Who won: UK5 - Lancaster Wheels Production (P3)

A public sector contract from Defence Equipment and Support. Below: what it involves and how to write a winning bid for it.

Buyer

Defence Equipment and Support

Published

26 June 2026

Region

UKK12

About this contract

The Defence Equipment & Support, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (the “Authority”), intends to award a contract to Retrotec Limited for the production and in-service support of Lancaster Mainwheel Hub Assemblies, a critical component for the continued airworthiness of the Lancaster aircraft operated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF). The contract is intended to run for a two-year period of ~ 02-2026 to 02-2028. The estimated contract value is £1m excluding VAT. It is considered that this contract can be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 because the direct award justification specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 applies. The Authority submits that this justification applies because due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, and there being no alternatives, only Retrotec Limited are able to provide the services required. Retrotec Limited has the required technical expertise necessary to fulfil the Authority’s requirement as they operate as the only approved Design Organisation (DO) for the Lancaster Mainwheel Hub Assembly component, which is a critical requirement from the MAA for any Company completing production activities for the

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✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — Defence Equipment and Support scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
✓Lead with evidenced capability and social value — for public sector work these usually outweigh price.
✓Show recent, comparable delivery: name similar public sector contracts you've delivered for public bodies, with measurable outcomes.
✓This one's been awarded — but Defence Equipment and Support retenders on a cycle. Get matched the day the next one lands and start your draft early.

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