Scope
Reference
712091450
Description
Defence Equipment and Support (DES) Salvage and Marine Operations (SALMO) Delivery Team (DT) have a requirement for the provision of In-Service Support (ISS) to the Diving Life Support (DLS) portfolio of equipment.
The DLS portfolio provides a diving capability to the UK Military, led by the Royal Navy, to support a full range of technical and support activities to enable the delivery of underwater Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), underwater engineering, underwater search and engineering tasks in support of UK Defence Tasks.
The DLS ISS requirement is divided into the following four Lots:
Lot 1 - Diver's Dress and Dive Ancillaries
Estimated value: £10M ex VAT
Includes: Diver's dress, e.g. dive suits, boots, gloves, etc and Dive Ancillaries
Lot 2 - Diving Support Equipment
Estimated value: £14M ex VAT
Includes:
Diver Through Water Communication (DTWC)
Gas Boosters Pumps
Portable Breathing Air Compressor (PBAC)
Portable Oxygen Monitoring Apparatus (POMA)
Type B Recompression Chamber (RCC)
Lot 3 - Dive Sets and Dived Equipment
Estimated value: £21M ex VAT
Includes:
Enclosed Mine Lift Bags (EMLB)
Swimmers Oxygen Breathing Apparatus (SOBA), including Excursion variant
Surface Supplied Diving Equipment (SSDE)
Parachute Lift Bags (PLB)
Underwater Hydraulic Tools
Lot 4 - Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE) and Clearance Diver Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)
Estimated value: £17.5M ex VAT
Includes:
Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE), including Swimmers Air Breathing Apparatus (SABA) and Rechargeable Air Breathing Apparatus (RABA)
Clearance Divers Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)
The Lots require ISS to extant equipment, as well as the ability to procure more/new equipment at the direction of the Authority.
The DLS ISS contracts will be for five (5) years, with two (2) additional one (1) year options to extend. If all the options to extend are exercised by the Authority, each contract's duration will be a total of seven (7) years.
Total value (estimated)
- £62,500,000 excluding VAT
- £75,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 17 August 2026 to 16 August 2031
- Possible extension to 16 August 2033
- 7 years
Description of possible extension:
Five year initial term, with options to extend for a further one or two years in accordance with the terms of the Contract.
Main procurement category
Services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Not the same for all lots
CPV classifications are shown in Lot sections, because they are not the same for all lots.
Lot 1. Dive Dress and Dive Ancillaries
Description
Lot 1 - Diver's Dress and Dive Ancillaries
Includes:
Diver's dress, e.g. dive suits, boots, gloves, etc and Dive Ancillaries
Lot value (estimated)
- £10,000,000 excluding VAT
- £12,000,000 including VAT
CPV classifications
- 37412240 - Diving instruments or accessories
- 35113400 - Protective and safety clothing
- 37412242 - Diving wear
- 37412260 - Wetsuits
- 37412270 - Dry suits
- 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
Same for all lots
Contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 2. Diving Support Equipment
Description
Lot 2 - Diving Support Equipment
Includes:
Diver Through Water Communication (DTWC)
Gas Boosters Pumps
Portable Breathing Air Compressor (PBAC)
Portable Oxygen Monitoring Apparatus (POMA)
Type B Recompression Chamber (RCC)
Lot value (estimated)
- £14,000,000 excluding VAT
- £17,000,000 including VAT
CPV classifications
- 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
- 33157500 - Hyperbaric chambers
- 37412240 - Diving instruments or accessories
- 37412241 - Breathing apparatus for diving
- 42123400 - Air compressors
Same for all lots
Contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 3. Dive Sets and Dived Equipment
Description
Lot 3 - Dive Sets and Dived Equipment
Includes:
Enclosed Mine Lift Bags (EMLB)
Swimmers Oxygen Breathing Apparatus (SOBA), including Excursion variant
Surface Supplied Diving Equipment (SSDE)
Parachute Lift Bags (PLB)
Underwater Hydraulic Tools
Lot value (estimated)
- £21,000,000 excluding VAT
- £25,000,000 including VAT
CPV classifications
- 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
- 37412240 - Diving instruments or accessories
- 37412241 - Breathing apparatus for diving
- 43328100 - Hydraulic equipment
- 44611110 - Compressed-air cylinders
Same for all lots
Contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 4. Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE) and Clearance Diver Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)
Description
Lot 4 - Mixed Gas (Clearance Divers Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)) and Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE)
Includes:
Clearance Divers Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)
Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE), including Swimmers Air Breathing Apparatus (SABA) and Rechargeable Air Breathing Apparatus (RABA)
Lot value (estimated)
- £17,500,000 excluding VAT
- £21,000,000 including VAT
CPV classifications
- 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
- 37412240 - Diving instruments or accessories
- 37412241 - Breathing apparatus for diving
- 44611110 - Compressed-air cylinders
Same for all lots
Contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
Lot 1. Dive Dress and Dive Ancillaries
Lot 2. Diving Support Equipment
Lot 3. Dive Sets and Dived Equipment
Lot 4. Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE) and Clearance Diver Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)
As detailed in the Procurement Specific Questionnaire.
