Scope
Reference
DN776177
Description
he Met Office wishes to contract with an organisation or organisations to deliver a Third-Party Observation Data Service (3PODS), which consists of the supply of Automated Weather Station data and the processing of this data into Met Office Systems. The contract(s) shall be for an initial period of 2 years with extensions of 2 and 1 years up to a maximum of 5 years in length.
Requirement 1- Lot 1- AWS dataset(s)
Procure (a) dataset(s) of approximately 2,000 or more sites across the UK, that is of a similar quality and size to the existing WOW dataset, with a view to increase the number of observations from the baseline level over that 5-year period subject to budget availability and data suitability.
Should both Lots be awarded, Lot 1 data supply will not begin until Lot 2 delivery has been completed, as Met Office does not wish to pay for data it is not ingesting. The effective date for commencement of services under Lot 1 is therefore unknown until a contract for Lot 2 is awarded.
Should Lot 2 not be awarded, the Met Office reserves the right to still award contract(s) under Lot 1, in which case, provision of the services will commence immediately.
Requirement 2- Lot 2- Data as a Service Capability
Delivery of a solution which minimises MO staff involvement, both in its creation and maintenance. This will deliver a supported platform that is initially capable of processing data from at least 2,000 sites and also be capable of change and delivering new data sets as identified in the future more quickly and flexibly than current internal Met Office capabilities (with a view to increase the number of observations from the baseline level of 2,000 up to 3,000 or more over that 5-year period subject to budget availability and data suitability).
It is important to note that the fundamental concept for Lot 2 is that the data ingested will not be confined to Lot 1 data sources. Other potential example data sets could include but are not limited to data from automatic weather stations run by other central government organisations and local authorities, the academic sector, UK energy providers, rain gauge network data and data from marine buoys.
This represents a strategic opportunity to scale. The speed of deployment of new data sources is the key component of this capability- if it does not represent a material improvement on current internal Met Office processes, no contract will be awarded.
Met Office's expectation is that Lot 2 delivery is a prerequisite for Lot 1 data supply and the operational deployment of the solution will determine when the Lot 1 data supply can begin. Should Lot 2 not be awarded, the Met Office reserves the right to still award contract(s) under Lot 1, in which case, provision of those services will commence immediately.
Total value (estimated)
- £1,733,000 excluding VAT
- £2,079,600 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2027
- Possible extension to 31 October 2030
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
Options to extend will be subject to satisfactory performance and budget availability.
Options
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
Option to extend beyond initial 2 year period by a further 2 years plus one year.
Option to increase volume and type of data provided via both Lots.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 72310000 - Data-processing services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Lot 1. Automated Weather Station dataset(s)
Description
Procure (a) dataset(s) of approximately 2,000 or more sites across the UK, that is of a similar quality and size to the existing WOW dataset, with a view to increase the number of observations from the baseline level over that 5-year period subject to budget availability and data suitability.
Should both Lots be awarded, Lot 1 data supply will not begin until Lot 2 delivery has been completed, as Met Office does not wish to pay for data it is not ingesting. The effective date for commencement of services under Lot 1 is therefore unknown until a contract for Lot 2 is awarded.
Should Lot 2 not be awarded, the Met Office reserves the right to still award contract(s) under Lot 1, in which case, provision of the services will commence immediately.
Lot value (estimated)
- £333,000 excluding VAT
- £399,600 including VAT
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract locations, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 2. Data as a Service Capability
Description
Delivery of a solution which minimises MO staff involvement, both in its creation and maintenance. This will deliver a supported platform that is initially capable of processing data from at least 2,000 sites and also be capable of change and delivering new data sets as identified in the future more quickly and flexibly than current internal Met Office capabilities (with a view to increase the number of observations from the baseline level of 2,000 up to 3,000 or more over that 5-year period subject to budget availability and data suitability).
It is important to note that the fundamental concept for Lot 2 is that the data ingested will not be confined to Lot 1 data sources. Other potential example data sets could include but are not limited to data from automatic weather stations run by other central government organisations and local authorities, the academic sector, UK energy providers, rain gauge network data and data from marine buoys.
This represents a strategic opportunity to scale. The speed of deployment of new data sources is the key component of this capability- if it does not represent a material improvement on current internal Met Office processes, no contract will be awarded.
Met Office's expectation is that Lot 2 delivery is a prerequisite for Lot 1 data supply and the operational deployment of the solution will determine when the Lot 1 data supply can begin. Should Lot 2 not be awarded, the Met Office reserves the right to still award contract(s) under Lot 1, in which case, provision of those services will commence immediately.
Lot value (estimated)
- £1,400,000 excluding VAT
- £1,680,000 including VAT
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract locations, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
Lot 1. Automated Weather Station dataset(s)
Will be contained in the tender documentation.
Technical ability conditions of participation
Lot 1. Automated Weather Station dataset(s)
Will be contained in the tender documentation.
Particular suitability
Lot 1. Automated Weather Station dataset(s)
Lot 2. Data as a Service Capability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
19 June 2025, 12:00pm
Tender submission deadline
17 July 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
A copy of the Tender document must be submitted no later than 1200 noon on 17 July 2025 via the Met Office Portal: https://procontract.due-north.com/Login
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
30 September 2025
Award criteria
Lot 1. Automated Weather Station dataset(s)
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Network Coverage and Density | Quality | |
| Meteorological Measurements | As described in the tender documentation |
Quality |
| Data Quality | As described in the tender documentation |
Quality |
| Data Latency and Reporting | As escribed in the tender documentation. |
Quality |
| Business Continuity | As described in the tender documentation |
Quality |
| Price | As described in the tender documentation |
Price |
Weighting description
See tender documentation.
Lot 2. Data as a Service Capability
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | As per tender documentation |
Quality | 65% |
| Cost | Price | 35% |
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Justification for not publishing a preliminary market engagement notice
Preliminary market engagement conducted under PCR2015.
Documents
Associated tender documents
https://procontract.due-north.com/Login
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Contracting authority
Met Office
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVZW-3234-DTLY
Met Office
Exeter
EX1 3PB
United Kingdom
Region: UKK43 - Devon CC
Organisation type: Public authority - central government