The UK Ministry of Defence has announced its intention to publish an invitation to tender (ITT) to contract one or more commercial mission partners for the Royal Navy's Atlantic Net initiative. The project will deliver underwater intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) as a service.
Atlantic Net will operate under a contractor owned, contractor operated, naval oversight model. The initiative will be data-focused, providing information directly to the maritime operational commander ashore to inform decision-making.
The ministry said prospective bidders interested in participating in the ITT should express their interest via the designated commercial mailbox. The procurement process will be run through the defence sourcing portal.
Although the procurement is exempt from the Procurement Act 2023 on national security grounds, the ministry said it intends to follow the spirit of the act “where possible.”
The procurement establishes an open framework agreement with an estimated total value of £1 (excluding VAT is £0.83), signifying the framework nature rather than a fixed contract value at this stage.
The framework will have two lots: one for the primary commercial mission partner(s) and a second for a potential supplier pool for other qualified suppliers. The framework is estimated to run until December 2027.