Technical ability conditions of participation
Lot 1. Dive Dress and Dive Ancillaries
As detailed in the Procurement Specific Questionnaire, where suppliers will be required to demonstrate that they or their nominated supply chain have the technical ability to meet the requirements of the specified Lot.
Lot 2. Diving Support Equipment
Lot 3. Dive Sets and Dived Equipment
Lot 4. Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE) and Clearance Diver Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)
As detailed in the Procurement Specific Questionnaire, where suppliers will be required to demonstarte that they or their nominated supply chain have the technical ability to meet the requirements of the specified Lot.
Particular suitability
Lot 1. Dive Dress and Dive Ancillaries
Lot 2. Diving Support Equipment
Lot 3. Dive Sets and Dived Equipment
Lot 4. Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE) and Clearance Diver Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
5 November 2025, 1:00pm
Submission type
Tenders
Tender submission deadline
14 November 2025, 11:59pm
Submission address and any special instructions
https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=59608
Responses to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire, the 'all Lots' ITT and the Lot-specific ITTs you wish to tender for must be completed and submitted in the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) by 23:59 14th November 2025. Any Clarification Questions should also be submitted through the DSP.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
1 August 2026
Recurring procurement
Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 30 August 2030
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Value for Money | Refer to the tender documentation for specific award criteria for this Lot. |
Quality |
Weighting description
Value for Money
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Special regime
Defence and security
Competitive flexible procedure description
Tenderers are to submit their Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) response and tenders via the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP).
Tenderers are required to submit a response to the PSQ by 23:59 14th November 2025; this covers all Lots.
Tenderers are also required to submit tenders in response to the Lots they are interested in tendering for by the same date, 23:59 14th November 2025.
Tenderers should submit one response to the 'All Lots' ITT, and then submit responses to one or more of the Lot-specific ITTs. To note - each tenderer is permitted to submit a tender for a maximum of three out of the four Lots.
PSQ - https://contracts.mod.uk/go/5075130201996D0E0F0F
All Lots ITT - https://contracts.mod.uk/go/161145270199709EE502
Lot 1 ITT - https://contracts.mod.uk/go/554509340199709F9CE4
Lot 2 ITT - https://contracts.mod.uk/go/884851360199709FEB29
Lot 3 ITT - https://contracts.mod.uk/go/57767694019970A03197
Lot 4 ITT - https://contracts.mod.uk/go/58904938019970A08E7B
Compliant tenderers from the PSQ submission will then have their tenders evaluated. Each Lot will be evaluated separately. Full details of the evaluation process for each Lot can be found within the tender documentation - specifically DEFFORM 47 and its associated annexes and appendicies.
The Contracting Authority reserves its right to rely on section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023 to refine award criteria as part of the competitive flexible procedure. Refinements to the award criteria may include but are not limited to: refining award criteria weightings; and/or adding sub-criteria or more detail to the sub-criteria (relevant to the existing main criteria).
The Contracting Authority reserves the right to directly award a contract for similar goods or services without further competition pursuant to Schedule 5 paragraph 8, including to other parts of the Ministry of Defence.
Documents
Documents to be provided after the tender notice
Books of Reference for each Master Equipment will be uploaded to the attachment area relevant to each Lot within the Defence Sourcing Portal.
Contracting authority
Defence Equipment and Support
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVRL-5831-GLMM
MOD Abbey Wood
Bristol
BS34 8JH
United Kingdom
Contact name: Marion Stone
Email: DESShipsComrcl-SALMO-Multiuser@mod.gov.uk
Website: http://www.contracts.mod.uk
Region: UKK12 - Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Organisation type: Public authority - central government