Official UK procurement notice
Support and Maintenance of GOTHIC APS and MCPS-UK5
Authority: Ministry of Defence (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe requirement is for provision of ongoing software licencing, software maintenance and repair services, and will provide support and maintenance for the bespoke software and applications that make up the GOTHIC Aeronautical Production and Mercator Cartographic Productions System (MCPS).
1Spatial will provide a support service billed on a quarterly basis, performing maintenance of the respective systems and its code base. The contractor will be required to undertake ongoing modifications and upgrades to the Gothic APS and MCPS code.
On site engineering support may be required on a call-off basis against appropriate day rates, and will include training (development and delivery) and software enhancements if required.
The procurement covers a support desk service for logging and managing service requests for assistance with the licensed software and to resolve faults, and is to include support in resolving suspected defects and application support.
CPV: Software support services · System and support services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewal
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 9 Jan 2026, 11:01 GMT
- Last source update
- 4 Feb 2026, 10:58 GMT
- Authority reference
715742453- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-009850- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-060288Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Additional Repeat Extension Partial Replacement
- Published justification
The GOTHIC Aeronautical Production System (GOTHIC APS) provides No1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit (No 1 AIDU), a unit within the National Centre for Geospatial Intelligence with its primary aeronautical information (AI) maintenance and production software capability. In addition, further support is provided through Mercator Cartographic Production System (MCPS). Both capabilities are currently provided under software support and maintenance contracts with 1 Spatial Group Ltd. No1 AIDU is mandated by the Secretary of State for Defence to provide AI, data and publications to Defence and is critical in providing flight management systems data for all its aircraft platforms and mission planning systems on a legally mandated, worldwide 28-day Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control (AIRAC cycle).
In accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 Schedule 5 paragraph 7: the contract concerns the supply of services by 1 Spatial Group Ltd which are intended as an extension to existing services.
In the circumstances, (a) a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and (b) the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance. A supplier other than 1 Spatial Group Ltd would not be able to supply software licencing, software maintenance and repair services and support in respect of GOTHIC APS and MCPS. This is due to 1 Spatial Group Ltd’s (i) ownership of intellectual property rights in the source code underpinning GOTHIC APS and MCPS, and (ii) unique experience of GOTHIC APS and MCPS . GOTHIC APS and MCPS comprise bespoke software developed for ongoing compatibility with No 1 AIDU systems to support the AIRAC cycle. A change in supplier would necessitate the development by the new supplier of different bespoke software of a kind which does not currently exist in the market. The transition away from GOTHIC APS and MCPS would result in disproportionate integration and technical difficulties for No 1 AIDU.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
9 Jan 2026 → 1 Apr 2026 · 4 dates- Planning notice published292 days ago9 Jan 2026, 11:01 GMT
- Latest notice published266 days ago4 Feb 2026, 10:58 GMT
- Next notice expected241 days ago28 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts210 days ago1 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
4 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 9 Jan 2026- Pipeline notice published9 Jan 2026, 11:01 GMTUK1
- Transparency notice published4 Feb 2026, 10:58 GMTUK5
- Status changed to complete4 Feb 2026, 10:58 GMT
- Contract signature expected4 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Spatial Group Ltd1 Apr 2026 – 19 Sept 2028 · up to 19 Sept 2030Extensions: Optional extensions for a total of 2 additional years, which can be invoked 3 months prior to the expiry date of the respective contract year. · Options: Optional extensions for a total of 2 additional years, which can be invoked 3 months prior to the expiry date of the respective contract year. | £2,611,397 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- 1Spatial Group LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender