The RM6393 TacSys Framework is now live, and if you work in tactical communications, defence technology, or secure systems, it’s one you should be paying attention to.
This guide breaks down what the TacSys Framework is, what it covers, how it’s structured, and who it’s relevant for.
By the end, you should know whether TacSys is a good fit for your business and what to think about next.
What is the RM6393 TacSys Framework?
TacSys stands for Tactical Communication Systems.
The TacSys Framework is the government’s future route to market for buying secure, deployable communication systems used in challenging and operational environments. That includes hardware, software, infrastructure, and supporting services that keep people connected when normal communications just won’t cut it.
The framework is managed by Crown Commercial Service. While the Ministry of Defence is the design authority and primary user, TacSys is a pan-government framework, meaning other public sector organisations, including emergency and blue-light services, can use it too.
A Quick Refresher: How Frameworks Work
Think of a framework as a shortlist of pre-approved suppliers. Once you’re on it, you’re allowed to bid for work that comes up under that framework.
Being on the list doesn’t guarantee you’ll win any contracts, but it does mean you can be invited to take part in “mini competitions” for projects that fit your services.
Key facts of this framework
- Open to large primes, SMEs, and specialist suppliers
- Framework duration: up to 8 years
- Reopens every 2 years to allow new suppliers to join
- Existing suppliers can refresh pricing at each reopening
- Estimated total value: up to £8 billion
What technology does the TacSys Framework cover?
At a high level, TacSys focuses on secure, mobile, deployable communications, the kind that still work when conditions are far from ideal.
Designed for use outside the UK
TacSYS isn’t about systems that only work on permanent bases, with reliable power and connectivity.
It’s designed for:
- Temporary command posts deployed overseas
- Equipment used straight from vehicles or portable setups
- Systems that don’t rely on fixed buildings or infrastructure
If your solution only works when everything is stable and predictable, it’s unlikely to be suitable.
Works across land, air and sea
TacSys systems need to move information seamlessly between:
- Headquarters on land
- Vehicles operating in the field
- Aircraft providing aerial support
- Vessels operating offshore
That might mean live updates flowing between ground teams, vehicle commanders, aircraft crews, and HQ, all at the same time.
Built to protect sensitive information
Security is non-negotiable.
TacSys covers systems that:
- Keep information secure even if equipment is lost or damaged
- Protect voice, data, maps and operational plans
- Prevent interception or unauthorised access
Reliable in difficult conditions
These systems must continue working when:
- Signals are weak or disrupted
- There’s interference or jamming
- Power is limited
- Conditions are noisy, wet, hot or chaotic
Resilience and redundancy are key; no single point of failure.
Designed not to slow users down
TacSys solutions must support people doing their job, not get in the way.
That means:
- Simple, intuitive controls
- Portable, practical equipment
- Systems that work while users are moving
Where might TacSys solutions be used?
TacSys technology may be used:
- In fixed or temporary headquarters
- Inside vehicles
- By personnel on foot
- On aircraft or ships
Crucially, everything must work together.
That allows:
- Information from the field to be shared with HQ
- Data to move between different services
- UK systems to interoperate with allies and partner nations
If your technology helps people communicate securely, stay connected, and share information in demanding environments, there’s a strong chance it fits within TacSys, even if it’s only one part of a wider solution.
How is the TacSys Framework structured?
The framework is split into three lots, allowing suppliers to target exactly where they fit.
Lot 1: Services
Lot 1 is all about the support work that keeps tactical communication systems working properly, from day one through their entire life.
You can think of it as: building it, running it, protecting it.
This can include:
- Helping design how a system should work
- Integrating different technologies so they work together
- Building and installing equipment
- Rolling systems out into the field
- Providing ongoing support, fixes and repairs
- Managing updates, replacements and ageing equipment
- Making sure systems stay safe, secure and compliant
If the system were a car, Lot 1 would be the people who design it, build it, safety-check it, show you how to use it, and then service it for years afterwards.
This lot is less about selling a single product and more about making sure everything actually works, and keeps working.
Lot 2: Systems
Lot 2 is about complete, ready-to-use systems, or major chunks of a system that already work together.
