Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2018-11-07
Buyer: Ministry of Defence, DSTL, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Restricted procedure
CPV classification: 73110000
Estimated value:  GBP
Submission deadline: 2018-12-05
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Research services. In order to maximise the impact of Science and Technology (S&T) for the Defence and Security (D&S) of the UK, Dstl’s role includes the responsibility for leading the formulation, design and delivery of a coherent and integrated Ministry of Defence (MOD) S&T programme using industrial, academic and government resources. In particular, the Cyber and information systems division stewards both the Cyber and the Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities (including Space). The Defence and Security Analysis Division stewards the Synthetic Environment and Simulation capabilities.
The Serapis framework aims to provide an expedient mechanism for DSTL to access industrial and academic expertise both within the UK and wider, in support of the Divisions’ S&T programmes, and potentially wider MOD and Partner Across Government organisations (PAGs). The construct should allow the supply base to be refreshed throughout the contract lifespan, ensuring that Dstl has access to innovative solutions and robust technical support. Such a construct will allow for the rapid response to emerging capability needs, Urgent Operational Requirements/Urgent Capability Requirements (UOR/UCR) and surge requirements emanating from operations.
Based on the structure and contents of the programmes and the aggregation of wider requirements across the portfolios, the Serapis Framework has been categorised into six Lots, details of each Lot is provided in this notice.
The competition is seeking to appoint a Prime Contractor for each Lot to lead, manage and deliver research in to the areas covered by the 6 lots. The appointed Prime Contractors will be responsible for delivering agile, and cutting-edge research, building and maintaining a robust supplier network with an emphasis on scientific excellence, innovation, and collaboration to exploit research, skills and capabilities.
In addition to Dstl and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Serapis framework will be available to the following Government Departments/Public Authorities (including their agencies and public bodies): the Home Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Covers the development and integration of new and emerging Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) “Collect” technology and techniques into the wider defence and cross-government ISTAR enterprise. Includes a broad range of conventional and novel sensing technology (incl. gravity and biometric sensing) but also Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) data and information collection capabilities.
Covers all aspects of Defence and Security (D&S) space systems from underpinning enabling services such as space-specific analysis; fundamental and applied space research for areas such as the space environment; design and manufacture of space equipment and sub-systems; space launch and range; through-life operation of satellites (including groundstation), or terrestrial-based space systems like those used for the surveillance of space; through to the application of space systems for D&S exploitation/benefit.
Covers the development, testing, and evaluation of novel Command and Control (C2) systems to improve decision making, including the human and autonomous (machine) system elements. Includes the development of novel agile, adaptive and resilient C2 concepts for operation in constrained, degraded, or denied environments.
Covers the development of C4ISR Communications and Networks. Will aim to exploit and drive emerging concepts and technology in military and civilian communications infrastructure and include the development of policy, technology and architectural options for the provision of assured information, Information Management and Exploitation (IM/IX).
Covers the development of Synthetic Environments, Modelling and Simulation, associated tools and assessment processes to allow defence to train, exercise and prepare for operations, and to test, evaluate and assess the performance of military capabilities and the C4ISR enterprise, as well as to enhance and sustain capability to exploit Simulation and Synthetic Environments (SSE) across all Defence applications.
Covers the development of Data Analytics and Information Processing tools and techniques in support of Defence’s Decision Making processes and techniques (covered in Lot 3). Includes the development and application of Autonomy, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, information and visualisation and Man-Machine Interface development.
— manage the delivery of cutting edge, world-leading, innovative research, to address both future focused, longer term requirements, and nearer term more applied requirements,
— adopt processes/an approach that will enable agile, timely and flexible responses to research needs across several technical disciplines. This is to include rapid responses to emerging and urgent operational and surge requirements when required,
— access and engage a diverse and vibrant external supplier network. Including refreshing, growing and reconfiguring the supply base throughout the contract lifespan as required,
— enabling a collective and inter-/multi-disciplinary approach to task delivery where appropriate and building links between industry, Small Medium Enterprises (SME) and academia, and facilitating effective partnerships,

Eligibility requirements: (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. The Authority shall require copies of the last two (2) years of audited accounts (if available), or equivalent information, to identify any significant financial trends. This information should be provided with the Pre-qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). In addition to this information suppliers are requested to provide the following details: (a) any material changes in their economic or financial standing since the date of the last set of audited accounts or likely to take effect within the next 12 months; and (b) any existing or proposed financial commitments or liabilities that could adversely affect their economic and financial standing.
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.
(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. This information should be provided as part of the supplier's response to the Pre-qualification Questionnaire (PQQ).
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 up to UK TOP SECRET; 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.