Published date: 14 November 2025
Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.
Contract summary
Industry
Platform interconnectivity software development services - 72212211
Location of contract
Any region
Value of contract
£14,246,433.64
Procurement reference
tender_384744/1524506
Published date
14 November 2025
Closing date
19 May 2025
Closing time
12pm
Contract start date
16 October 2025
Contract end date
15 October 2030
Contract type
Service contract
Procedure type
Competitive procedure with negotiation (above threshold)
Anyone may ask to participate, but only those who are pre-selected will be invited to submit initial tenders and to negotiate.
This procedure can be used for procurements above the relevant contract value threshold.
Contract is suitable for SMEs?
No
Contract is suitable for VCSEs?
No
Description
This Award Notice relates to the Award of a contract for a TETRA/ MCX Interworking Gateway (IWG) solution to be provided to the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP).
The supplier will provide this IWG to support the transition from Airwave to ESN for approximately 300,000 users across 107 User Organisations. The IWG will link together Airwave talk groups to their equivalent new ESN talk groups, allowing migrated ESN users to make Group and Emergency Calls to, and receive Group and Emergency Calls from, unmigrated Airwave users.
The Authority is seeking to procure a Network Interworking Service to support the transition from Airwave to ESN for approximately 300,000 users across 107 User Organisations. The Network Interworking Service will use an Interworking Gateway (the subject of this procurement) to link together the 6000 busiest Airwave talk groups to their equivalent new ESN talk groups, allowing migrated ESN users to make Group and Emergency Calls to, and receive Group and Emergency Calls from, unmigrated Airwave users.
The Interworking Gateway is assumed to be a software product that can be deployed onto physical or virtual servers provided and hosted by the ESN User Services Supplier, who will also be responsible for service integration, first line and second line maintenance, with the Interworking Gateway supplier responsible for third line support.
The type of interface to be used between Airwave and the Interworking Gateway will be DCS, (Motorola DIMETRA™ Dispatch Communications Server), because this is the only interface available on the Airwave radio service. This is the same interface as used for standard control room system connections that provide service to over 4000 control room ICCS (Integrated Communications Control System) desks. A quantity of 600 active DCS ports (plus an extra 300 ports for resilience) will be assigned to the Interworking Gateway, serviced by three Airwave DCS data centres.
More information
Attachments
Award information
Awarded date
16 October 2025
Contract start date
16 October 2025
Contract end date
15 October 2030
Total value of contract
£14,246,433.64
This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.
Etherstack Wireless Limited
Address
30-31 3rd Floor South, Friar Street, Reading
Reference
No reference - other
Supplier is SME?
No
Supplier is VCSE?
No
About the buyer
Contact name
Secretary of State for the Home Department
Address
Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP), 5 Endeavour Square,
Stratford, London
E20 1JN
England
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Closing: 19 May 2025, 12pm
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