AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
UK Research & Innovation awarded Teledyne Instruments Inc. d/b/a Teledyne Webb Research a direct award for a microstructure-equipped underwater glider for scientific research.
Published outcomeThe published contract record is active, signed on 6 October 2026, and runs from 7 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Market significanceThis is a specialised scientific-equipment purchase made without competition because UKRI states that only this equipment could interface with its existing control systems, tools and processes.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
Teledyne Instruments Inc. d/b/a Teledyne Webb Research
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 424640 USD · Active contract
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Award 1 names this supplier; contract 1, linked to award 1, is active and valued at USD 424,640.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Procurement status
99% confidenceComplete tender; active award and active contract
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Tender status is "complete"; award 1 and contract 1 are both marked "active".
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned 6 October 2026
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Contract 1 states dateSigned: 2026-10-06.
Contract period
99% confidence7 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period states startDate 2026-10-07 and endDate 2027-03-31.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value
99% confidenceUSD 424,640 (gross amount also reported as USD 424,640)
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Contract 1 value reports amount and amountGross of 424640, currency USD.
Lot-level value
99% confidenceNot published
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Lot 1 has no value amount or currency in the supplied data.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Transparency notice
99% confidence22 September 2026, 10:00:53 +01:00
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Release history records release 089449-2026.
Contract award notice
99% confidence22 September 2026, 10:03:52 +01:00
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Release history records release 089452-2026.
Contract signed
99% confidence6 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-06.
Contract start
99% confidence7 October 2026
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Contract 1 period startDate is 2026-10-07.
Contract details notice published
99% confidence14 October 2026, 11:17:11 +01:00
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Contract document 096891-2026 and release history provide this publication timestamp.
Contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period endDate is 2027-03-31.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceMicrostructure-equipped underwater glider for scientific research
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The tender title and description state that UKRI sought an underwater glider with equipped microstructure for scientific research.
Procurement category
99% confidenceGoods
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is "goods".
Classification
99% confidenceCPV 34721000 — Gliders
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Award item 1 lists CPV 34721000, described as "Gliders".
Delivery location
99% confidenceUnited Kingdom
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Award item 1 lists a delivery address in the UK.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect award
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct" and procurementMethodDetails is "Direct award".
Stated rationale
99% confidenceCompetition absent for technical reasons
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UKRI states that the equipment had to interface with existing control systems, tools and processes, and that it was the only equipment capable of meeting those requirements.
Rationale classification
99% confidenceSingle supplier for technical reasons
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The tender lists procurementMethodRationaleClassification "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons".
Bid and evaluation information
99% confidenceNot published
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The supplied notice data contains no bid count, bidder list beyond the awarded supplier, scores, ranking or evaluation breakdown.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
98% confidenceApproximately 176 days, from 7 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Calculated from the explicit contract period dates supplied for contract 1.
Options
99% confidenceYes; alterations to equipment may be needed where requirements change before delivery
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Contract 1 hasOptions is true; its options description states this wording.
Performance metrics
99% confidenceNo agreed metrics required
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Contract 1 states noAgreedMetricsRationale: "Not required for contract."
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Technical interoperability
99% confidenceThe stated direct-award case centres on compatibility with UKRI's existing systems, tools and processes.
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The procurement-method rationale explicitly cites required interfacing and states that only this equipment could meet the requirements.
Value attribution
98% confidenceThe USD 424,640 contract value is attributable to the sole published supplier and sole published award.
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Contract 1 links only to award 1, which names one supplier; the contract value is USD 424,640.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier identity coverage
99% confidenceThe supplier name is published as a US entity/trading-name formulation; UK Companies House verification is not applicable.
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Supplier verification is marked not_applicable and provides no verified company name or number; the source party is located in the United States.
Unpublished competition detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice: bid count, scoring, ranking and pricing breakdown.
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No such fields or documents are present in the supplied data.
Unpublished lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or standalone value.
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The supplied lot record contains null title, description, value amount and currency.
Options clarity
99% confidenceThe published option is an equipment-alteration provision, not an identified renewal or term-extension option.
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The options description refers only to possible alterations before delivery; no extension duration or renewal terms are supplied.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bid count, evaluation scores, ranking, pricing breakdown and individual lot value.
- Lot 1 has no published title or description.
- No verified company name or company number is supplied because UK Companies House verification is not applicable to this US-based supplier record.
- No published renewal or contract-extension terms are available; the stated option concerns possible equipment alterations before delivery.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
UKRI-6395UK Research & InnovationTeledyne InstrumentsTeledyne Webb Researchunderwater glidermicrostructuredirect awardscientific research
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the UKRI-6395 underwater glider contract?
Teledyne Instruments Inc. d/b/a Teledyne Webb Research is the sole published supplier for award 1.
What is the contract value?
The published contract value is USD 424,640.
Why was the procurement a direct award?
UKRI states that competition was absent for technical reasons: the equipment needed to interface with existing control systems, tools and processes, and was the only equipment capable of doing so.
When does the contract run?
The contract was signed on 6 October 2026 and runs from 7 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
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.