Public procurement notice: Contract Award Notice
Published: 2019-10-22
Buyer: Department for Transport
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 60000000 | 60210000 | 60400000: Air transport services | 60600000 | 60610000
Estimated value: 300000000 GBP
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Department for Transport with associated central government bodies and devolved administrations has undertaken a procurement to put in place a 4 year framework agreement with suitably qualified operators to provide freight capacity as defined in the procurement documents, to support the continued flow of category 1 goods (those goods identified by the government as being critical to the preservation of human and animal welfare and/or national security) in light of disruption events as part of UK Government’s future resilience planning. Suppliers who have a place on the framework agreement will have the opportunity to take part in ‘call-off’ mini-competitions for specific freight capacity contracts. The first of these is expected to be in place as part of government’s contingency planning for a ‘No Deal’ EU Exit on 31.10.2019.
The authority has put in place a framework of operators of vessels, trains or aircraft (‘Conveyance’) that can be used for the provision of capacity for the transportation of freight vehicles (meaning wheeled goods vehicles (including vans, trucks, lorries, HGVs and other equivalents) or wheeled trailers or semi-trailers to be conveyed intact on the conveyance — whether accompanied or unaccompanied) between the UK and the EEA and/or between Great Britain (‘GB’) and Northern Ireland (‘NI’). The operators are required to deliver all actions, incidentals and services required to facilitate the transportation of freight vehicles (including but not limited to ticketing services, marketing, operations, etc.) to meet the strategic objective of supporting the continued flow of category 1 goods in the event of a disruption event or events. Category 1 goods are those goods identified by the government as being critical to the preservation of human and animal welfare and/or national security. Note that the goods within scope or identified as category 1 may be reviewed by the Government from time to time.
This is a framework of operators who can deliver the required capacity for the transportation of freight vehicles (including ticketing services and allocation of capacity following rules defined by the contracting authority):
— between the United Kingdom (‘UK’) and the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) and/or between Great Britain(‘GB’) and Northern Ireland (‘NI’),
— including all actions, incidentals and services required to facilitate the transportation (including but not limited to ticketing services, marketing, operations, etc.),
— existing capacity (i.e. capacity that is already available on the open market) and new capacity (means capacity not already available on the open market) options,
— terminal to terminal transportation only (‘Terminal’ meaning operational area at which a conveyance will arrive or depart and where the conveyance can be accessed by the freight vehicle).
Operators with a place on the framework agreement will have the opportunity to take part in ‘call-off’ mini-competitions for specific freight capacity contracts.
This notice relates to the conclusion of a framework agreement between the contract authority and eight suppliers who will be invited to participate in further competitions to offer freight capacity where the authority has identified a need. The framework could accommodate a number of potential call-off requirements over the 4-year duration and each call-off competition will be evaluated in accordance with the stated criteria. The framework agreements are awarded in consideration of the payment of 1,00 GBP but note the value of further call-off competitions will depend on the requirement and the overall aggregate value of all call-off contracts will not exceed 300 000 000 GBP.
Review procedures are as set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Proceedings under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 are time limited and any such proceedings must be brought in the High Court of England and Wales.


Winner: Air Charter Services Ltd
Award value: 300000000
Number of bids: 22