Thursday 13 August 2026

United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) has been awarded the Nuclear Safeguards Programme (NSP) contract by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), securing a £10.5 million commitment over an initial 3.5-year term, with the potential for further extension. 

The award continues the UK’s 45 years of support to the global nuclear safeguards system and UKNNL’s central role in delivering it for nearly two decades. 

UKNNL’s mission is to enable and deliver nuclear outcomes for government and to support growth of the UK nuclear sector. The Nuclear Safeguards Programme (NSP) sits at the heart of that mission, providing critical safeguards and non-proliferation expertise to UK Government departments and international partners.  

Through the delivery of the UK’s Member State Support Programme (MSSP) to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the NSP provides world-leading technical, analytical and training support that strengthens the IAEA’s ability to verify the peaceful use of nuclear material worldwide. In doing so, the programme makes a direct contribution to global security, supports UK influence on the global stage, and contributes directly to efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. 

Through the NSP UKNNL assists the United Kingdom in meeting international obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (‘the NPT’) and provides direct safeguards and technical support to DESNZ and the wider UK Government to assist in the formulation of domestic policy on safeguards and non-proliferation issues. 

The UK is among the largest contributors to the IAEA’s safeguards system, both in financial investment and technical knowledge, and UKNNL is at the heart of that contribution — operating IAEA-accredited laboratories, training international inspectors, and placing experts directly within the IAEA in Vienna. 

DESNZ’s decision to award the contract reflects a strong confidence in UKNNL’s technical capability, delivery experience, and approach to quality and consistency sustained across decades of delivery. 

Julianne Antrobus, CEO of UKNNL, said:  

“This contract award reflects both the strength of our technical capability and the dedication of our people across this programme. Our mission is to enable and deliver nuclear outcomes for government, and the Nuclear Safeguards Programme is a great example of UKNNL delivering on this mandate 

“Nuclear safeguards are not an abstract responsibility — they are one of the most practical and consequential contributions any organisation can make to global security. We are proud to continue that work on behalf of the UK, and proud of the expert team that has made this result possible.” 

This contract award builds on a significant milestone, when the UK received a certificate of appreciation from IAEA Deputy Director General Massimo Aparo at the Biennial Coordinators’ Meeting in Vienna, formally recognising 45 years of continuous UK support to the global nuclear safeguards system. UKNNL colleagues were present at that ceremony alongside representatives from DESNZ. 

The NSP contract supports the UK’s international credibility and influence in nuclear non-proliferation and is a direct expression of UKNNL’s purpose: nuclear science to benefit society.