Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2020-08-19
Buyer: Ministry of Defence, Land Equipment, Training and Simulation Systems Programme (TSSP)
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated procedure
CPV classification: 80610000 | 80620000 | 80630000 | 80660000
Estimated value:  GBP
Submission deadline: 2020-09-23
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Training and simulation in firearms and ammunition, training and simulation in military vehicles, training and simulation in security equipment, training and simulation in military electronic systems, training and simulation in firearms and ammunition, training and simulation in military vehicles, training and simulation in military electronic systems, training and simulation in security equipment, the Training and Simulation System Portfolio (TSSP) team, part of DE&S within the UK MoD, is considering the potential requirement for the provision of a Interim Combined Arms Virtual Trainer (Deployable).
ICAVS(D) Will be used to provide teams and junior commanders with a simple, effective computer-based training environment that enables them to carry out tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) and command and control (C2), patrolling, counter-IED, ISTAR management and exploitation and mission planning training in a realistic virtual environment.
An outline of the proposed requirement will be to demonstrate, implement and ultimately manage, over a period of 4 years plus 2 option years in 1 year increments, a managed service capable of delivering individual, platoon to company level (or service/arm equivalent) collective training across the UK and abroad.
It will support a range of environments, equipment and missions types by being flexible in its scenario generation and content integration, exploiting MOD corporate simulation data where practicable.
ICAVS(D) will contribute to the preparation of land environment (LE) force elements (FEs) force preparation through provision of exercise design which will provide specific unit exercise scenarios that are pre-scripted and reflect the collective training objectives (CTOs) for each service/arm.
At its core ICAVS(D) capability will provide exercises at unit locations, or agreed alternatives, through the provision of training delivery of virtual simulated training utilising CTO and commanding officers direction. After action review (AAR) will provide the facility to deliver a debrief to the training audiences, which will be presented by the unit chain of command with support from the service provider.
In issuing this contract notice and engaging with the market, the authority is not committing to carrying out any procurement in relation to the requirements stated in this notice. If third parties are interested in engaging with the Authority in relation to the requirements stated here they must do so without sharing information that is protected by copyright or patents.
The ICAVS(D) capability will provide exercises at unit locations, or agreed alternatives (UK, Cyprus, Brunei), through the provision of training delivery of virtual simulated training. At its core ICAVS(D) capability will provide exercises at unit locations, or agreed alternatives, through the provision of training delivery of virtual simulated training utilising CTO and commanding officers direction. After action review (AAR) will provide the facility to deliver a debrief to the training audiences, which will be presented by the unit chain of command with support from the service provider. The core shall consist of a number of events (circa 100), with the scope to extend to add additional training needs in relation to the events, which may include but not limited to the following.
• Option 2: additional requirements if the event needed to be run at Official-Sensitive, e.g. to support experimentation;
• Option 3: additional requirements to enable an event to distributed over multiple locations e.g. how much more would it cost to run a single event distributed over two locations?
• Option 4: ability to deliver a surge event with an anticipated minimum of 220 participants and a maximum of 800 participants. At a single location;
Over a period of 4 years plus 2 option years in 1 year increments, but the authority reserve the right to take both option years together.
2 option years in 1 year increments, but the authority reserve the right to take both option years together.
The authority reserves the right to ask for an Indemnity, guarantee or bank bond if the supplier does not meet the standard for economic and financial standing. A parent company guarantee may also be required dependent on the formation and financial standing of the contracting business.
The contract and services provided will be made against an agreed payment plan. Payments will follow successful delivery and acceptance of services. The end to end process for the afore mentioned conditions shall be handled within the CP&F system (The DE&S Procurement and Payments software). Financing and payment conditions shall be included in the ITN.

Eligibility requirements: (a) Appropriate statements from the economic operator's bankers or where appropriate, evidence of relevant professional risk indemnity insurance evidence of appropriate professional risk indemnity; at least 2 years certified audited accounts in statutory form, profit and loss account and balance sheet; statement of overall turnover to be provided with DPQQ. A financial assessment will be undertaken on the supplier’s financial status. An overall pass/fail judgement will be made after considering areas such as turnover, profit, net assets, liquidity, gearing and capacity. This assessment will include the parent company where applicable. An independent financial assessment obtained from a reputable credit rating organisation will be utilised as part of this process.
