Contracts for Innovation: NSpOC BOREALIS Algorithm Development
A Tender Notice
by UK SPACE AGENCY
- Source
- Find a Tender
- Type
- Contract (Services)
- Duration
- 2.5 month
- Value
- £500K
- Sector
- TECHNOLOGY
- Published
- 28 Nov 2025
- Delivery
- 12 Jan 2026 to 31 Mar 2026
- Deadline
- 22 Dec 2025 15:00
Related Terms
Location
United Kingdom:
1 buyer
- UK Space Agency Didcot
Description
Eligible organisations can apply for up to £100,000, excluding VAT, to research and develop initial proof of concepts for algorithms and similar solutions that directly improve the quality of data processing being undertaken within the BOREALIS system, contributing to enhanced analysis capabilities within NSpOC. UKSA is likely to award multiple Contracts that meet its requirements within this competition, and further competitions may be opened subsequently to those who are successful within this competition for further development work on identified solutions. This funding is from the UK Space Agency only and applicants should note this competition is wholly run and administered by the UK Space Agency. Applicants should note that as BOREALIS is a sovereign UK capability and this work is to develop solutions that eventually can be deployed into use, this competition is restricted to UK registered companies on grounds of national security. For the avoidance of doubt, this can include UK-registered universities. Full details are provided in the attached Competition Brief. This notice relates to the intended procurement for a contract which is an exempted contract under s 3(6) and Schedule 2, Part 2 (Subject-matter exempted contracts), paragraph 22 (Research and Development Services) of the Procurement Act 2023 (the 'Act'). Exempted contracts are not a public contract as defined in s3 of the Act and therefore are not required to be procured in accordance with the provisions of the Act that relate to a covered procurement.
Award Criteria
| Proposed idea or technology | Proposals are expected to provide a description of your proposed solution, including details of which objectives (1-5) within the competition brief it addresses and how. |
| Project Management | Proposals are expected to demonstrate they are well planned and connected to key milestones. They should be deliverable within the specified timeframe and projects should have an effective structure in place for managing the administration of a project of this size. There should be a sound approach to planning to achieve objectives on time and within budget. Key risks should be identified and mitigated. |
| Value for Money | All projects will need to demonstrate they represent value for money for the taxpayer. This is demonstrated by providing appropriate budgets allocated to appropriate tasks. Information from the finance spreadsheet will be used to support the assessment of this question. Proposed milestones and associated payments should match those entered in the project management section of your application. |
| Benefit to the UK | All projects will need to demonstrate the investment sought from the UK Government represents clear value for the UK public through measurable benefits to the UK economy, supply chain and public. |
CPV Codes
- 72212100 - Industry specific software development services
Other Information
** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. **
Reference
- ocds-h6vhtk-05eae9
- FTS 078011-2025