AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Defence Equipment and Support has concluded a direct-award contract with THISTLE DESIGN (M M C) LIMITED for 200 CR2/CR3 Commander’s Cupola wiper motor assemblies, split equally by side. The contract was signed on 2 October 2026 and runs to 30 September 2029.
Published outcomeOne active goods contract (contract ID 2) is recorded for THISTLE DESIGN (M M C) LIMITED. The published contract value is £1,951,000 excluding VAT (£2,341,200 gross).
Market significanceThe award concerns specialist military-vehicle spare parts. The buyer’s stated rationale is that the supplier is the design authority, original equipment manufacturer and an experienced repairer, supporting a direct award for technical reasons.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
THISTLE DESIGN (M M C) LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 2 · Lots 1 · £1,951,000 excluding VAT; £2,341,200 gross GBP · Active contract
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Award ID 2 identifies supplier GB-COH-SC166769; contract ID 2 linked to award ID 2 states £1,951,000 amount and £2,341,200 amountGross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Procurement status
98% confidenceComplete procurement; active award and active contract recorded
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Tender status is "complete"; award ID 2 and contract ID 2 are both marked "active".
Award announcement
98% confidenceContract award notice published 8 September 2026
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Release history lists Contract award notice 084724-2026 dated 2026-09-08.
Contract conclusion
99% confidenceContract signed 2 October 2026
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Contract ID 2 has dateSigned 2026-10-02.
Contract details publication
99% confidenceContract details notice published 21 October 2026
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Contract document 099629-2026 is dated 2026-10-21.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£1,951,000
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Contract ID 2 value.amount is 1951000 GBP; the description also states £1,951,000 ex VAT.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£2,341,200
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Contract ID 2 value.amountGross is 2341200 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed and start date
99% confidence2 October 2026
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Contract ID 2 dateSigned and period.startDate are both 2026-10-02.
Contract end date
99% confidence30 September 2029
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Contract ID 2 period.endDate is 2029-09-30T23:59:59+01:00.
Published contract term
98% confidenceApproximately 3 years
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Published period runs from 2 October 2026 to 30 September 2029.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceSupply 200 wiper motor assemblies for Challenger 2 and Challenger 3 Commander’s Cupolas: 100 of each side.
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Published tender description specifies 200 assemblies, with 100 of each side, for CR2 and CR3 main battle tanks.
Manufacturing and delivery
98% confidenceManufacture to the technical drawing pack and package for delivery to Donnington Fulfillment Centre.
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Published tender description states the assemblies must be manufactured to the technical drawing pack and appropriately packaged for delivery.
Category
99% confidenceGoods: electronic and electrical spare parts for military vehicles (CPV 35422000).
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Award item additional classification is CPV 35422000.
Lot structure
98% confidenceOne lot; no published lot title, description or individual lot value.
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Tender and awards reference lot 1; the supplied lot record has no title, description or value.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect award
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct" and procurementMethodDetails is "Direct award".
Direct-award basis
99% confidenceTechnical reasons / absence of competition
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The stated rationale cites Section 41 and Schedule 5 paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023, classified as singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons.
Buyer-stated rationale
98% confidenceThe buyer states that Thistle Design (MMC) Ltd is the design authority, original equipment manufacturer and an experienced repairer, and that only this supplier has the technical expertise and knowledge required.
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Procurement method rationale in the tender record.
Competition information
99% confidenceNo bid count, evaluation scores or comparative pricing information published.
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract status
99% confidenceActive
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Contract ID 2 status is "active".
Performance measures
97% confidenceKPIs are stated to exist in the contract but are not published because the contract value is below £5 million.
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Contract noAgreedMetricsRationale states that KPIs have been set but are not required to be published at this value.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Supply-chain positioning
96% confidenceThe buyer’s published rationale identifies the supplier as the design authority and original equipment manufacturer for the motor, indicating a specialist technical position for this requirement.
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Procurement method rationale.
Value allocation
99% confidenceThe published contract value applies to the single contract and has not been broken down by lot or unit.
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Contract ID 2 provides a total value; lot 1 has no separate value and no unit pricing is published.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier naming difference handled
99% confidenceThe source uses "Thistle Design (MMC) Ltd", while verified company-number matching identifies the legal name as THISTLE DESIGN (M M C) LIMITED.
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Supplier verification records a verified company-number match for SC166769 and flags nameMismatch as true.
Multiple award records
96% confidenceTwo active award records are supplied for lot 1, but only award ID 2 is explicitly linked to the signed contract. Award ID 1 has a £1,951,000 value and a 3 September 2026 award date; it is not treated as a separate contract.
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Supplied awards list IDs 1 and 2; contract ID 2 references award ID 2.
Unpublished information
99% confidenceLot title, lot description, lot-level value, unit pricing, bid count, evaluation detail, extension terms and renewal terms are not supplied in the published notice.
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The supplied data contains two active award records for the same lot. The signed contract is explicitly linked only to award ID 2; award ID 1 is not represented as a separate concluded contract.
- The source supplier name differs in formatting from the verified legal company name. Analysis uses the supplied verified legal identity, THISTLE DESIGN (M M C) LIMITED.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: lot title and description, individual lot value, unit prices, bid count, scoring, evaluation detail, extension options and renewal terms.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
CR2 CR3 Cupola Wiper Motor AssemblyTHISTLE DESIGN (M M C) LIMITEDDefence Equipment and Supportmilitary vehicle spare partsdirect awardProcurement Act 2023
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the CR2/CR3 Cupola Wiper Motor Assembly contract?
THISTLE DESIGN (M M C) LIMITED, company number SC166769, is the verified legal supplier named on the active contract.
What is the contract value?
£1,951,000 excluding VAT and £2,341,200 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
It was signed and started on 2 October 2026 and is scheduled to end on 30 September 2029.
Why was the procurement direct awarded?
The buyer stated that technical reasons and absence of competition applied, citing the supplier’s role as design authority, original equipment manufacturer and experienced repairer.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.