That includes:
- Full equipment and software sets designed for specific users
- Large building blocks that form a major part of a wider system
- Pre-integrated packages that are already tested
- Systems for mounted use (for example, inside vehicles)
- Systems for dismounted use (carried by people on foot)
Instead of buying lots of separate bits and hoping they fit together, buyers can select systems that are already designed, integrated and supported.
Lot 3: Components
Lot 3 focuses on the individual building blocks that make up tactical communication systems.
This includes things like:
- User-facing apps and software
- Training, planning and preparation tools
- Hardware such as rugged devices, servers, displays or power units
- Data and voice transfer equipment
- Cyber and security tools
- Monitoring and system management tools
Products are grouped using capability tags, which simply describe what role a product plays.
Lot 3 is deliberately granular and flexible, ideal for specialists and niche suppliers.
How buying will work
All contracts awarded under this framework are with competition. That means buyers cannot directly award work and must run a competitive process. What changes is how suppliers are brought into that competition, depending on the lot.
Lots 1 and 2
For Lots 1 and 2, the process is straightforward. Buyers can invite all relevant suppliers on the lot to compete for the work. From there, the buyer decides how to run the competition. This could be a:
1. Catalogue-enabled further competition
- You’ll get a message saying the buyer wants something specific
- You either:
- do nothing and opt out, or
- tweak/update your catalogue entry (usually price, delivery details, service level, etc.)
- The buyer then compares the updated catalogue entries and picks
In short:
“Here’s what we need, update your catalogue if you want, we’ll pick the best option.”
2. Single-stage competition
- You’ll be invited to submit a full response by a deadline
- You submit everything in one go
- The buyer reviews all submissions and chooses a winner
In short:
“One round. One submission. Best overall response wins.”
3. Two-stage competition
This is “shortlist, then full response”.
Stage 1: Shortlisting
- You submit a shorter response to show you’re suitable.
- Some suppliers go through, some don’t.
Stage 2: Final competition
- If you’re shortlisted, you’re invited to submit the full response.
- The buyer chooses the winner from that smaller group.
In short:
“First, we narrow it down. Then the shortlisted suppliers compete.”
4. Multi-stage competition
- Used for bigger or more complicated contracts
- The buyer designs several stages, which might include:
- written responses
- presentations and demos
- site visits
- discussions
- negotiations
- Suppliers may drop out at different points.
- The last stage is always a final submission, then the buyer picks.
In short:
“Several rounds, built to test things properly, before the final decision.”
Lot 3
Lot 3 works slightly differently. At the framework award stage, suppliers are mapped against a capability matrix. When a buyer has a requirement, they use this matrix to identify only the suppliers who can deliver the specific capability or capabilities they need. Once that shortlist is created, the buyer then chooses the competitive process, just as they would for the other lots.
The key takeaways
- Lots 1 and 2 go straight to competition
- Lot 3 involves a shortlist first, then competition
- All lots require competition and do not allow direct award
Supplier Fees
If you win work, you’ll need to pay (excluding VAT) a maximum 1% of all the charges for the deliverables invoiced to the buyer under all call-off contracts. It’s basically an admin or management fee for running the framework.
Key dates to be aware of
This isn’t one to sit on. From the point the tender was issued to the submission deadline at 3pm on 12 February, there’s just under a five-week turnaround.
In that time, you’ll need to:
- Download and work through 71 documents
- Manage a three-week clarification window closing at 3pm on 28 January
For perspective, one recent framework received nearly 2,000 clarification questions over seven weeks, which gives you a good sense of how quickly the workload can grow once clarifications start flying.
Although questions must be submitted by that date, CCS will continue answering them afterwards, which means some important responses may land quite late. That often leads to last-minute checking, tweaking and adjustments.
If this framework is relevant to your business, it really is a case of getting started early, staying organised, and not leaving everything to the final few days.
Final Thoughts
If this framework is relevant to your business, starting early really does matter. The RM6393 TacSys Framework is a major opportunity for suppliers working in tactical communications, secure systems, and defence technology, but there’s a lot to get through and not much time to do it in.
Getting organised from the outset, and bringing in early input from someone experienced in defence bids, can save time, reduce stress, and help you focus on what really matters.
