Provision of Ocean Bottom Seismometers

Descriptions

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is running this competition as an open procedure under section 20(2)(a) of the Procurement Act 2023. This means any interested and qualified supplier may submit a tender. The process is fully transparent and follows the requirements of the Act and associated Regulations. All tender documentation, including this specification, is available through the MyTenders portal.

Tenders will be evaluated in line with the methodology set out in the Invitation to Tender, following an open and transparent process that includes compliance checks to ensure all mandatory requirements and pass/fail criteria are met (with non‑compliant bids excluded), scoring of qualitative and technical responses against published weighted criteria (with minimum pass marks where specified), pricing evaluation using the stated formula, and overall ranking based on the combined quality and price scores to identify the most economically advantageous tender; the preferred bidder will then undergo due diligence checks such as insurance and financial verification before contract award, and a mandatory standstill period will apply prior to contract conclusion to ensure fairness and compliance with the Procurement Act 2023.

NOC seeks the supply and delivery of a pool of broadband OBS systems for deep‑ocean research, together with one complete deck communications and seabed‑ranging system, plus commissioning support, documentation and warranties. The systems will underpin geohazard monitoring, seismic and acoustic studies, and wider marine science. Pricing must be on a fully delivered basis. Delivery must be completed by 31 March 2026 to enable mobilisation for Spring 2026 expeditions. The OBS pool will be deployed worldwide, including depths of at least 6,000 m, across a broad temperature range. Instruments must support long‑duration deployments and operate reliably on varied seabed conditions, including slopes, for both passive and active seismic studies.

Suppliers shall provide fully delivered pricing for three options detailed in Schedule 6. Each option must include the deck communications system. Suppliers may also provide informational pricing for the purchase or rental of a single OBS unit for future planning; these figures will not be evaluated.

Consumables, documentation and commissioning

To ensure immediate readiness for the first deployments, pricing is to include one full set of deployment consumables per instrument, such as anchors, burn wire (where applicable) and batteries sufficient for an initial extended deployment period. The supplier will deliver complete and current manuals covering equipment details, assembly, deployment, recovery, data workflows and safety considerations, and will provide commissioning support to bring the pool into service.

Warranties, servicing and updates

As a minimum, the supplier will warrant electronic and datalogger components and sensors and mechanical elements for at least 12 months and include any manufacturer advised servicing or calibrations for the seismometer within the first five years of ownership. To protect the investment and maintain scientific integrity over time, the supplier will also provide future compatible firmware, software and data processing updates as part of the contract.

Logistics and timetable

All equipment including OBS units, deck communications system, consumables and documentation must be delivered no later than 31 March 2026 to enable pre cruise testing, training and mobilisation for the Spring 2026 expedition window. Pricing must cover delivery to NOC and all associated logistics necessary to place the equipment into our custody, ready for commissioning activities.

Due to e-sender restrictions a description for the prior market engagement was not posted and the incorrect choice of "No" to has market testing taken place was not selected. This has been corrected and the relevant description posted.

It was also automatically noted that this relates to a Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) it does not and the change has been made.