13 Pounder Design Organisation, £3M, deadline 29th May
Summary
Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) has published a tender notice for a Design Organisation (DO) to provide through-life design authority, engineering assurance, configuration management, and technical documentation support for the Ordnance Quick Fire 13-Pounder ceremonial guns operated by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The estimated contract value is £2,500,000 excluding VAT (£3,000,000 including VAT), with an initial performance period from 13 October 2026 to 15 October 2029, extendable to 8 October 2030. Bids must be submitted electronically via the MOD contracts portal by 29 May 2026 at 11:59pm.
“This procurement seeks to competitively appoint a suitably qualified Design Organisation (DO) to provide through‑life design authority, engineering assurance, configuration management, and technical documentation support for the Ordnance Quick Fire 13‑Pounder ceremonial guns operated by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.”
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What changed
DE&S has published an open tender under the Procurement Act 2023 for a Design Organisation to support the 13-Pounder ceremonial gun system. Suppliers must meet legal, financial, and technical capacity conditions, including insurance thresholds (£10M Employer's Liability, £10M Public Liability, £3M Professional Indemnity), compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (for firms with £36M+ turnover), and confirmation that neither they nor their supply chain are organised under Russian or Belarusian law. SMEs are explicitly identified as a target participant group.
Bidders are evaluated 90% on Technical quality and 10% on Social Value per the Government Social Value Model. The estimated award date is 13 October 2026, with contract commencement the same day. Interested parties must register on the Central Digital Platform and may contact the contracting authority via the MOD contracts portal.
What to do next
- Contact david.livingston104@mod.gov.uk for enquiries by 15 May 2026, 11:59pm
- Submit bids electronically via https://contracts.mod.uk by 29 May 2026, 11:59pm
- Register core supplier information on the Central Digital Platform and confirm no exclusion grounds apply under UK procurement legislation
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Tender
13 Pounder Design Organisation (DO)
- Defence Equipment and Support UK4: Tender notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types
Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-037313
Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-05586e (view related notices)
Published 23 April 2026, 5:44pm
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Contents
Scope Participation Submission Award criteria Other information Procedure Contracting authority
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Scope
Reference
715245452-13 Pounder Design Organisation (DO)
Description
This procurement seeks to competitively appoint a suitably qualified Design Organisation (DO) to provide through‑life design authority, engineering assurance, configuration management, and technical documentation support for the Ordnance Quick Fire 13‑Pounder ceremonial guns operated by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
Total value (estimated)
- £2,500,000 excluding VAT
- £3,000,000 including VAT Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 13 October 2026 to 15 October 2029
- Possible extension to 8 October 2030
- 3 years, 11 months, 27 days Description of possible extension:
1 Option Year after the end of initial contract
Options
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
1 Option Year after the end of initial contract
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
Engineering design services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
Legal Status and Capacity
Suppliers must be legally constituted organisations capable of entering into a binding contract. Evidence must be provided in the form of a Certificate of Incorporation, Partnership Agreement, or equivalent legal documentation, together with a valid Company Registration Number. Where a bid is submitted by a consortium or group, suppliers must also clearly describe the legal and governance structure, identify the lead member, and explain the role of each participating entity.
Exclusion and Eligibility Compliance
Suppliers are required to confirm that they are eligible to participate in the procurement and are not subject to any mandatory or discretionary exclusion grounds under UK procurement legislation. This includes confirmation that the supplier is not listed on the UK Debarment List. Suppliers must ensure their core supplier information, connected person details, and exclusion information are registered on the Central Digital Platform and shared with the Authority. Any Associated Persons relied upon to meet the Conditions of Participation must also meet these requirements.
Sanctions and Geographic Restrictions
Suppliers must confirm that neither they nor any part of their intended supply chain is constituted or organised under the laws of Russia or Belarus, nor owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by Russian or Belarusian persons or entities. Compliance must account for ownership, control, and supply chain relationships, subject only to the limited treaty‑based exceptions set out in the PSQ.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Suppliers must confirm compliance with all relevant UK statutory obligations applicable to contract delivery. This includes compliance with equality legislation under the Equality Act 2010 and associated regulations, and with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 where applicable. Suppliers with a turnover of £36 million or more must have published a compliant Modern Slavery Statement, or provide credible assurance that compliance will be achieved prior to contract award.
Financial Standing and Viability
Suppliers must demonstrate that they have sufficient financial capacity to perform the contract. This includes providing turnover figures for the last two financial years, signed statutory accounts covering up to three accounting periods where available, a current cashflow forecast, and bank evidence confirming access to sufficient cash or credit facilities. Suppliers trading for less than one year must provide alternative evidence of financial standing. Where a supplier relies on a guarantor, full financial information and supporting evidence for the guarantor must also be provided.
Insurance Cover
Suppliers must confirm that they hold, or commit to obtaining by contract award, adequate levels of insurance to support contract delivery. As a minimum, this includes Employer’s Liability Insurance of £10 million, Public Liability Insurance of £10 million, and Professional Indemnity Insurance of £3 million. Details of existing policies or a clear plan for obtaining the required cover must be provided.
Technical ability conditions of participation
Allows for equivalent qualifications and standards
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
15 May 2026, 11:59pm
Tender submission deadline
29 May 2026, 11:59pm
Submission address and any special instructions
https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/ogc-host/public/mod/web/login.html?_ncp=1764765533529.624381-1
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
13 October 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical | Technical Evaluation |
The Technical Evaluation assesses the bidder’s ability to deliver the Design Organisation role safely, compliantly, and effectively across the equipment lifecycle. Technical...
Show full description | Quality | 90% |
| Social Value | Social Value Evaluation
Social Value represents 10% of the total quality score and is assessed in line with the Government Social Value Model and PPN guidance. Bidders are expected to demonstrate...
Show full description | Quality | 10% |
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Special regime
Defence and security
Contracting authority
Defence Equipment and Support
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVRL-5831-GLMM MOD Abbey Wood
Bristol
BS34 8JH
United Kingdom
Contact name: David Livingston
Email: david.livingston104@mod.gov.uk
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-equipment-and-support
Region: UKK12 - Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Organisation type: Public authority - central government
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