Official UK procurement notice
UBIQUITY FPV Training · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Ministry of Defence (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionProcurement of a scalable, affordable, non-energetic FPV training capability to deliver increased training mass under the RAPSTONE programme. A competitive procurement will be used to test the market and secure value for money, taking account of current technology, supplier capacity and support solutions. Final quantities will be determined through competition, with lessons identified from FPV Tranches 1 and 2 informing the final User Requirement Document. This represents the final planned FPV training tranche under the current UBIQUITY approach and is distinct from the operational Armed FPV capability requirement.
- How the procedure runs: Clarification Questions 16 October 2026 at 12:00 The Authority issues Final Clarification Answers 20 October 2026 Tender Return 6 November 2026 at 12:00 GMT Demonstration Session 17 November 2026 Preferred Bidder Identified 18 November 2026 Contract Award 30 November 2026 Contract Start 7 December 2026
CPV: Unmanned aerial vehicles
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£6,700,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Technical Assessment: 75%
- Commercial Assessment: 25%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical Assessment: Tenderers shall provide sufficient information and evidence to enable the Authority to assess their responses against each criterion. Responses will be scored in accordance with the evaluation methodology Following completion of Stage 1, the three highest-scoring Tenderers will be shortlisted and invited to participate in Stage 2 Demonstration Phase. The Authority reserves the right to invite fewer than three Tenderers where fewer than three acceptable Tender Responses are received. Shortlisted Tenderers shall be required to provide demonstration equipment and participate in a practical evaluation event. The purpose of the demonstration is to validate the claims made within the written Tender Response and assess the suitability of the proposed FPV training drone solution in a realistic training environment.
- Commercial Assessment: The Authority has an available budget of £3,750,000 inclusive of VAT for the initial purchase and delivery of FPV Training Drone systems and associated support requirements under this Contract. Tenderers shall submit a proposal identifying the maximum number of complete FPV Training Drone sets that can be supplied within this budget. In addition, Tenderers shall provide a firm fixed price for the purchase of additional compliant Sets beyond those offered within the available budget. The Authority will separately assess the cost of additional Sets as part of the commercial evaluation to determine value for money and potential future scalability.
No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.
- Price carries 25 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £13,400,000 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How Ministry of Defence buys Military aircrafts (CPV 3561), and who usually turns up
Ministry of Defence’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Military aircrafts (CPV 3561) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in the delivery region.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 50 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The buyer’s share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid63%
2–316%
4–65%
7+16%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate80%
Within ±2%20%
Above estimate0%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 3561Published estimate£6.7m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid31%
2–346%
4–620%
7+3%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
Based on 9 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£5.7m–£6.5m
Estimate£6.7m
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anartes LimitedWorked for this buyer | 715130453 - RAPSTONE FPV Strike Tr2 tender noticenotice published Oct 2025 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
| Level Five SuppliesWorked for this buyer | USV PAYLOADS LIDAR SENSOR SYSTEMnotice published Apr 2022 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
| Edgar BrothersWorked for this buyer | TACTICAL WEAPONISED UGV CAPABILITYnotice published Feb 2022 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
| kraken Works LtdWorked for this buyer | Project Beehive – USV (Unmanned Surface Vessel) and GCS (Ground Control System) Procurementruns to Mar 2027 | — | £10m | Similar wording and category |
| EDM LimitedWorked for this buyer | Procurement of a Single Seat Crew Escape and Safety Systems Trainernotice published Jan 2025 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
Lockheed Martin UKLarge | £758m7 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 1 live · £8.9m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs |
| £720k2 awards in 36m · last 32 months ago | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
| — | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
| £10m1 awards in 36m · last 8 months ago | None on file | at estimate n=1 | |
EDM LimitedSME | £3.2m3 awards in 36m · last 8 months ago | None on file | 18% below n=2 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Defence & security
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 10 Sept 2026, 11:44 BST
- Last source update
- 21 Oct 2026, 13:45 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 30 Nov 2026
- Authority reference
715943473- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-096287- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f69eFind a Tender
- How it runs
Clarification Questions 16 October 2026 at 12:00
The Authority issues Final Clarification Answers 20 October 2026
Tender Return 6 November 2026 at 12:00 GMT
Demonstration Session 17 November 2026
Preferred Bidder Identified 18 November 2026
Contract Award 30 November 2026
Contract Start 7 December 2026
How to participate & submission route
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 6 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 16 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
10 Sept 2026 → 7 Dec 2026 · 9 dates- Planning notice published42 days ago10 Sept 2026, 11:44 BST
- Market engagement19 days ago2 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
Please indicate your interest in participating in a potential future competitive tender by return email to [email protected] and [email protected] by 2nd October 2026.
If you do not wish to participate, the Authority would welcome any feedback regarding your decision, as this will assist in developing an understanding of the wider market.
Suppliers should note that this Expression of Interest (EOI) is being issued solely for the purposes of early market engagement and market analysis. The Authority is seeking to better understand the current competitive landscape only.
This EOI does not constitute a procurement exercise, call for competition, invitation to tender, pre-qualification exercise, or any other form of commitment by the Authority to procure goods or services. The Authority is not seeking formal bids, proposals or pricing at this stage, and participation in this market engagement activity will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement process.
The Authority reserves the right to use the information obtained through this market engagement to inform the commercial strategy.
Any future procurement opportunity arising from this requirement will be subject to separate approval and, where appropriate, will be advertised and competed through the relevant procurement channels in accordance with applicable procurement legislation and policy.
- Tender notice published10 days ago12 Oct 2026, 17:01 BST
- Clarification questions by6 days ago16 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Latest notice published1 day ago21 Oct 2026, 13:45 BST
- Today22 Oct 2026
- Next notice expectedin 12 days2 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 15 days6 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 40 days30 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 46 days7 Dec 2026
Notice history
12 events · 6 releases on Find a Tender · since 10 Sept 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published10 Sept 2026, 11:44 BSTUK2
- Pipeline notice published1 Oct 2026, 08:48 BSTUK1
- Published value updated to £3,125,0001 Oct 2026, 08:48 BSTwas £3,000,000
- Status changed to planned1 Oct 2026, 08:48 BST
- Tender notice published12 Oct 2026, 17:01 BSTUK4
- Status changed to active12 Oct 2026, 17:01 BST
- Procurement method changed12 Oct 2026, 17:01 BST
- Deadline published: 6 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT12 Oct 2026, 17:01 BST
- Tender notice published12 Oct 2026, 18:17 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published13 Oct 2026, 09:49 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published21 Oct 2026, 13:45 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £6,700,00021 Oct 2026, 13:45 BSTwas £3,125,000
Published amendments (2)
Tender dates have been updated to align with the submission deadline of 6 November.
Tender dates have been updated to align with the submission deadline of 6 November.
Routine re-releases (6)
- 2026-10: 2 releases · 1 Oct 2026, 12 Oct 2026
- 2026-09: 1 release · 10 Sept 2026
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (8)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender