CEFAS26-115 ITT for a Small Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Buyer

CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE

Value

£100,000

Closes

16 November 2026

Where

London

Type

Open tender

In plain English

Cefas, the UK government's marine science centre, wants to buy one small robotic submarine (an autonomous underwater vehicle) fitted with water-quality sensors. It will collect data from the water column down to 250 metres and run on its own for at least five hours, supplementing the hand-lowered instruments staff currently use.

What the buyer wants

• Supply one small autonomous underwater vehicle under 20 kg in air, deployable by one person, with biogeochemical sensors (temperature, conductivity, oxygen, chlorophyll, turbidity) meeting the stated accuracy specifications • Show the vehicle can hold a fixed height above the seabed, follow a repeated saw-tooth survey path in currents up to 2 knots, and run for at least 5 hours, with mission planning software, surface radio or satellite communications, abort-to-surface safety features, and quick data download • Address packaging, power use and reuse/recycling in line with Cefas environmental requirements

Likely requirements

Our reading of the notice. Always check the tender documents.

A bidder who cannot meet the hard technical limits (250 m depth, 20 kg weight, 5-hour endurance in 2-knot currents and the sensor accuracy figures) or who cannot supply a complete, proven vehicle from a manufacturer or authorised distributor would be ruled out.

How to bid

This is an open tender: any eligible business can respond directly to the buyer by the deadline, with no framework membership needed.

How to write a tender response

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