Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name, addresses and contact point(s)
DESNZ & DSIT Group Commercial
22 Whitehall
London
For the attention of
FNP Commercial Team
Email(s)
Country
United Kingdom
one.2) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
one.4) Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities:
No
Section two: Object of the contract
two.1) Description
two.1.1) Title attributed to the contract
Management of the UK Telecommunications Laboratory
two.1.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance
Services
Service category No 14: Research and development services and evaluation tests
two.1.4) Short description of the contract or purchase(s)
The UK Telecommunications Laboratory (UKTL) serves as the national telecoms security and resilience testing and research facility of the United Kingdom. This helps maintain the security and resilience of the UK's communications networks. The contract is for provision of Deliverables and the supply of Services, for the operation of the UKTL Buildings as well as the designing and implementation of specialist activities and tasks.
two.1.5) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
- 73400000 - Research and Development services on security and defence materials
two.2) Total final value of contract(s)
two.2.1) Total final value of contract(s)
Value: £18,380,000
Excluding VAT
Section four: Procedure
Type of procedure
Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
Justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice
1) Justification for the choice of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice
The works/goods/services can be provided only by a particular tenderer for reasons that are:
technical
connected with the protection of exclusive rights
2) Other justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
The UK Telecommunications Laboratory (UKTL) serves as the national telecoms security and resilience testing and research facility of the United Kingdom. The UKTL aims to be recognised globally as a centre of excellence in telecom security, providing advanced test and evaluation capabilities to protect the country's essential national telecoms infrastructure. This helps maintain the security and resilience of the UK's communications networks.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) awarded a contract to National Physical Laboratory Management Limited for setting up and initially managing UKTL for 12 months, valued at £18.3 million (excluding VAT). This procurement follows the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.
Publishing a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer applicable. The contract was awarded without prior publication of a notice on the UK e-notification service, adhering to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011, which allows such awarding “for technical reasons, or for reasons connected with the protection of exclusive rights”, therefore the contract was awarded to a particular economic operator.
The services required could only be provided by NPL Management Limited, due to the extensive interaction with various network-specific organisations as well as government bodies. These entities are integral to the development of UKTL, raising concerns about the allocation of exclusive rights during the establishment of the laboratory and necessitating a company that maintains neutrality. As a public corporation that offers neutrality, NPL Management Limited possesses the requisite expertise in laboratory setup and management. Although there are other public sector bodies that exhibit relevant qualities, their primary remits and expertise do not fulfil the unique requirements of a national-level telecommunications security laboratory. They lacked specialised knowledge in advanced telecom network protocols, cybersecurity threats specific to telecom infrastructure, and the metrology of high-frequency signals, which NPL possesses. Additionally, these entities do not operate high-security facilities for collaborative research on sensitive national security technology.
NPL's expertise in measurement science, its specific and advanced capabilities in telecommunications and cyber security, its role as the UK's National Measurement Institute, and its status as a trusted public sector body with the necessary infrastructure and security clearance experience make it the only public sector organisation feasibly equipped to operate the UKTL for the period of time in question.
Section five: Award of contract
Contract No
con_7702
five.1) Date of contract award decision
1 April 2025
five.3) Name and address of economic operator in favour of whom the contract award decision has been taken
NPL Management Limited
Teddington
Country
United Kingdom
Companies House
02937881
five.4) Information on value of contract
Total final value of the contract
Value: £18,380,000
Excluding VAT
If annual or monthly value
Number of years: 1
five.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract is likely to be sub-contracted: Yes
Value or proportion of the contract likely to be sub-contracted to third parties:
Not known
Short description of the value/proportion of the contract to be sub-contracted:
N/A
Section six: Complementary information
six.1) Information about European Union funds
The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
six.3) Procedures for appeal
six.3.1) Body responsible for appeal procedures
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
London
Country
United Kingdom
Body responsible for mediation procedures
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
London
Country
United Kingdom
six.3.3) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
London
Country
United Kingdom