Official UK procurement notice
Provision of ANSWERS/FISPIN Nuclear Software Codes
Authority: NATIONAL NUCLEAR LABORATORY LIMITED
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis contract is for the renewal of licences for the ANSWERS/FISPIN nuclear software suite, including specialist codes used for nuclear safety analysis, criticality assessments, radiation transport, shielding calculations, and reactor physics modelling.
The software supports established analytical methodologies and regulatory-approved processes across UKNNL's nuclear modelling and safety case activities.
The contract provides software licences, maintenance, updates, and technical support for a period of three years.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- 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
- 19 Aug 2026, 19:37 BST
- Last source update
- 19 Aug 2026, 19:37 BST
- Authority reference
NNLC739- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-079231- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e816Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
- Published justification
The contracting authority intends to award the contract without prior publication due to the absence of competition for technical reasons.
The ANSWERS/FISPIN software suite is proprietary and is only available from Energy, Safety and Risk Consultants (UK) Ltd. The software is embedded within existing UKNNL analytical methodologies, validated models, and regulatory-approved processes.
There are no reasonable alternative solutions capable of meeting the contracting authority's requirements without significant revalidation, regulatory approval, retraining, and disruption to ongoing nuclear safety and engineering programmes.
Replacing the software would result in substantial additional cost, programme delay, and technical risk. The supplier is therefore the only economic operator capable of providing the required licences and associated support services.
Notice history
2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 19 Aug 2026- Transparency notice published19 Aug 2026, 19:37 BSTUK5
- Contract signature expected1 Sept 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy, Safety and Risk Consultants (UK) Limited1 Sept 2026 – 31 Aug 2029 | £603,312 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- ENERGY, SAFETY AND RISK CONSULTANTS (UK) LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender