Tactical Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Managed Service

Home Office

Published: Jun 15, 2026

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Source: uk_fts

About This Opportunity

This is a services contract in the governance and public administration sector. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 37.5 million.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for services in the governance and public administration sector. Service contracts are typically evaluated on both technical quality and price, and may require bidders to demonstrate relevant experience and qualified personnel. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.

Description

The Home Office seeks an experienced commercial provider to supply capable Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to support the Border Security Command's (BSC) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
The RPAS must be capable of detecting, identifying, and tracking vessels and individuals within the defined area of operations, operating as part of a multi layered ISR framework that includes manned aviation, maritime assets, and land based infrastructure. The systems will provide enhanced situational awareness to inform operational decision making and support the effective tasking and coordination of operational assets.
The primary operational requirement is for RPAS' that can conduct routine surveillance flights to detect, track, and identify vessels and people to support the primary Search, Rescue and Recovery (SRR) Vessels within the area of operations.
The SRR vessels will operate primarily within UK Territorial Waters (TTW) and the wider UK Area of Operations, including the English Channel.
RPAS' information will be transmitted in real-time to an existing Command and Control facility to enable real-time coordination of responses to threats.
RPAS' will also be required to perform targeted surveillance to record high-quality video footage to support Criminal and Financial Investigation prosecutions.
The Home Office have a requirement for one (1) Supplier to provide RPAS' for 5000 on-task sensor coverage hours per year, over three (3) separate task lines, for the purpose of supporting BSC operations.
The Home Office requires availability of two (2) task lines to provide year-round coverage including weekends and public holidays. An additional third task line will be required for approximately six-months per year. (A ‘Task Line’ is provision of 8 hours of continuous sensor coverage in any 24 hour period.)
The contract will be for three (3) years fixed with the option of extensions up to but not exceeding one (1) year.
There is a requirement for the service to be fully operational within four months of the contract being awarded. The timelines will be fully detailed in the UK4 Tender Notice
PLEASE NOTE: The Home Office will be using the Government Commercial Agency Space Technology Solutions Dynamic Market (RM6370) for this procurement.

See ‘Submission’ section for further information.

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on June 15, 2026. Last refreshed 5 days ago. Reference: 056301-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Home Office

Home Office has issued 366 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 27 currently open and 293 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Information & Communication Technology, Governance & Public Administration, and Security, Defense & Justice. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK Contracts Finder and UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: June 18, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 056301-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Home Office in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Services contract in the Governance & Public Administration sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is £37,500,000 - £37,500,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.