AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Trinity House has published a transparency notice for a proposed direct award to GROUND CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES UK LTD for telemetry satellite communications equipment and services supporting buoys, lighthouses and lightvessels. The award is pending, with signature scheduled for 22 October 2026; the notice does not evidence a signed or active contract.
Published outcomeOne pending award, covering lot 1, names GROUND CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES UK LTD as supplier. The published award value is £631,495 excluding VAT (£757,794 including VAT).
Market significanceThis is a long-term, single-supplier direct award for continuity of satellite communications and compatible existing equipment, rather than an openly competed opportunity.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
GROUND CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES UK LTD
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £631,495 excluding VAT; £757,794 including VAT (award-level value) GBP · Verified legal identity; pending award
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Verified company name is GROUND CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES UK LTD (company number 05240202). Award 1 names Ground Control Technologies UK Ltd as its sole supplier and has pending status.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidenceTransparency notice published 12 October 2026
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Award document 095935-2026 is described as a Transparency notice on Find a Tender and dated 2026-10-12.
Award status
99% confidencePending
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Award 1 has status "pending".
Signature status
99% confidenceFuture signature scheduled; not evidenced as signed
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Award milestone is futureSignatureDate, scheduled for 2026-10-22 23:59:59+01:00.
Planned contract period
98% confidence23 October 2026 to 22 October 2036
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Award 1 contractPeriod gives startDate 2026-10-23 and endDate 2036-10-22.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£631,495
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Award 1 value.amount is 631495 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£757,794
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 757794 GBP.
Value allocation
90% confidenceAward-level value for the sole published supplier and lot 1
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Award 1 lists one supplier and related lot 1; no separate lot value is published.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Notice publication
99% confidence12 October 2026
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Notice 095935-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-12T10:12:19+01:00.
Scheduled signature deadline
99% confidence22 October 2026
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Future signature milestone dueDate is 2026-10-22T23:59:59+01:00.
Planned start
98% confidence23 October 2026
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Award contractPeriod.startDate is 2026-10-23T00:00:00+01:00.
Planned end
98% confidence22 October 2036
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Award contractPeriod.endDate is 2036-10-22T23:59:59+01:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceTelemetry satellite communication equipment and continuing Iridium communications services
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Process description specifies direct solutions of existing equipment fitted within existing enclosures and continued supply of Iridium communications.
Operational assets
98% confidenceTH buoys, lighthouses and lightvessels
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Process description names TH Buoy, Lighthouse and Lightvessel Communications.
Lot structure
98% confidenceOne published lot: lot 1
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Tender lots and award relatedLots each identify lot 1; no lot title or description is supplied.
Published classifications
99% confidenceSatellite communications equipment (CPV 32531000) and telecommunications services (CPV 64200000)
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Award item 1 lists these two CPV classifications.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect award
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct" and procurementMethodDetails is "Direct award".
Published rationale
98% confidenceContinuation of existing communications services and goods, citing incompatibility and disproportionate technical operation or maintenance difficulties if the supplier changed
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Tender procurementMethodRationale cites Procurement Act 2023 Schedule 5, section 7 and describes technical incompatibility risks.
Competition information
98% confidenceNo competitive bid count, bidder list, scores or evaluation information supplied
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The published data identifies a direct award and contains no competition metrics.
Threshold status
99% confidenceAbove threshold
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Award 1 aboveThreshold is true.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is "services".
Planned term
98% confidenceApproximately 10 years
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Published contract period runs from 23 October 2026 to 22 October 2036.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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No extension, option, or renewal terms are supplied in the published data.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Continuity-led procurement
96% confidenceThe buyer's stated rationale indicates that compatibility with existing equipment and continuity of communications were material to the direct-award approach.
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Published rationale cites existing goods/services and disproportionate technical operational or maintenance difficulties from changing supplier.
Combined equipment and service requirement
97% confidenceThe scope combines satellite communications equipment with telecommunications services, including continuing Iridium communications.
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Process description and CPV classifications cover both equipment and telecommunications services.
Award maturity
99% confidenceThe published commercial terms remain prospective because the award is pending and signature is scheduled in the future.
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Award status is pending and the milestone is a scheduled future signature date.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award not yet concluded
99% confidenceThe record is pending; it should not be reported as a signed, active or commenced contract.
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Award 1 status is pending, with a scheduled future signature date of 22 October 2026.
Limited lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
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Lot 1 is present with null title, description and value fields.
Limited competition and evaluation detail
98% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No bid count, competing suppliers, evaluation scores, pricing breakdown or award-decision detail is provided.
Conflict-of-interest publication
99% confidenceConflict-of-interest information is marked "Not published".
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Tender documents include conflictOfInterest with description "Not published".
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award is pending and has a scheduled future signature date; no signed contract or contract commencement is evidenced.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description, individual value or pricing breakdown.
- Information on bid numbers, alternative suppliers, evaluation, award scoring and savings was not supplied in the published notice.
- No extension, renewal, break or variation terms were supplied.
- Conflict-of-interest information is marked as not published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Trinity HouseGROUND CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES UK LTDtelemetry satellite communicationIridium communicationsdirect awardFind a Tendersatellite communications equipment
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is named for the Trinity House telemetry satellite communications award?
GROUND CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES UK LTD is the verified legal supplier named on pending award 1.
What is the value of the pending award?
The published award value is £631,495 excluding VAT and £757,794 including VAT.
Has the Trinity House contract been signed?
The supplied notice does not evidence signature. The award is pending and lists a future signature date of 22 October 2026.
Why was a direct award used?
The published rationale cites continuation of existing communications and goods, with supplier change said to create incompatibility and disproportionate technical difficulties.
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.