Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2017-10-03
Buyer: Ministry of Defence
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 71540000: Construction management services | 80000000 | 80500000 | 80530000 | 80531200
Estimated value: 600000000 GBP

Technical requirements: A Market Interest Day for all interested companies/organisations/consortia has been arranged for 10.11.2017 in HMS Nelson, Portsmouth to launch Project Selborne (Contract Start Date 1.4.2020). Attendees will hear more about the strategic intent of this procurement and the prospective scope of the requirement. They will also have an opportunity to meet Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), Assistant Chief of Staff (Training) (ACOS(T)) and the Project Selborne Team as well as other interested Royal Navy stakeholders.
All companies/organisations/consortia (including academic institutions and Small and Medium Enterprises interested in aligning with organisations/consortia in order to investigate bidding lines) who wish to attend the Market Interest Day are invited to email or write to the Contracting Authority, using the contact details above, to be received by no later than 26.10.2017.
Bilateral meetings with the Authority are also offered, on request, with interested lead organisations/consortia after the Market Interest Day (register interest with the Authority contact above by 26.10.2017).
After registration the Contracting Authority will provide detailed arrangements for the day. There is capacity for up to 400 attendees and an attendee list will be issued to all participants.
Attendees are solely responsible for their costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and attendance at this Market Interest Day including any Travel and Subsistence.
In issuing this PIN and engaging with the potential organisations/consortia, the Contracting Authority/MOD is not committing to carry out any procurement in relation to the requirements stated in this PIN.
Project Selborne offers an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of Royal Naval (RN) training. A Maritime Training Strategy is setting the head mark for future training capability and the RN now seeks a collaborative commercial relationship with Industry that will empower Industry to achieve its strategic aims and realise mutual financial and non-financial benefits.
Selborne challenges the RN's current training operating model through the use of innovative approaches to optimise training pipelines and to provide greater coherence, agility and opportunity across the breadth of RN UK shore-based individual training. The vision driving these changes is outlined in the Maritime Training Strategy which demonstrates the strength of the RN's ambition to transform the management and delivery of training. This step-change will require investment across the spectrum of training activity and will include training analysis, design, delivery and support as well as the introduction of new training media and technology.
This vision demands a significant commitment from both the RN and Industry and in recognition of this the RN is offering a minimum contract duration of 10 years to allow for the requisite investments and returns. The Contract will commence on 1.4.2020 upon the expiry of the Fleet Outsourced Activities Project (Training) (FOAP(T)). In addition to FOAP(T) activity the Project will include elements of first generation outsourcing and expand to subsume other training delivery and support contracts as they expire up to 2025. By this stage Selborne will comprise the majority of RN UK shore-based training together with pan-RN academic and accreditation services. This will require a holistic approach to the delivery, support and management of training services from an innovative provider who will exploit technological advancements and the latest teaching practices. At the same time, the contractor will support the strong ethos of the RN that underpins its outstanding reputation.
The Royal Navy began outsourcing the delivery of services on its training estate in the mid-1990s. Today there is a significant amount of contractor support for the delivery of trained personnel to the Royal Navy.
Provision of a large element of training services to the Royal Navy is currently provided by Babcock Flagship Ltd under the Fleet Outsourced Activities Project (Training) ((FOAP(T)) contract. FOAP(T) and was awarded on 1.1.2012, and will expire on 31.3.2020.
As at September 2017 FOAP(T) is delivering training across four major training establishments as well as a number of smaller outstations. The training and courses provided include, inter alia: technical training, foundation degree level training, foundation modern apprenticeship training and vocational training (including submarine, fire fighting and equipment specific technical training) of various durations. Related activities such as through life education (e.g. accreditation) and training support (e.g. training design and planning) are also included.
The Royal Navy wishes to continue outsourcing the delivery of its training requirements and is considering ultimately bringing together up to 80 % of all Royal Navy training delivered in the UK within one contract (‘Project Selborne’).
The required outputs of Project Selborne include the continuation of outsourced training (as above), broadening the scope of outsourcing into other training establishments, innovation in terms of the modernisation of Royal Naval training services including the potential for training technology.
Selborne will start on 1.4.2020 with a minimum contract duration of 10 years. As well as the training currently provided under FOAP(T), Selborne will also include delivery and/or support to Technical, Commando, Aviation Engineering and Submarine training. Additionally, there are a number of other training service and equipment support contracts which are due to expire within five years of the contract start date which the Royal Navy anticipates subsuming into the Selborne contract.