AwardedAwarded 5 March 2026

Project Beehive – USV (Unmanned Surface Vessel) and GCS (Ground Control System) Procurement

Ministry of Defence · Central government

In brief

Ministry of Defence awarded research work to kraken Works Ltd on 5 March 2026.

The notice gives a value of £10,250,000 excluding VAT.

The contract runs for 13 months, starting 16 February 2026.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

What the notice says

The Royal Navy requires A fleet of 20 Uncrewed Surface Vessel orUSVs for SURFLOT, these platforms will be utilised for training, Tactic Development, Warfare Development, Capability Development, and operations in the UK Are of Responsibility and beyond. This project is to be a spiral development, with the initial platform requirement of USV’s to be TRL 4/5, with open architecture for future development, this capability is key to maintaining operational relevance against peer threats. The Hybrid Navy transition will require development and testing of new technologies and whilst much of this work will be conducted by Navy Development, Disruptive capabilities, and technology officer, the SURFLOT Fleet of USVs will act as test beds to provide Learning from experience. Engineering support for OEM integration of spiral capabilities will be considered as part of the bid process. Works of this Project will have a focus on the South, South west regions.

Who won

WinnerValueDates
kraken Works Ltd
12 bids received
£10,250,000
Awarded 5 March 2026

Values as the award notice gives them, excluding VAT where stated.

Timeline

  1. Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 071410-2025
  2. Tender notice · UK4, notice 082960-2025
  3. Contract award notice · UK6, notice 021405-2026

About the buyer

Ministry of DefenceLast 12 months

Procurements

604

Awards

340

Suppliers it has used most for research

Similar open tenders

All open research tenders
  1. ID 6543869 - Managing Agent for InterTradeIreland Innovation Boost Programme (Phase VII)

    InterTradeIrelandNorthern IrelandIT services and software, Management consultancy

    Closing soon5 hours leftSuitable for SMEs

    £2.84mestimated
  2. Scottish Government Centres of Expertise x 4 Lots

    Scottish GovernmentUK-wideResearch and development, Environmental services

    Closing soon26 hours leftLow competition4 lots

    £37.2mestimated
  3. UK_1569 Complement or competition - UK TNE versus student mobility

    British CouncilUK-wideResearch and development

    Closing soon3 days leftSmall contract

    £50kestimated
  4. 1063173918 T1421 Uniformity and consistency of braking within a freight train

    Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB)LondonResearch and development

    Closing soon3 days leftSuitable for SMEs

    £350kestimated
  5. Together for Families Support Programme

    The National Lottery Community FundUK-wideResearch and development

    Closing soon5 days leftSuitable for SMEs

    £583kestimated

From notice 071410-2025 on Find a Tender, first published 5 November 2025, last updated 10 March 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.