Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2018-04-26
Buyer: Ministry of Defence, Ships, Communications and Situational Awareness (CSA)
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 32260000
Estimated value: 3500000 GBP

Technical requirements: 1. The Communications and Situational Awareness Team, within Defence Equipment and Support (DE and S), which is part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (the “Authority”) intends to place a contract commencing on 1.10.2018 with BAE Systems Marine Ltd (the “Company”) to provide In-Service Support for the Information Data Distribution Systems (IDDS) fitted to the Albion Class, Astute Class Submarines and Auxiliary Oil Replenishment Class Platforms. This contract will include post design services, maintenance, repair, replacement component spares and obsolescence management for the IDDS constituted by the following Navigation Data Distribution Systems:
1. The Communications and Situational Awareness Team, within Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), which is part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (the “Authority”) intends to place a contract commencing on 1.10.2018 with BAE Systems Marine Ltd (the “Company”) to provide In-Service Support for the Information Data Distribution Systems (IDDS) fitted to the Albion Class, Astute Class Submarines and Auxiliary Oil Replenishment Class Platforms. This contract will include post design services, maintenance, repair, replacement component spares and obsolescence management for the IDDS constituted by the following Navigation Data Distribution Systems:
2. The term of the contract is three years (with an option for the Authority to extend the contract for an additional 2 years, built up in 1 year increments). The total value of the contract is estimated to be c3 500 000 GBP over the duration of the contract.
3. It is considered that this contract can be placed using the negotiated procedure without prior publication pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC and Section 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (SI 1848), on the basis that the contract may be awarded only to the Company for technical reasons:
a. This is because no supplier other than the Company can maintain and repair the equipment as specific know-how, extensive technical knowledge and maintenance history of the products and characteristics of the system(s) being maintained is required;
b. No supplier other than the Company has the specific tools and equipment required for the support of this complex military equipment;
c. The Equipment on board the ships is fully integrated. The IDDS equipment has direct interfaces with various combat systems on board of the platforms. These interfaces require the integrity of the sub-system to perform at both component and sub-system level. The hardware and software fitted to the ships are interdependent and therefore any failure in the system would almost certainly result in operational failures presenting an unacceptable risk to safety by preventing the vessels from fulfilling their operational tasking and complying with legislative requirements. Because of the reasons listed only the Company can perform the contract.
The Authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law or government policy. If any contract documents are accompanied by instructions on safeguarding classified information (e.g. a Security Aspects Letter), the Authority reserves the right to amend the terms of these instructions to reflect any changes in national law or government policy, whether in respect of the applicable protective marking scheme, specific protective markings given, the aspects to which any protective marking applies, or otherwise. The link below to the Gov.uk website provides information on the Government Security Classification.
Advertising Regime OJEU:- This contract opportunity is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU),the MoD Defence Contracts Bulletin and www.contracts.mod.uk GO Reference: GO-2018425-DCB-12301005.


Winner: BAE Systems Marine Limited
Award value: 3500000