R2O Maintenance - University of Surrey

The deliverables within this contract are intrinsically linked to models and associated code that have been developed and are owned by the partner (supplier) to a defined level of maturity under the SWIMMR Programme and finalised as part of the R2O2R project.

The academic partner retains the intellectual property rights (IPR) for the model code and provides access to the Met Office under licence. As such, the partner remains uniquely positioned to deliver the required maintenance and support services.

The purpose of this contract is to ensure the continued maintenance, support, and incremental enhancement of these models within an operational context. This work requires detailed and specialist knowledge of the model architecture, development history, and underlying scientific principles, which reside with the original developers.

In addition, the contract supports the ongoing operational reliability and performance of the models within the Met Office Space Weather service, as mandated by DBIST. The continuation of partner involvement ensures effective management of model updates, issue resolution, and optimisation, while maintaining alignment with operational requirements.

In summary, due to the proprietary nature of the model code and the dependence on the partner's deep technical and scientific expertise, there is no alternative supplier capable of delivering these services without unacceptable risk to operational continuity and model integrity.