Scope
Reference
PS25125
Description
The final date and time for the submission of bids is Monday 11th August 2025 at 14:00hrs
DO NOT apply directly to the buyer.
All tender information MUST be submitted through the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal.
Brief Description of Requirement
The Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) within the UK Space Agency is intending to procure delivery partners across different studies to feed into on-going research at the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC). The funding for the research associated with the IADC fits into a broader set of activities on Space Sustainability being led by UKSA and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) space directorate. The IADC consists of 13-member space agencies that perform technical research to inform key outputs which provide insights on how to mitigate the impact of space debris impact on the environment. The research performed by the IADC is split across four workings groups - measurements, environment and database protection and mitigation - and the research studies sought within this procurement will support on-going research across these working groups. The UK delegation to IADC is led by UKSA and is composed of cross-Government experts including representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spaceflight regulator alongside members of academia. The UK delegation does not directly have participation of industry to ensure that the research performed remains impartial. However, industry groups are not precluded from bidding for the work described in this specification the work though will be presented as UK delegation inputs. Outside of this procurement the UKSA is seeking to review the state of UK research into space debris by academic entities.
Within this procurement UKSA is seeking suppliers to perform technical studies of relevance to the four IADC working groups. We will require the supplier to fulfil the specification, including defining framework/model where needed and putting theoretical metrics into practice. This requirement is split into four lots, each related to a different technical area. Some lots contain multiple studies.
Please ensure you review all attached information to ensure a full understanding of this requirement. All attachments can be found with the Supplier Attachments tab within the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal.
This contract will be awarded based on the evaluation criteria as set out in the RFP document.
How to Apply
UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UKSBS) will be using the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal for this procurement.
To register on the Jaggaer eSourcing portal please use the link https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/ and follow the instructions to register as a supplier.
If you are already registered on the Jaggaer eSourcing Portal and wish to participate in this procurement, please use the link: https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/.
Once you are logged into the system you will be able to locate the Procurement you wish to leave a bid on by clicking the ITTs Open to All Suppliers and searching for the reference number PS25128 and Jaggaer ITT reference number ITT_2212.
Lot 1. Lot 1. Measurements
Description
This lot contains one study, though UKSA reserves the right to award multiple variants to multiple bidders in the event sufficient high quality bids are received:Lot 1.1: Analysis of the data from EISCAT Beampark CampaignTotal Contract Value: Up to £25,000 (inclusive of VAT)Total Contract Duration: 6 monthsCharacterisation of the Small Debris Space Environment remains an ongoing critical challenge for addressing space sustainability. NSpOC has previously funded a 24 hour beampark campaign using the EISCAT UHF radar system with the raw data analysed through an ESA contract. At the recent IADC, it was discussed that shorter follow up beamparks targeting specific fragmentation events would also be very beneficial. As a result of this, NSpOC has arranged for a further 24 hours of time but split up over 6 x 4 hr sessions targeting the recent CZ-6A fragmentation. The campaigns target 200-2000 km with a 75E pointing direction. We require a supplier to analyse the raw data to pull out detections and use the circular orbit assumption to extract an orbital inclination and altitude and make an assessment of object size based on the signal strength.
Lot 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database
Description
Lot 2: Environment and Database - This lot contains three studies. Bidders may bid for and be awarded one or more studies within Lot 2. For the avoidance of doubt, it is not necessary to bid for all three studies to be eligible to participate. UKSA reserves the right to award multiple contracts in the event of budget availability and sufficient high-quality proposals.The scope of Working Group 2 (Environment and Database) is the characterisation and modelling of meteoroid and debris around the Earth and storage and access of the data by electronic means, including meteoroid and debris models, short and long-term evolution, collision prediction and risk assessment.1. Lot 2.1: Assess the utility of existing metrics and develop new metrics for space environmentTotal Contract Value: Up to £50,000 (inclusive of VAT)Total Contract Duration: 6 monthsVarious metrics have been proposed to understand the status of the space environment. Some of these focus individual missions and can be aggregated across all objects to quantify the entire environment, and some measure underlying properties of the environment. Further work is required to develop metrics that can be used to look at the environment as a whole.2. Lot 2.2: Develop software and tools to assess the environmentTotal Contract Value: Up to £50,000 (inclusive of VAT)Total Contract Duration: 6 monthsThe UK wants to establish further capability to model the long-term evolution of the space environment and contribute to international efforts to understand safety and sustainability in the space environment.3. Lot 2.3: Timelines for End of Life (EOL) disposalTotal Contract Value: Up to £50,000 (inclusive of VAT)Total Contract Duration: 6 monthsA quantitative assessment of risk and approaches to orbit design is desired which seeks to establish principles which minimise risk and improve sustainability of the missions. The outputs of the study should be used to suggest potential end-of-life mission design principles which improve sustainability while minimising risk to operator systems operating in the environment.
Lot 3. Lot 3. Protection
Description
Lot 3: This lot contains two studies. Bidders may bid for and be awarded one or more studies within Lot 3. For the avoidance of doubt, it is not necessary to bid for both studies to be eligible to participate. UKSA reserves the right to award multiple contracts in the event of budget availability and sufficient high-quality proposals.The scope of Working Group 3 (Protection) comprises the design and technology of shielding against meteoroids and space debris and the associated test methods which include test facility and procedure, hypervelocity impact data and simulation software.1. Lot 3.1: Critical Space Debris Threshold - VulnerabilityTotal Contract Value: Up to £25,000 (inclusive of VAT)Total Contract Duration: 6 monthsThe likelihood of spacecraft failure presented in national and international space debris mitigation standards requirements is based on the size of space debris that will be encountered during the mission. Spacecraft failure is quantified in terms of the probability of loss of collision avoidance manoeuvre capability or the probability of loss of post mission disposal capability. However, a thorough understanding of the relationship between space debris size and probability of spacecraft failure is currently lacking. Working Group 3 within the IADC is now addressing this topic via a dedicated study to develop impact vulnerability-based thresholds that can be used in the future as simplified metrics.2. Lot 3.2: Critical Space Debris Threshold - FragmentationTotal Contract Value: Up to £50,000 (inclusive of VAT)Total Contract Duration: 6 monthsThe likelihood of catastrophic break-up of spacecraft due to a space debris impact presented in national and international space debris mitigation standards is based on assumptions on the size or energy of the space debris involved in the impact. In practice, the employed definition of "catastrophic" to justify the "critical" threshold of the space debris involved is often qualitative and limited by the availability of the state-of-the-art research. Working Group 3 within the IADC is now addressing this topic by initiating a study to characterise fragments released in hypervelocity collisions that can be used in future for deriving fragmentation severity.
Lot 4. Lot 4. Mitigation
Description
Lot 4: This lot contains two studies. Bidders may bid for and be awarded one or more studies within Lot 4. For the avoidance of doubt, it is not necessary to bid for both studies to be eligible to participate. UKSA reserves the right to award multiple contracts in the event of budget availability and sufficient high-quality proposals.To support on-going research support is sought on the following:1. Lot 4.1: Lunar Debris Mitigation Guidelines - further work on disposal optionsTotal Contract Value: Up to £25,000 (inclusive of VAT)Total Contract Duration: 6 monthsThe UK Space Agency is keen to support efforts to develop recommendations for the sustainable use of Cislunar space. This study will seek to identify key research gaps and further develop the work carried out in the previous studies to feed directly into the IADC Working Group and other international forums (UN COPUOS and Artemis Accords). The outputs of this study may also be used by the UK Space Agency and wider UK Government to inform new regulatory policy for future UK-licensed lunar missions.2. Lot 4.2: Assessment of technologies driving post-mission disposal reliabilityTotal Contract Value: Up to £25,000 (inclusive of VAT)Total Contract Duration: 6 monthsInvestigate the technologies that underpin reliable post-mission disposal operations, considering those that achieve compliance to one or more of the post-mission disposal guidelines within the IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines. Develop and populate a catalogue to capture key information on each technology and critically evaluate the most promising solutions across cases for single-spacecraft missions and large constellations.
