Published date: 19 December 2025

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 26 November 2025, 7pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Development consultancy services - 73220000

Location of contract

Any region

Value of contract

£180,000

Procurement reference

tender_510415/1540987

Published date

19 December 2025

Closing date

26 November 2025

Closing time

7pm

Contract start date

1 January 2026

Contract end date

31 January 2027

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Call-off from a framework agreement

A mini-competition or direct purchase from a pre-established framework agreement.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

National Highways wish to appoint specialist technical consultants to undertake research to understand whether separation distances, between drones operated by/on behalf of National Highways and road users, can be safely reduced from the currently permitted 50 metres as defined in GG 954 - Drone Operations. Specifically, National Highways is seeking to establish whether flights at distances as low as 10 metres can be undertaken without distracting divers, enabling the potential for many more drone flights to meet growing business needs.

Drone use for/on behalf of National Highways is governed by CAA regulations, CAP 722, as well as our own DMRB Drone Standard, GG 954 - Drones Operations. Projects wishing to use drones must submit a GG 104 Safety Risk Assessment to the relevant National Highways review body, evidencing the safety benefits of using a drone when compared to the 'baseline' way of working. In short, use of a drone must be safer than, or at least as safe as, the baseline way of working.

A reduction in separation distances is permitted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), subject to the Drone Operator being granted an Operation Safety Case by the CAA. Likewise, GG 954 - Drones Operations makes provision for reduced separation distances, subject to 'acceptance' from the Drone safety Control Review Group (SCRG) or National Safety Control Review Group (NSCRG). However, despite there being a route to potential acceptance of flights at distances less than 50 metres, those accepted so far have been in very specific circumstances and where flights could be visible to drivers, have required risk mitigation due to a lack of research/evidence available to understand the extent of what may/may not distract drivers at distances less than 50 metres.

Award information

Awarded date

18 December 2025

Contract start date

1 January 2026

Contract end date

31 January 2027

Total value of contract

£176,470.49

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

Ove Arup

Address

Newcastle

Reference

No reference - other

Supplier is SME?

No

Supplier is VCSE?

No

About the buyer

Contact name

National Highways

Address

Three Snowhill
Birmingham
B4 6GA
England

Email

SPaTS3@nationalhighways.co.uk