Tactical Communication Systems

Summary

This open framework, let under the Procurement Act 2023, provides central government and wider public sector organisations with specialised military grade tactical communication and information systems.

Description

 Expands on the offering under lot 1c of the RM6116 Network services 3 agreement to include:

  • hardware
  • software 
  • associated design, implementation and support services

 This is an 8 year open framework. It will be reopened twice to onboard new and innovative suppliers.

Benefits

  • customers can buy full systems or modular assemblies without lot boundaries
  • scalable, tactical communication solutions that can be deployed quickly
  • small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete based on their strengths without being excluded from a prime-only lot
  • procurement confusion at call-off is reduced because buyers do not have to choose between two lots to decide if they need a full system 

Product types

Lot 1: Services

Through-life support, field support, training, and system sustainment activities. Architecture design, network or system integration, test and evaluation.

Lot 2: Systems

  • quick deployment of secure mobile information and communications services (ICS) such as:
    •  complete system solutions to meet the needs of a specific user and support solutions 
  • pre-integrated multi-component packages that are key parts of a complete system, such as: 
    • solutions mounted on vehicles 
    • handheld solutions

Lot 3: Components

Hardware and software components that form composite or complete system solutions: 

  • user-facing applications
  • core applications and training
  • platform infrastructure
  • information and data
  • security infrastructure
  • system and service management infrastructure

Supplier engagement

We attended an industry engagement day organised by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Wednesday 22 January 2025. 

The MOD ran a request for information (RFI) survey from 12 June to 27 June 2025, to understand views on the proposed structure of this framework.

Future engagement events will be published on this page.

Important links

Pipeline notice Read pipeline notice
Preliminary market engagement notice Read preliminary market engagement notice
Planned procurement notice Not available yet
Contract notice in Find a Tender (FTS) Not available yet
Tender documents Not available yet

Timeline

Activity Estimated dates
Pre-market engagement December 2024 to June 2025
Drafting of procurement documentation February to November 2025
Publication of find a tender (FTS) notice December 2025
Framework award June 2026