BidSonarBidSonar
ContractsGrantsOrganisationsSectors
BidSonarBidSonar·Built by Hypership
SourcesBrandPrivacyTermsCookies

BidSonar is an independent index of public-sector opportunities. We aggregate data from official sources and are not affiliated with any procurement body. Data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 and the EU TED reuse notice.

    ContractsCounter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) Development - Phase 1 Exploration
    Open tender

    Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) Development - Phase 1 Exploration

    Contract value
    £125m
    Published 2 Sept 2026

    Accelerate development of innovative counter-unmanned aircraft system technologies for autonomous vehicle-mounted defence against emerging aerial threats.

    🇬🇧United Kingdom· LondonPublished 2 Sept 2026· 1 months agoviaFind a Tender
    Contract value
    £125m
    Published 2 Sept 2026

    Decision brief

    4 fields
    • Contract value
      est.£125,000,000
      Pounds sterling
    • Closing date
      Rolling
      No closing date published
    • Sector
      Research & Innovation
      Browse related listings
    • Location
      🇬🇧United Kingdom
      London

    Lifecycle

    Open

    Open tender — no closing date published. Opened 1 months ago.

    2 September 2026
    Open tender · no closing date published

    Brief

    Defence is seeking innovative technologies to detect, track, identify, and neutralize mass and low-cost unmanned threats cost-effectively without depleting conventional ammunition stockpiles. Current systems face limitations including restricted firepower capacity, high engagement costs, and difficulty adapting to evolving threats. Phase 1 focuses on identifying and supporting organizations to accelerate development of existing technologies toward deployable counter-UAS systems, with particular interest in Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) effectors, though alternative credible novel approaches are welcome. The desired capability should be autonomous, vehicle-mounted, and protect deployed forces against complex saturation attacks while delivering affordable combat effectiveness. The solution must address Class 1 unmanned aerial systems and small aerial threats, support scalable integration onto future uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), and align with broader Joint Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) capabilities. Successful Phase 1 submissions will lead to iterative development through subsequent phases, with potential transition to operational deployment, wider adoption through a Programme of Record, and export opportunities. Organizations should demonstrate feasibility of their technology within the specified scope without delivering a complete operational system in Phase 1.

    Track record

    6 awards · 6 winners
    Open field

    No single supplier dominates the field.

    In research innovation, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE has awarded 6 contracts to 6 suppliers.

    Who wins here
    1. UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH1× · 17%
    2. UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL1× · 17%
    3. LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY1× · 17%
    4. Breathing and Performance PTY Ltd1× · 17%
    5. PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP1× · 17%
    6. PHOENIX SOFTWARE LTD1× · 17%

    Across research innovation, the most active winners are IPSOS MARKET RESEARCH LIMITED, WSP UK LIMITED, IFF RESEARCH LIMITED — the field to beat, or your route in as a partner.

    More from MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

    4 listingsView all →
    AwardedIT & Software🇬🇧United Kingdom

    MOD Brand Portal

    A centralized platform for accessing MOD brand guidelines, assets, and communications standards to ensure consistent branding across the organization.

    £117,220MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
    Published 16 Oct 2026
    AwardedResearch & Innovation🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Post-Doctoral Research: Autonomous UAV Radiation Detection and Threat Assessment

    Post-doctoral position developing autonomous UAV systems for radiation detection, source localization, and radiological threat assessment through algorithm development and field validation.

    £368,512MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
    Published 15 Oct 2026
    OpenIT & Software🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Business Service Management Platform and Implementation Partner

    Market feedback sought on Business Service Management platform and implementation partner procurements to inform procurement strategy and commercial terms.

    £100,000,000indicativeMINISTRY OF DEFENCE
    Published 15 Oct 2026
    Defence & Security🇬🇧United Kingdom

    SKYDIO X10D Uncrewed Air System Acquisition

    Procurement for SKYDIO X10D Uncrewed Air System equipment to support professional drone services and aerial operations.

    est.£120,000MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
    Published 15 Oct 2026

    Open in Research & Innovation

    4 open listingsView all →
    Research & Innovation🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Building Collaborative Communities for Data Service Professionals

    Funding up to £280,000 to establish collaborative networks of data professionals sharing knowledge and improving services for social science researchers.

    est.£2,000,000
    Published 11 Jan 2027
    OpenResearch & Innovation🇬🇧United Kingdom

    ESRC Grow Awards for Career Development in Social Science Research

    ESRC Grow Awards provide £100,000-£500,000 in funding to help social science researchers advance their careers through skills development, methodological training, and independence-building over 18-60 months.

    Published 5 Nov 2026
    OpenResearch & Innovation🇬🇧United Kingdom

    ESRC Explore Awards for Innovative Social Science Research

    ESRC Explore Awards fund ambitious, innovative social science research projects up to £2 million for UK-based individuals and small research teams over five years.

    Published 5 Nov 2026
    Research & Innovation🇬🇧United Kingdom

    BBSRC Mid-Range Equipment Grants for Biosciences Research 2026

    BBSRC funding scheme offering £200,000-£1,500,000 grants for UK research organisations to purchase mid-range biosciences equipment that supports collaboration and aligns with BBSRC research priorities.

    est.£13,000,000
    Published 22 Oct 2026
    Take action
    View tender on sourceFind a Tender

    Full notice and submission process on the publisher's site

    Publisher
    UK Cabinet Office
    Licence
    OGL v3.0
    Source
    find-tender.service.gov.uk
    Record ID
    ocds-h6vhtk-06f06f

    Track

    Know when this goes to tender

    Sonar emails you the day the tender is published, then 7 and 2 days before it closes.

    Track this notice

    Free · No card

    Your fit

    Could you win this?

    A straight answer for your business — bid, partner or pass — based on who wins MINISTRY OF DEFENCE's work like this.

    6 awards · 6 firms

    Check my fit

    Free · No card

    MD
    Buyer
    MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
    Sector
    Research & Innovation