResearch and development services and evaluation tests

Delivery area

Not published

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-0515f6 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons; The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights; The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Published justification

The UK Telecommunications Laboratory (UKTL) serves as the national telecoms security and resilience testing and research facility of the United Kingdom. The UKTL aims to be recognised globally as a centre of excellence in telecom security, providing advanced test and evaluation capabilities to protect the country's essential national telecoms infrastructure. This helps maintain the security and resilience of the UK's communications networks.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) awarded a contract to National Physical Laboratory Management Limited for setting up and initially managing UKTL for 12 months, valued at £18.3 million (excluding VAT). This procurement follows the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.

Publishing a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer applicable. The contract was awarded without prior publication of a notice on the UK e-notification service, adhering to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011, which allows such awarding “for technical reasons, or for reasons connected with the protection of exclusive rights”, therefore the contract was awarded to a particular economic operator.

The services required could only be provided by NPL Management Limited, due to the extensive interaction with various network-specific organisations as well as government bodies. These entities are integral to the development of UKTL, raising concerns about the allocation of exclusive rights during the establishment of the laboratory and necessitating a company that maintains neutrality. As a public corporation that offers neutrality, NPL Management Limited possesses the requisite expertise in laboratory setup and management. Although there are other public sector bodies that exhibit relevant qualities, their primary remits and expertise do not fulfil the unique requirements of a national-level telecommunications security laboratory. They lacked specialised knowledge in advanced telecom network protocols, cybersecurity threats specific to telecom infrastructure, and the metrology of high-frequency signals, which NPL possesses. Additionally, these entities do not operate high-security facilities for collaborative research on sensitive national security technology.

NPL's expertise in measurement science, its specific and advanced capabilities in telecommunications and cyber security, its role as the UK's National Measurement Institute, and its status as a trusted public sector body with the necessary infrastructure and security clearance experience make it the only public sector organisation feasibly equipped to operate the UKTL for the period of time in question.

• NPL Management LimitedAwarded supplierGB-COH: 02937881 Teddington

No document links were published on the notice.