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Buyer profile · Central government

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory tenders and contracts

South WestSalisburyWebsite

Tenders published
10
About one every 37 days
Contracts awarded
73
To 68 different suppliers
Value awarded
£10.3m
67 contracts, frameworks excluded
Typical contract
£21k
Median value awarded
Open now
1
6 contracts end in 90 days

Figures cover in the last 12 months, from notices on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder.

Open tenders

  1. Procurement of Fibre Laser Cutter RQ0000106168

    UK-wide

    Open28 days leftLow competitionSuitable for SMEs

    £336kestimated

Coming up

Pipeline, market engagement and planned procurement notices: early warning of tenders to come.

  1. Request For Information: Resilient Timing and Positioning System for Operation in Degraded GNSS Environments

    UK-wideLaboratory and scientific equipment

    UpcomingNewLow competitionSuitable for SMEsSmall contract

    £100kestimated
  2. SDA Capability Map 2026 update

    Not stated in the noticeResearch and development

    UpcomingLow competitionSuitable for SMEs

    Value not stated
  3. Project Level 3 ST1305 Machining Technician Stanard UK2

    South WestEducation services

    UpcomingLow competitionSmall contract

    £27kestimated

When it goes to market

Tender notices published each month. Active in 8 of 12 months.

What it buys

Procurements in the last 12 months, by trade.

  1. Laboratory and scientific equipment27
  2. Recruitment and staffing9
  3. Training7
  4. IT services and software5
  5. Construction5
  6. Architecture and engineering3

Who it buys from

Suppliers awarded contracts in the last 12 months, by value awarded (frameworks excluded).

  1. Concept Building Services (Southern) LtdSME£3m
    1 contract
  2. K.J. Quinn Services LtdSME£3m
    1 contract
  3. L3 Harris ASVSME£969k
    1 contract
  4. L3harris Technologies UK LimitedSME£969k
    1 contract
  5. Molecular Devices (UK) Limited£116k
    2 contracts
  6. S. H. L. Refractories (U.K.) Limited£82k
    6 contracts
  7. Foster & Freeman LimitedSME£53k
    2 contracts
  8. Fisher Scientific U.K., Limited£1,855
    2 contracts

How it buys

How much of its work was open to any supplier.

  • Advertised openly (any supplier could bid)15%
  • Framework call-off (only suppliers on the framework)1%
  • Invited quotes (the buyer chose whom to ask)12%
  • Direct award (no competition)71%
Based on 73 procurements.

Scorecard

How we score

How Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has bought over the last 12 months, compared with similar buyers.

Time to bid
28 days
Shorter than 73% of central government buyers
Based on 10 advertised tenders
Advertised openly
15%
Lower than 69% of central government buyers
Based on 73 procurements
Won by small firms
51%
Higher than 53% of central government buyers
Based on 75 winning suppliers
Bids per contract
2
Fewer than 86% of central government buyers
Based on 8 awards
Split into lots
0%
Lower than 66% of central government buyers
Based on 10 advertised tenders
Direct awards
71%
Higher than 82% of central government buyers
Based on 73 procurements
Cancelled
0%
About the same as most central government buyers
Based on 10 tenders

Compared with other central government buyers

Time to bid, 82 central government buyers
Show as a table
RangeBuyers
0–5 days0
5–10 days0
10–15 days0
15–20 days0
20–25 days6
25–30 days31
30–35 days32
35–40 days8
40–45 days5
45–50 days0
50–55 days0
55–60 days0
60+ days0
Bids per contract, 79 central government buyers
Show as a table
RangeBuyers
0–2 bids3
2–4 bids29
4–6 bids27
6–8 bids6
8–10 bids6
10–12 bids3
12–14 bids1
14–16 bids1
16–18 bids3
18–20 bids0
20+ bids0
Advertised openly, 151 central government buyers
Show as a table
RangeBuyers
0–10%33
10–20%24
20–30%21
30–40%9
40–50%8
50–60%11
60–70%7
70–80%9
80–90%10
90–100%19
Won by small firms, 145 central government buyers
Show as a table
RangeBuyers
0–10%3
10–20%5
20–30%13
30–40%18
40–50%33
50–60%27
60–70%22
70–80%7
80–90%12
90–100%5

Each column is a group of central government buyers with similar figures. The coloured column holds Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.See the full scoreboard

Contracts ending in the next 90 days

Contracts like these are often re-tendered. Knowing early gives you time to prepare.

ContractCurrent supplierValueEnds
IPMO 2323.03 - Signal Generators - UK 7Rohde & Schwarz U.K. Limited£99k13 Nov 2026
Controlled Key Management SystemsAssa Abloy Global Solutions UK Limited£14k27 Nov 2026
Dstl0000071686Foster & Freeman Limited£33k31 Dec 2026
UK7_Support and Service Contract of PLCSiemens plc£16k29 Jan 2027
Dstl0000071484Edinburgh Instruments Ltd£91k31 Jan 2027
Dstl0000071532Litron Lasers Limited£84k31 Jan 2027

8 more contracts end in the next 12 months.

Recent contract awards

ContractWon byValueAwarded
Octet R8 SystemFisher Scientific U.K., Limited£197k28 Oct 2026
Dstl0000071532Litron Lasers Limited—21 Oct 2026
RepairsS. H. L. Refractories (U.K.) Limited£15k20 Oct 2026
M&E Minor WorksK.J. Quinn Services Ltd£3m20 Oct 2026
Dstl0000071686Foster & Freeman Limited—8 Oct 2026
Dstl0000071484Edinburgh Instruments Ltd—7 Oct 2026
Maintenance ServiceFacultatieve Technologies Limited£1.05m26 Sept 2026
Quantum Technology Applications & Management MScBrighton and Sussex Medical School—23 Sept 2026
IPMO 2323.03 - Signal Generators - UK 7Rohde & Schwarz U.K. Limited—23 Sept 2026
MSc Data VisualizationUniversity of Warwick—14 Sept 2026