Contract 1. Lot 1. Measurements - Lot 1.1: Analysis of the data from EISCAT Beampark Campaign
Lots
Lot 1. Lot 1. Measurements
Supplier
Contract value
- £23,244 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Contract 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.1: Assess the utility of existing metrics and develop new metrics for space environment
Lots
Lot 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database
Supplier
Contract value
- £49,658.85 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
Contract 3. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.1: Assess the utility of existing metrics and develop new metrics for space environment
Lots
Lot 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database
Supplier
Contract value
- £49,501.20 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
Contract 4. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.2: Develop software and tools to assess the environment
Lots
Lot 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database
Supplier
Contract value
- £49,659.28 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
Contract 5. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.2: Develop software and tools to assess the environment
Lots
Lot 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database
Supplier
Contract value
- £38,496 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
Contract 6. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.3: Timelines for End of Life (EOL) disposal
Lots
Lot 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database
Supplier
Contract value
- £49,659.28 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
Contract 7. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.3: Timelines for End of Life (EOL) disposal
Lots
Lot 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database
Supplier
Contract value
- £49,749.60 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
Contract 8. Lot 3. Protection - Lot 3.1: Critical Space Debris Threshold - Vulnerability
Lots
Lot 3. Lot 3. Protection
Supplier
Contract value
- £24,838.80 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
Contract 9. Lot 3. Protection - Lot 3.2: Critical Space Debris Threshold - Fragmentation
Lots
Lot 3. Lot 3. Protection
Supplier
Contract value
- £35,488.80 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
Contract 10. Lot 4. Mitigation - Lot 4.1: Lunar Debris Mitigation Guidelines - further work on disposal options
Lots
Lot 4. Lot 4. Mitigation
Supplier
Contract value
- £24,624 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
15 September 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
16 September 2025
Standstill period
- End: 25 September 2025
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
29 September 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 30 September 2025 to 31 March 2026
- 6 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
Information about tenders
Lot 1. Lot 1. Measurements
- 1 tender received
- 1 tender assessed in the final stage:
- 1 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 1 supplier awarded contracts
- 0 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Lot 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database
- 4 tenders received
- 4 tenders assessed in the final stage:
- 4 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 4 suppliers awarded contracts
- 0 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Lot 3. Lot 3. Protection
- 2 tenders received
- 2 tenders assessed in the final stage:
- 2 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 2 suppliers awarded contracts
- 0 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Lot 4. Lot 4. Mitigation
- 1 tender received
- 1 tender assessed in the final stage:
- 1 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 1 supplier awarded contracts
- 0 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Suppliers
Brunel University of London
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PNZB-8743-NHQT
Uxbridge
London
UB8 3PH
United Kingdom
Email: james.campbell@brunel.ac.uk
Region: UKI74 - Harrow and Hillingdon
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 9. Lot 3. Protection - Lot 3.2: Critical Space Debris Threshold - Fragmentation
Digantara Research and Technologies Private Limited
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHWP-8963-MYCD
Floor 9, Brigade Senate 2,
Bengaluru
560094
India
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 1. Lot 1. Measurements - Lot 1.1: Analysis of the data from EISCAT Beampark Campaign
Space Professionals Partnership Limited
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJWZ-6242-JYRH
14 Lyon Road
Harrow
HA1 2EN
United Kingdom
Region: UKI74 - Harrow and Hillingdon
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 10. Lot 4. Mitigation - Lot 4.1: Lunar Debris Mitigation Guidelines - further work on disposal options
SpaceROC Ltd
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWMV-4497-LYHN
Magnolia Church Street
Thatcham
RG18 0TD
United Kingdom
Email: toby.harris@spaceroc.co.uk
Region: UKJ11 - Berkshire
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 5. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.2: Develop software and tools to assess the environment
The Aerospace Corporation, UK, Ltd
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PXLJ-7911-RBTQ
2 New Bailey
Salford
M3 5GS
United Kingdom
Email: david.sandy@aerospacecorp.uk
Region: UKD34 - Greater Manchester South West
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 7. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.3: Timelines for End of Life (EOL) disposal
Contract 8. Lot 3. Protection - Lot 3.1: Critical Space Debris Threshold - Vulnerability
University of Birmingham
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHCQ-3464-LVTM
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
United Kingdom
Email: h.g.lewis@bham.ac.uk
Region: UKG31 - Birmingham
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 2. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.1: Assess the utility of existing metrics and develop new metrics for space environment
Contract 4. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.2: Develop software and tools to assess the environment
Contract 6. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.3: Timelines for End of Life (EOL) disposal
University of Strathclyde
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PGVP-7923-NDTW
16 Richmond Street
Glasgow
G1 1XQ
United Kingdom
Region: UKM82 - Glasgow City
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 3. Lot 2. Environment and Database - Lot 2.1: Assess the utility of existing metrics and develop new metrics for space environment
Contracting authority
UKSA
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PRTY-4245-MTJY
Harwell Campus, Rutherford Avenue
Didcot
OX11 0DF
United Kingdom
Region: UKJ14 - Oxfordshire
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
Other organisation
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
UK Shared Business Services Ltd
Summary of their role in this procurement: Shared Service Provider
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PMPN-7535-GNTG
Polaris House, North star Avenue
Swindon
SN2 1FF
United Kingdom
Region: UKK14 - Swindon