DE&S has awarded a Naval Design Partnering (NDP) contract to Frazer-Nash Consultancy to establish and manage a necessary framework to deliver technical design services for the Royal Navy.

The contract is for four years, with the option to extend by two years, and builds on the success of the previous NDP contract that ran from 2018 until April 2024.

At their core, NDP design studies contribute to delivering well founded projects as part of the pipeline for future maritime capabilities. It is this innovation that will be instrumental in shaping and strengthening the Royal Navy of the future.

Steve Conneely, NDP Team Leader, said: “The NDP will play a significant role in the concept design of maritime capabilities as part of the DE&S Gateway. We are delighted to have awarded this contract and look forward to working collaboratively as One Defence with the Royal Navy, the NDP Prime and Framework Members.”

As part of delivering the contract, highly skilled roles that are central to the programme will be created in Bristol. The design studies the programme will undertake will predominately involve UK companies that form part the framework membership, directly supporting the UK’s Defence industry.

Nick Jones, Operations Director – Defence and Security, Frazer-Nash Consultancy said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract that will build on and strengthen our relationship with the Defence Partners. We’re excited to contribute our rich expertise in naval technical design services to this collaborative endeavor as part of the One Defence team providing the Royal Navy and wider defence with the support, knowledge and capability they need to be successful in the future.”

The participation of Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) will be monitored to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Social value benefits associated with supply chain diversity and collaboration will also be a key consideration, along with support for innovative technology.