Project Aether · UK public procurement notice

Project AETHER (Identification of systems that can perform Ultra-Persistent Wide Area Communications with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance)

The Contracting Authority has a developing requirement to demonstrate Ultra-Persistent Wide Area Communications with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance using Stratospheric Uncrewed Air Systems that can be rapidly manoeuvred to an area of interest that is anywhere in the world.

The Contracting Authority requires a capability that can be rapidly manoeuvred to any area of interest in the world to provide ultra-persistent wide-area communications in addition to Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. The information must be available in near real time and be exploited using a range of existing resources. The capability must be on task for several months at a time with minimal resupply or maintenance effort.

The Authority intends to invite all eligible companies who pass the PQQ to tender for the Framework. Note that while there is no down-selection to any specific numbers of bidders at this stage, only companies who can demonstrate relevance to the subject matter of the lots within the Framework through their previous or existing portfolio of work (of which examples are requested via the PQQ) will pass the PQQ and be considered eligible to receive an Invitation to Tender at the next stage of the competition. Potential bidders may bid to join a single lot or multiple lots. Please provide evidence in a maximum of 4 sides of A4 per lot.

As with any framework, whilst there can be no guarantee of any particular quantity of work being put through it, the Authority intends to conduct further mini-competitions to select successful framework contractors or collaborative teams of framework contractors within individual lots or across a number of Lots in any combination, and expects that the work will be conducted progressively in spirals giving ongoing opportunities to many of the framework participants.

The lots will include, but may not be limited to, the following subject matter themes:

• Platform – a rapidly deployable uncrewed platform capable of working at stratospheric altitudes to carry out uninterrupted ISR activities
• Payload – capable of being fitted to a platform to carry out uninterrupted and secure ISR activities and communications over an extended period of time
• Integrator – to oversee the integration of the payload onto a platform to enable the processing, exploitation and dissemination of information
• Customer Advisory Network (may include but not be limited to assurance, operationalisation, third party security testing, testing and evaluation).
• Optional lot – Fully accredited air system (including payload).

The Authority must ensure that where access is required to classified information in the course of any tasking or Working Group activity, then this access will only be granted to framework participants with suitable security clearance in place at the time a task is raised. Whilst a particular level of security clearance is not essential for initial entry to the framework following the Invitation to Tender process, the Authority reserves the right to refuse inclusion of any framework participant who does not possess the required clearance level at the time a mini-competition for a task is initiated or a classified Working Group is scheduled.

IPR will be discussed on a task by task basis but the Authority would expect to take ownership of Trials & Demonstrations results and raw data (use of DEFCON 703/705).

All framework participants will be kept updated with progress of this project on a quarterly basis subject to security caveats. Once the PQQ phase has been completed and we move to ITT stage an event will be held in order to discuss the requirement and future direction.

Please note this framework will be initially for up to 2 years from publication of this PQQ and pending future approvals, the framework would be re-opened on a 12 monthly basis.

The Cyber Risk Assessment code is DCPP- RAR-406930362 and has been rated as Moderate Risk. Quantity or scope: Divided into Lots, re-opened at 12 month intervals, and subject to future approvals for Options (up to a maximum of 7 years duration, including the initial 18 months from contract award).