Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2018-08-08
Buyer: Ministry of Defence, Land Equipment, Dismounted Close Combat (DCC)
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 35300000: Weapons, ammunition and associated parts
Estimated value: 3500000 GBP

Technical requirements: The Authority requires the provision of continuing support to the in service fleet of L129-A1 Sharpshooter Assault Rifles. The Authority are amending the current contract to procure additional Sharpshooter Assault Rifles.
Single Source amendment to the LEI Combined support contract to supply an Additional 397 Sharpshooter Assault Rifles placed using the negotiated procedure without prior publication
The Authority intends to amend the single source contract with Law Enforcement International Limited for the provision of L129-A1 Sharpshooter Assault Rifles to procure an additional 397 weapons to the value of £3.5M. The duration of the contract remains at 3 years plus two one year’ options. 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 (Regulations 16(1)(a)(ii) and 16(1)(b)(i) of the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations 2011) for technical reasons. Law Enforcement International Limited is the Authority’s system co-ordinator and Design Authority for this weapon system. No other supplier would have access to the technical data, proprietary information, knowledge and experience required to provide the support required as Design Authority, and underwrite the integrity of any modifications or changes to the weapon system. The Authority is unable to accommodate weapons from an alternative supplier as this would result in goods being supplied which would have different technical characteristics to those already in service. This would result in technical difficulties in maintenance of the system as well as incompatibility between existing and new weapons and accessories. Such incompatibility and lack of overall safety integrity would lead to Law Enforcement International ceasing to underwrite the safety of the parts within the weapon system. New testing, verification and validation would be required to ensure safety and suitability for service and to obtain a new Safety Case in accordance with the Authority’s obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Until such a Safety Case was generated and testing was complete and successful, the Authority would be prevented from using the weapon system, which would compromise the safe functioning of the Armed Forces.
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.
— This contract opportunity is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU),the MoD Defence Contracts Bulletin and www.contracts.mod.uk


Winner: Law Enforcement International
Award value: 3500000