The estimated average annual core contract value is GBP 2 000 000- GBP 4 000 000, this does not include the invoking of options. If the estimated average annual contract value is greater than 40 % of the supplier’s turnover, the authority reserves the right to exclude the supplier from being selected to tender except where the supplier provides, to the satisfaction of the authority, evidence showing it has sufficient economic and financial capability, e.g. such evidence may include: 1) any additional information proving it has sufficient economic and financial resources to deliver the requirement; and 2) state whether the supplier is willing to provide the Authority with an indemnity, guarantee or bank bond. A financial assessment will be undertaken on the supplier’s financial status. An overall pass/fail judgement will be made after considering areas such as turnover, profit, net assets, liquidity, gearing and capacity. This assessment will include the parent company where applicable. An independent financial assessment obtained from a reputable credit rating organisation will be utilised as part of this process.
(a) appropriate statements from the economic operator's bankers or where appropriate, evidence of relevant professional risk indemnity insurance; (b) the presentation of balance-sheets or extracts from the balance-sheets, where publication of the balance-sheet is required under the law of the country in which the economic operator is established; (c) where appropriate, a statement, covering the 3 previous financial years of the economic operator, of: (i) the overall turnover of the business of the economic operator; and (ii) where appropriate, the turnover in respect of the work, works, goods or services which are of a similar type to the subject matter of the contract. Evidence of appropriate professional risk indemnity; at least 2 years certified audited accounts in statutory form, profit and loss account and balance sheet; statement of overall turnover to be provided with DPQQ. A financial assessment will be undertaken on the supplier’s financial status. An overall pass/fail judgement will be made after considering areas such as turnover, profit, net assets, liquidity, gearing and capacity. This assessment will include the parent company where applicable. An independent financial assessment obtained from a reputable credit rating organisation will be utilised as part of this process.
The authority reserves the right to exclude the supplier from being selected to tender except where the supplier provides, to the satisfaction of the authority, evidence showing it has sufficient economic and financial capability, e.g. such evidence may include: 1) any additional information proving it has sufficient economic and financial resources to deliver the requirement; and 2) state whether the supplier is willing to provide the authority with an indemnity, guarantee or bank bond. A financial assessment will be undertaken on the supplier’s financial status. An overall pass/fail judgement will be made after considering areas such as turnover, profit, net assets, liquidity, gearing and capacity. This assessment will include the parent company where applicable. An independent financial assessment obtained from a reputable credit rating organisation will be utilised as part of this process.
(a) in the case of a supply contract requiring the siting or installation of goods, a services contract or a works contract, the economic operator's technical ability, taking into account in particular that economic operator's skills, efficiency, experience and reliability; (c) a statement of the principal goods sold or services provided by the supplier or the services provider in the past 5 years, or during a shorter period if necessary, and: (i) the dates on which the goods were sold or the services provided; (ii) the consideration received; (iii) the identity of the person to whom the goods were sold or the service were provided; (iv) any certificate issued or countersigned by that person confirming the details of the contract for those goods sold or services provided; and (v) where: (a) that person was not a contracting authority; and (b) the certificate referred to in sub-paragraph (c)(iv) is not available, any declaration by the economic operator attesting the details of the goods sold or services provided; (d) a statement of the technicians or technical services available to the economic operator to: (i) carry out the work under the contract; or (ii) be involved in the production of goods or the provision of services under the contract, particularly those responsible for quality control, whether or not they are independent of the economic operator; (e) a statement of the economic operator's: (i) technical facilities; (ii) measures for ensuring quality; (iii) study and research facilities; and (iv) internal rules regarding intellectual property; (f) a check carried out by the contracting authority or on its behalf by a competent official body of the member state in which the economic operator is established: (i) on the technical capacity of the economic operator; and (ii) if relevant, on the economic operator's study and research facilities and quality control measures; (g) in the case of works contracts, services contracts or supply contracts also covering siting and installation operations or services, the economic operator's educational and professional qualifications where the economic operator is an individual and: (i) if any, those of the economic operator's managerial staff; and (ii) those of one or more persons who would be responsible for providing the services or carrying out the work or works under the contract; (h) the environmental management measures, that the economic operator is able to apply when performing the contract, but only where it is necessary for the performance of that contract; (l) certification by official quality control institutes or agencies of recognised competence, attesting that the goods to be purchased or hired under the contract conform to standards and technical specifications (within the meaning of regulation 12(1)) identified by the contracting authority; (m) in the case of contracts involving, entailing or containing classified information, evidence of the ability to process, store and transmit such information at the level of protection required by the contracting authority; (n) a certificate: (i) attesting conformity to quality management systems standards based on the relevant European standard; and (ii) from an independent accredited body established in any member State conforming to the European standards concerning accreditation and certification; (o) any other evidence of conformity to quality management systems standards which are equivalent to the standards referred to in sub-paragraph (n)(i). This and any other information required for evaluation will be sought through the associated Dynamic Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (DPPQ). The main contractor will be required to provide evidence of its subcontractor’s ability to process, store and transmit classified information at UK Official. The authority reserves the right under Article 21(5) of Directive 2009/81/EC to reject any subcontractor chosen by the main contractor at any stage of the contract award procedure or during performance of the contract if that subcontractor: 1) requires access to classified information at UK Official; and 2) fails to provide evidence to the satisfaction of the authority that it has the capability to protect that level of classified information in accordance with Article 42.1(j) of Directive 2009/81/EC.
