Find a TenderAwarded without competitionContract details notice

Published 21 Aug 2025, 13:28 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Provision of Support Services to the TacSys Dismounted Data System (DDS)

Official notice

Authority: Ministry of Defence (Central government)

Direct awardDefence & securitySME suitable

Sectors: Architecture & Engineering (71) Delivery: UKSouth West (UKK12)

Awarded value£4,000,000published award · exc. VAT

Awarded 27 Aug 2025no call for competition

Awarded to Rowden Technologies Limited

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The DDS requirement is to deliver a quantity of radios and ancillaries to be connected to provide the DDS system. The design to be used to deliver is owned by the MOD and was delivered as part of the Dismounted Situational Awareness (DSA) project by Rowden Technologies. The DSA project has been delayed but the design has been used by other MOD teams. Rowden continuation of support is required to deliver DDS capability, building on work they have already completed as the Design and Integration Partner for DSA project.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Lot #1AwardedSME

Delivery: UK, South WestEligibility: SME eligible

71320000 Engineering design services

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: Defence & security
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: 21 Aug 2025, 13:28 BST
Last source update: 8 Oct 2025, 09:31 BST
Authority reference: 715611454
FTS notice number: 2025/S 000-063120
Latest notice: Contract details notice (UK7)
Delivery area: UKSouth West (UKK12)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-058c27 Find a Tender

Why no open competition: Switching Direct Award
Published justification: The TacSys Service Executive (SE) within Defence Digital (DD), part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), have placed with Rowden Technologies a 7-month contract for the Provision of Support Services to the TacSys Dismounted Data System (DDS).
It was considered that this contract can be placed using a Direct Award Procedure pursuant to Schedule 5, Paras 6 & 7, of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) due to technical reasons and the supply of repeat services.
Following the competitive procedure through the Digital Outcomes and Specialists 5 (DOS 5) framework, the MOD awarded initial Design and Integration Partner (DIP) 2-year contract to Rowden Technologies in July 2021. The scope of the contract was to deliver a DSA system design, which would be used by the MOD to carry out an Assessment Phase competition and to supply the Dismounted Situational Awareness (DSA) system at scale. This design was delivered and has been extensively used and further developed by the MOD and will be used to deliver DDS requirement. As such a new short-term support contract is required prior to planned competition for a longer term contract. Rowden were responsible for the development and delivery of the DSA system design and are currently the only company who have the requisite technical knowhow, expertise and experience to carry out the activities required for the DDS.
A change of supplier at this time would introduce disproportionate technical difficulties in both the operation and maintenance of the DDS system, resulting in a loss of capability. Due to the above reasons the requirement will continue as a single source requirement.

How it was run

Official notice

Submission deadline: —

Timeline

8 Sept 2025 → 8 Oct 2025 · 2 dates

Standstill ends
8 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
Notice published383 days ago
8 Oct 2025, 09:31 BST

Notice history

4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 21 Aug 2025

Transparency notice published
21 Aug 2025, 13:28 BST
UK5
Contract award notice published
28 Aug 2025, 14:34 BST
UK6
Contract signature expected
9 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
scheduled
Contract details notice published
8 Oct 2025, 09:31 BST
UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 1

Awarded value £4,000,0001 award exc. VAT

Contracts signed 1latest 17 Sept 2025

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
Rowden Technologies LimitedSMEProvision of support services to TacSys Dismounted Data System (DDS)9 Sept 2025 – 31 Mar 2026 · up to 21 Aug 2026Extensions: Extended if the competition to replace is delayed · Options: Two extension periods to extend the service until replaced	£4,000,000	27 Aug 2025	Awarded

Contracts

Provision of Support Services to the TacSys Dismounted Data System (DDS) · Rowden Technologies LimitedSME
Signed
17 Sept 2025
Value
£4,000,000
Period
17 Sept 2025 – 31 Mar 2026 · up to 31 Aug 2026 with extensions
Status
active
Extensions
Two extension periods to extend the service until replaced.
Options
2x extenson options: 1x to cover period Apr-Jun'26 and 1x to cover period Jul-Aug'26
3 agreed KPIs: Provision of cellular service · Service desk response time · Post Exercise observation report
- Provision of cellular service, Provision of a monthly report on use of the remaining SIM card and Data provision. These should be provided as an electronic version in an editable format such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint etc.
- Service desk response time, The speed at which the service desk responds to calls during any exercise or deployment. This must be measured by Rowden Technologies and evidence provided to the Authority on a monthly basis as an electronic version in an editable format such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint etc.
- Post Exercise observation report, Provision of a summary of lessons learnt during the user trials and test activities identifying what worked well, what could be improved, and any necessary adjustments for future use. This shall record system insights such as system faults, failure rates and incidents (including situation and environmental metrics such as temperature, conditions in use etc.). The report should also consider the conditions under which the kit was used and the performance standards it was designed to meet.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Ministry of Defence

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PHVX-4316-ZVGZ Abbey Wood South, Bristol, South West, BS34 8JHContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

Rowden TechnologiesAwarded supplierGB-COH: 09981110 Unit G3c Bolingbroke Way, Bristol, South West, BS34 6FEContact email, phone

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender8 Oct 2025, 09:31 BST
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender28 Aug 2025, 14:34 BST
Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender21 Aug 2025, 13:28 BST