UK MoD Prepares £500M Competition to Rebuild Portsmouth Naval Jetty

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), acting through the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), is preparing a major infrastructure competition to replace Fountain Lake Jetty at Portsmouth Naval Base. DIO published a preliminary market engagement notice on 12 November 2026 for the main works contract, with an estimated value of £500 million excluding VAT—equivalent to £600 million including VAT. The procurement is at the market-engagement stage: no contractor has been appointed, and the estimate does not represent money already spent. For interested contractors, the notice is an early opportunity to understand the anticipated scope, timetable, and participation conditions before the formal tender is released.

The existing jetty was built during the 1950s and 1960s and provides tidal maintenance berths for Royal Navy vessels. DIO procurement information indicates that the structure is nearing the end of its working life and must accommodate a new generation of escort ships that are larger than their predecessors. The replacement is intended to provide two maintenance berths initially, increasing to three when the project is complete. The proposed programme covers approximately 650 metres of jetty: an eastern section of about 375 metres and a western section of about 275 metres. Each section is expected to involve enabling works followed by demolition, reconstruction, and dredging.

The proposed works span several interdependent disciplines, including marine construction, piled structures, dredging, utility diversion and replacement, flood protection, access improvements, buildings, and support facilities. The contractor is also expected to assist with design development and obtaining a marine licence for work on the western section. This breadth and the provisional performance period—from 30 March 2028 to 31 December 2037—make early assessment of delivery capacity, specialist subcontracting, and potential teaming arrangements important. The project will require firms to consider how they can support a long-duration programme while coordinating works across two jetty sections and maintaining an operational naval-base context.

The procurement notice permits firms from all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries to participate under NCB+ procedures. DIO expects a market-engagement questionnaire before the end of 2026; the stated questionnaire deadline is 26 February 2027, with an industry event planned for the first quarter of 2027. A formal tender notice is currently anticipated on 30 June 2027. These are planning dates and may change as procurement progresses, so prospective bidders should monitor official notices and use engagement activities to seek clarification on requirements, phasing, licensing, and interfaces. Fountain Lake Jetty is part of Project Royal Oak, within the MoD’s broader £26 billion, ten-year programme announced in July 2026 to modernise the Royal Navy’s three main bases at Portsmouth, Devonport, and Clyde. That £26 billion is the wider programme figure, not the jetty project budget.

• Procurement status: DIO’s 12 November 2026 notice begins preliminary market engagement; it does not announce a contract award or completed expenditure.
• Estimated value: The main works are valued at £500 million excluding VAT, or £600 million including VAT.
• Core scope: Demolition and reconstruction of a roughly 650-metre jetty, dredging, and work across eastern and western sections of about 375 metres and 275 metres, respectively.
• Facilities and services: Plans include new piled structures, power, water and communications changes, strengthened and raised sections of the impounding wall, improved access, flood defences, buildings, and support facilities.
• Operational requirement: The replacement is intended to support larger next-generation escort ships, with two maintenance berths initially and three at project completion.
• Contractor responsibilities: The appointed firm is expected to support design development and obtain a marine licence for work on the western section.
• Engagement milestones: The questionnaire deadline is 26 February 2027; an industry event is planned for Q1 2027; the formal tender is currently expected on 30 June 2027.
• Indicative delivery period: Main works are provisionally scheduled from 30 March 2028 through 31 December 2037; dates remain subject to change.
• Competition and positioning: Firms from all NATO member countries may participate under NCB+ procedures. Marine construction, dredging, utilities, flood protection, access, and naval-base infrastructure capabilities are relevant for bid and teaming assessments.
• Programme context: The jetty forms part of Project Royal Oak and the broader £26 billion ten-year naval-bases modernisation programme covering Portsmouth, Devonport, and Clyde; that figure is not the jetty’s budget.