(a) in the case of a supply contract requiring the siting or installation of goods, a services contract or a works contract, the economic operator's technical ability, taking into account in particular that economic operator's skills, efficiency, experience and reliability; (c) a statement of the principal goods sold or services provided by the supplier or the services provider in the past 5 years, or during a shorter period if necessary, and: (i) the dates on which the goods were sold or the services provided; (ii) the consideration received; (iii) the identity of the person to whom the goods were sold or the service were provided; (iv) any certificate issued or countersigned by that person confirming the details of the contract for those goods sold or services provided; and (v) where: (a) that person was not a contracting authority; and (b) the certificate referred to in sub-paragraph (c)(iv) is not available, any declaration by the economic operator attesting the details of the goods sold or services provided; (d) a statement of the technicians or technical services available to the economic operator to: (i) carry out the work under the contract; or (ii) be involved in the production of goods or the provision of services under the contract, particularly those responsible for quality control, whether or not they are independent of the economic operator; (e) a statement of the economic operator's: (i) technical facilities; (ii) measures for ensuring quality; (iii) study and research facilities; and (iv) internal rules regarding intellectual property; (f) a check carried out by the contracting authority or on its behalf by a competent official body of the member state in which the economic operator is established: (i) on the technical capacity of the economic operator; and (ii) if relevant, on the economic operator's study and research facilities and quality control measures; (g) in the case of works contracts, services contracts or supply contracts also covering siting and installation operations or services, the economic operator's educational and professional qualifications where the economic operator is an individual and: (i) if any, those of the economic operator's managerial staff; and (ii) those of one or more persons who would be responsible for providing the services or carrying out the work or works under the contract; (h) the environmental management measures, that the economic operator is able to apply when performing the contract, but only where it is necessary for the performance of that contract; (l) certification by official quality control institutes or agencies of recognised competence, attesting that the goods to be purchased or hired under the contract conform to standards and technical specifications (within the meaning of regulation 12(1)) identified by the contracting authority; (m) in the case of contracts involving, entailing or containing classified information, evidence of the ability to process, store and transmit such information at the level of protection required by the contracting authority; (n) a certificate: (i) attesting conformity to quality management systems standards based on the relevant European standard; and (ii) from an independent accredited body established in any member State conforming to the European standards concerning accreditation and certification; (o) any other evidence of conformity to quality management systems standards which are equivalent to the standards referred to in sub-paragraph (n)(i). This and any other information required for evaluation will be sought through the associated Dynamic Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (DPPQ). The main contractor will be required to provide evidence of its subcontractor’s ability to process, store and transmit classified information at UK Official.
The authority reserves the right under Article 21(5) of Directive 2009/81/EC to reject any subcontractor chosen by the main contractor at any stage of the contract award procedure or during performance of the contract if that subcontractor: 1) requires access to classified information at UK Official; and 2) fails to provide evidence to the satisfaction of the authority that it has the capability to protect that level of classified information in accordance with Article 42.1(j) of Directive 2009/81/EC.
The main contractor will be required to provide evidence of its subcontractor’s ability to process, store and transmit classified information at UK Official by describing the required Facility Security Clearance (FSC) granted by its National or Designated Security Authority.