Autonomous Underwater Glider Platforms Contract Awarded
Summary
The UK Government's Find a Tender service has published a contract award notice for the provision of Autonomous Underwater Glider Platforms by the National Oceanography Centre to Teledyne Instruments Inc. The contract is valued at over $1 million USD and will run for two years.
What changed
The National Oceanography Centre has awarded a contract to Teledyne Instruments Inc. for the supply of autonomous underwater glider platforms, scientific payloads, and ancillary equipment. The contract, valued at approximately $1.2 million USD including VAT, is for a duration of two years, from March 31, 2026, to March 30, 2028. The platforms will support oceanographic research and operational activities.
This notice serves as an award notification for a procurement valued above the relevant threshold. While formal Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were not set due to the perceived low complexity and short-term nature of the requirement, standard contractual terms and operational oversight will be used for contract management. Entities involved in similar government procurements should note the CPV classification used and the justification provided for the absence of formal KPIs.
Source document (simplified)
Contract
Provision of Autonomous Underwater Glider Platforms
- National Oceanography Centre UK7: Contract details notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types
Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-028793
Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-065b32 (view related notices)
Published 28 March 2026, 9:35am
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Contents
Scope Contract 1. Provision of Autonomous Underwater Glider Platforms Other information Procedure Supplier Contracting authority
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Reference
2026PRNOC-1111
Description
The National Oceanography Centre has awarded a contract for the provision of autonomous underwater glider platforms to support oceanographic research and operational activities. The contract covers the supply of fully configured buoyancy‑driven underwater gliders, together with associated scientific payloads, ancillary equipment, delivery, and acceptance arrangements.
The platforms will be used to support both deep‑water and shallow‑water operations and are intended to integrate with the National Oceanography Centre's existing operational and data handling infrastructure.
Contract 1. Provision of Autonomous Underwater Glider Platforms
Supplier
Contract value
- 1005848 USD excluding VAT
- 1207017.60 USD including VAT Above the relevant threshold
Date signed
25 March 2026
Contract dates
- 31 March 2026 to 30 March 2028
- 2 years
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
Unmanned underwater vehicles
Contract locations
- UKJ32 - Southampton
Justification for not setting key performance indicators
Key Performance Indicators have not been set for this contract as the scope relates to a short‑term and/or low‑complexity requirement where performance can be adequately managed through standard contractual terms, service specifications, and day‑to‑day operational oversight. The services are clearly defined, outcomes are binary in nature (delivered or not delivered), and any performance issues can be readily identified and addressed through routine contract management and escalation mechanisms.
The introduction of formal KPIs would not provide additional assurance or value beyond existing controls and would be disproportionate to the nature, risk, and duration of the contract.
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure type
Direct award
Direct award justification
- Single supplier - technical reasons
- Additional or repeat goods, services or works - extension or partial replacement Additional or repeat goods, services or works - extension or partial replacement
This direct award is made in reliance on Schedule 5, paragraph 7 of the Procurement Act 2023. The proposed contract concerns the supply of goods by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to, and partial replacement of, existing autonomous underwater glider platforms currently operated by the National Oceanography Centre.
The existing platforms are integrated into established operational, command and control, data handling, maintenance, and training arrangements. A change of supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods that are different from, and incompatible with, the existing platforms and supporting infrastructure. This incompatibility would require significant changes to operational systems, software, data processing workflows, spares, tooling, and staff training.
The resulting differences would give rise to disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance, including increased operational risk, loss of continuity in research capability, and additional cost and time to implement and validate alternative systems. These impacts would be beyond what could reasonably be justified for the scope and value of this requirement.
The direct award is therefore necessary to ensure continuity of operations, compatibility with existing systems, and the effective delivery of NOC's research and operational objectives, in accordance with the conditions set out in Schedule 5, paragraph 7.
Teledyne Instruments Inc. d/b/a Teledyne Webb Research
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVLD-7113-RTZD 49 Edgerton Dr.
North Falmouth
02556
United States
Email: webbresearch@teledyne.com
Website: https://www.teledynemarine.com/brands/webb-research
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 1
National Oceanography Centre
- Companies House: 11444362
- Charity Commission (England and Wales): 1185265
- Scottish Charity Register: SC049896
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PYLV-3456-PMCQ National Oceanography Centre
Southampton
SO14 3ZH
United Kingdom
Email: noc_tenders@noc.ac.uk
Website: https://noc.ac.uk /
Region: UKJ32 - Southampton
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
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