Project Phases
The Niteworks project was formally established in July 2003 following a scoping study in the first half of that year, and the 3-year Assessment Phase was completed in July 2006. Following a transition period the current Niteworks 5-year contract was awarded in November 2007.
Scoping Study (December 2002 to June 2003)
The initial MOD/industry scoping study for Niteworks, ENIF (Experimental Network Integration Facility), took place in the first half of 2003, and a pilot warfighting experiment was conducted in March of that year. Industry representation on ENIF was from BAE Systems and QinetiQ initially, and subsequently included participation from the other main UK defence companies.
Assessment Phase (July 2003 to July 2006)
During the Assessment Phase Niteworks completed 19 experimentation Themes which addressed a broad spectrum of capability issues. The programme achieved significant success in the design, development and performance of Warfighting Experimentation in a cooperative MOD/industry partnership. The Assessment Phase was completed on time and within budget, and delivered significant benefits to MOD equipment programmes and the front line. Niteworks exceeded expectations in the number of Themes undertaken, the quality of the outputs, and the undisputed success of the MOD/industry partnership.
Transition Phase (April 2006 to November 2007)
Following the completion of the 3-year Assessment Phase, Niteworks secured funding for a “transition phase” period to allow the organisation to address the requirement for the Niteworks capability to provide a more flexible offering to MOD. Work was undertaken to develop a broader role for the programme and a revised business model that was aligned to current MOD priorities and funding arrangements. The Niteworks capability was maintained in the Transition Phase through the conduct of additional experimentation and the continued development of MOD procurement interventions.
