AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Defence Equipment and Support awarded Project Corvus to TEKEVER LTD for an uncrewed air system supporting the Army’s 24-hour persistent-surveillance requirement. The published contract record states it was signed on 31 August 2026.
Published outcomeOne contract and one lot were awarded to TEKEVER LTD through a direct award following an earlier competitive flexible procedure.
Market significanceThe contract has a stated value of £220m excluding VAT (£264m including VAT), a five-year stated term, and options that may extend support by up to five additional years.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
TEKEVER LTD
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 220000000 GBP · active
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Verified Companies House identity 08684764; award 1 names Tekever Ltd and contract 1 has a total value of £220m excluding VAT. This is the single-award contract value.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Original procurement approach
96% confidenceCompetitive flexible procedure
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The notice says a UK4 Tender Notice was published on 31 July 2025 and that 18 bidders were invited to ITT.
Direct-award rationale
97% confidenceSection 43 switch to direct award after no suitable tender
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The notice says eight ITT responses were received by 13 February 2026, none met mandatory requirements, and the authority considered a further competition not possible for operational reasons.
Award decision
98% confidenceAwarded to TEKEVER LTD
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Award 1 is active and names Tekever Ltd as supplier; award date is recorded as 24 July 2026.
Contract conclusion
99% confidenceSigned on 31 August 2026
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Contract 1 records dateSigned as 31 August 2026.
Contract status
98% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 and award 1 are both recorded with active status.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£220,000,000
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Contract 1 value amount is 220000000 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£264,000,000
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Contract 1 value amountGross is 264000000 GBP.
Value attribution
96% confidenceSingle contract value; no separate lot-level pricing published
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One award is linked to lot 1, while the lot record has no value.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Initial tender notice
95% confidence31 July 2025
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Notice description states that DE&S published the UK4 Tender Notice on this date.
ITT closing date
97% confidence13 February 2026
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Notice description states this as the ITT closing date.
Award date
98% confidence24 July 2026
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Award 1 record gives award_date as 24 July 2026.
Contract start
99% confidence31 August 2026
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Contract 1 period startDate is 31 August 2026.
Contract end
99% confidence31 August 2031
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Contract 1 period endDate is 31 August 2031.
Maximum extent date
99% confidence31 August 2036
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Contract 1 maxExtentDate is 31 August 2036.
Contract details notice publication
99% confidence14 October 2026
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Contract document 097115-2026 is dated 14 October 2026.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceUncrewed air system capability for Army Land Tactical Deep Find 24-hour persistent surveillance
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Tender and contract titles and descriptions describe Project Corvus as an uncrewed air system capability for this requirement.
Procurement category
99% confidenceGoods
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is goods.
Classification
99% confidenceCPV 35613000 — Unmanned aerial vehicles
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Award item 1 carries this CPV classification.
Initial operational requirement
96% confidenceTwo task lines, each able to provide 24 hours of persistent surveillance
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Published renewal/options description states this initial requirement.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect award under Section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023
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Tender procurementMethod is direct and the published rationale identifies Section 43.
Prior competition
97% confidence18 bidders invited; 8 ITT responses received
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Published rationale states 18 bidders were invited and eight submitted ITT responses.
Suitability finding
97% confidenceNo submitted tender was considered suitable
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The authority states none of the eight responses met mandatory requirements under the stated assessment methodology.
Named basis for selecting supplier
95% confidenceTEKEVER LTD was the only bidder stated to pass the specified early checks and PF02 criterion with detailed technical evidence
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Published rationale gives this statement; it does not publish comparative scores or a complete evaluation record.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Base term
99% confidence5 years
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The period runs from 31 August 2026 to 31 August 2031.
Extension capacity
98% confidenceUp to 5 additional years, subject to contractual options
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Maximum extent date is 31 August 2036 and the published options text refers to extended years of support (additional five years).
Options
97% confidenceOptions may increase task lines and extend support
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The options description expressly states these potential changes.
Performance measures
98% confidenceSix published KPIs, with monthly or annual observation frequencies
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Contract data lists KPIs for spares, technical enquiries, reliability and maintainability, modelling, innovation, and social value/supply-chain security.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
97% confidenceA £220m ex-VAT contract with option-led scope and duration expansion
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Published contract value is £220m excluding VAT; options cover more task lines and an additional five years of support.
Route-to-market signal
97% confidenceThe direct award followed an unsuccessful competitive process rather than an initial non-competitive procurement
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The notice describes the competitive flexible procedure, eight unsuitable submissions, and subsequent Section 43 direct award.
Published performance emphasis
96% confidenceAvailability, support responsiveness, reliability, innovation, social value and supply-chain security are explicitly measured
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These areas are covered by the six published KPIs.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Notice chronology
98% confidenceThe supplied top-level notice publication timestamp is 5 August 2026, while the contract document is dated 14 October 2026.
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Process published_at is 5 August 2026; document 097115-2026 datePublished is 14 October 2026. The release history also identifies separate transparency, award and contract-details notices.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or standalone value.
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Lot 1 fields are null for title, description and value.
Evaluation disclosure
96% confidenceDetailed scores, pricing analysis and full bidder-by-bidder evaluation results are not supplied.
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The notice provides narrative pass/fail information but no scoring or pricing breakdown.
Supplier identity quality
99% confidenceSupplier identity is verified by Companies House company number.
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Verification status is verified with matched company number 08684764 and verified name TEKEVER LTD.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Information not supplied in the published notice: lot title, lot description and individual lot value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: detailed bid scores, bidder pricing, evaluation reports and complete comparative assessment results.
- The contract’s options may increase task lines and duration, but no option value, exercise conditions beyond the published narrative, or exercised-option status is supplied.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Project CorvusTEKEVER LTDDefence Equipment and Supportuncrewed air systemunmanned aerial vehiclesArmy persistent surveillancedirect awardProcurement Act 2023
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Project Corvus contract?
TEKEVER LTD, verified under Companies House number 08684764.
What is the Project Corvus contract value?
£220m excluding VAT and £264m including VAT, according to the published contract record.
Was Project Corvus competitively tendered?
The authority initially used a competitive flexible procedure, then used a Section 43 direct award after stating that none of eight ITT responses was suitable.
When does the contract end?
The stated base end date is 31 August 2031, with published options that could extend the maximum term to 31 August 2036.
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.