Public procurement notice: Modification Of A Contract/Concession During Its Term
Published: 2020-12-14
Buyer: Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 35611600 | 60440000: Aerial work | 60445000 | 79961200 | 90715000

Technical requirements: As an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT), the authority develops and implements the government’s maritime safety and environmental protection strategy by, amongst other roles, monitoring the coasts and seas and responding to emergencies. The authority has two broad objectives:
— firstly to ensure safety through accident prevention and effective search and rescue coordination and response, improve the safety of ships and people at sea and at the coast; and
— secondly to protect the environment through monitoring of ships and response to pollution incidents protect the marine environment.
The authority’s vision is to be a world-class organisation that is committed to preventing loss of life, continuously improving maritime safety and protecting the coastal environment. In order to achieve its vision the Authority requires the successful supplier to provide a non-military aerial surveillance service to assist with to search and rescue and counter pollution operations. The authority requires the successful supplier (the ‘Supplier’) to provide, following an initial mobilisation and acceptance period potentially of 6 to 8 months, a non-military aerial surveillance service for a period of 5 years plus potential extension periods of up to 2 years. The authority requires an all-weather 24/7 capability to provide aerial surveillance, tracking, detection, observation, transmission of data and support to Search and Rescue (SAR) and counter pollution operations within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (‘UKEZZ’) and UK Search and Rescue Region (‘UKSRR’). This service shall be interoperable with other Government departments and agencies and neighbouring nations. The authority, through the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (‘ARCC’), will act as the sole tasking authority. In contracting with the supplier the authority will be acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport.
As an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT), the authority develops and implements the Government’s maritime safety and environmental protection strategy by, amongst other roles, monitoring the coasts and seas and responding to emergencies. The authority has two broad objectives:
— firstly to ensure safety through accident prevention and effective search and rescue coordination and response, improve the safety of ships and people at sea and at the coast; and
— secondly to protect the environment through monitoring of ships and response to pollution incidents protect the marine environment.
The authority’s vision is to be a world-class organisation that is committed to preventing loss of life, continuously improving maritime safety and protecting the coastal environment. In order to achieve its vision the authority requires the successful supplier to provide a non-military aerial surveillance service to assist with to search and rescue and counter pollution operations. The authority requires the successful supplier (the ‘Supplier’) to provide, following an initial mobilisation and acceptance period potentially of 6 to 8 months, a non-military aerial surveillance service for a period of 5 years plus potential extension periods of up to 2 years. The authority requires an all-weather 24/7 capability to provide aerial surveillance, tracking, detection, observation, transmission of data and support to Search and Rescue (SAR) and counter pollution operations within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (‘UKEZZ’)and UK Search and Rescue Region (‘UKSRR’). This service shall be interoperable with other Government departments and agencies and neighbouring nations. The authority, through the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (‘ARCC’), will act as the sole tasking authority. In contracting with the supplier the authority will be acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport.
The modification will provide a temporary additional line of tasking under the Aerial Surveillance and Verification contract between 1 January 2021 and 31 March 2021 using either a dedicated Piper Navajo Aircraft modified for aerial surveillance or an aircraft from 2Excel's or the MCA's wider fleet. The modification will also provide temporary additional crewing and maintenance to be able to support surge operations across the 3-month period.
The MCA's Aerial Surveillance and Verification (ASV) contract provides aerial patrols on behalf of other government departments. Some of these departments will face a temporary and short-term surge in their demand for aerial support to their intelligence, security and law enforcement activities in the early part of 2021. There is scope to meet this short term surge in demand under the ASV contract with only minor modifications to the service, utilising existing engineering and maintenance provision, infrastructure, crew, training and backup aircraft. It would not be possible to achieve the same synergies using an alternative contractor for such a short duration. 2Excel, under the ASV contract, are already set up to deliver aerial surveillance on behalf of the MCA and its other government partners. To use an alternative contractor to provide the surge capacity for the 3-month duration would result in a substantial and unacceptable duplication of costs.


Winner: 2ExCel Aviation Ltd