NOC Research Vessel Dry-Dock Refit and Maintenance Contract 2026

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) conducted this procurement with a state of urgency under an accelerated open procedure in accordance with Section 54 of the Procurement Act 2023, which governs time limits for competitive tendering procedures. Section 54(3) and (4) permitted the reduction of minimum time periods where there was a state of urgency that made compliance with standard time limits impracticable.

The procedure was run as an open process under Section 20(2)(a) of the Act, allowing any interested and qualified supplier to submit a tender within the shortened timescale. All tender documentation, including the specification and supporting schedules, was made available via the MyTenders portal.

Tenders were evaluated according to the methodology set out in the Invitation to Tender. This included compliance checks to ensure all mandatory requirements and pass/fail criteria were met, with non-compliant bids excluded.

Qualitative and technical responses were scored against published weighted criteria, with minimum pass marks applied where specified. Pricing was evaluated using the stated formula, and overall ranking was based on the combined quality and price scores to identify the most economically advantageous tender.

The preferred bidder was subject to due diligence checks, including insurance and financial verification, prior to contract award. A mandatory standstill period applied before contract conclusion to ensure fairness and compliance with the Procurement Act 2023.

NOC sought the provision of scheduled dry-dock refit, maintenance, and upgrade services for the research vessels RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook. The contract covered annual refit works, intermediate docking surveys, class certification renewal, equipment inspection and servicing, and minor upgrades to vessel systems including propulsion, electrical, laboratory, and deck handling equipment.

All works were required to comply with UK health and safety legislation, marine industry best practice, and relevant classification standards. The supplier was required to provide suitable dock space and infrastructure, office accommodation for the Marine Superintendent, and facilities to support mobilisation and demobilisation.

Robust management of UK-based suppliers and subcontractors was expected, with a commitment to sustainable procurement and social value. The contract allowed for flexibility to address emergent works and contingency repairs as required, ensuring both vessels remained fully operational, compliant, and ready to support world-class scientific research.

Pricing was provided in accordance with the requirements set out in the pricing schedule. All costs were stated in pounds sterling and exclusive of VAT.

The price submitted remained fixed for the initial term of the contract, with provisions for indexation as detailed in the tender documents. Suppliers ensured consistency across all pricing sections and provided commentary where required.

The contract operated on a combination of fixed-price and time-and-materials arrangements, with milestone payments structured around key project deliverables. Submissions complied with all word and page limits, and any additional information was clearly referenced to the relevant question.

The successful supplier was required to deliver the contracted services in accordance with the specification and all applicable standards, ensuring the vessels were ready for service within the defined mobilisation windows. This UK4 notice appeared as though it had no prior notices.

This was solely due to a technical limitation of our e-tendering platform, which did not allow previous notices to be linked or referenced in the publication workflow for UK4. For transparency, the prior notices relevant to this procurement were as follows: UK3: Planned Procurement Notice Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-074178 Published: 14 November 2025, 5:39pm UK2: Preliminary Market Engagement Notice Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-055122 Published: 9 September 2025, 3:49pm Please note that goods could also be purchased through this contract and, due again to limitations of the e-tendering portal, this could not be selected.

These notices remain applicable and form part of the procurement record for this process. Despite the terminology used within the terms, this procurement was for a single contract award covering two distinct vessel refit projects (RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook).

While the contract terms allowed for flexibility in scoping and delivery of work packages, all requirements were specified and awarded under one contract through this tender process. For the avoidance of doubt, this was not a framework agreement in the sense defined by the Procurement Act 2023; there was no umbrella arrangement for future call-offs or multiple suppliers beyond the scope provided for. All works instructed under this contract were binding and formed part of the awarded contract, ensuring compliance with standard contract procedures.