Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2018-11-24
Buyer: Ministry of Defence, Land Equipment, Training and Simulation Systems Programme (TSSP)
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated procedure
CPV classification: 39162200 | 80660000
Estimated value:  GBP
Submission deadline: 2018-12-20
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Training aids and devices. Training and simulation in military electronic systems. Joint Command and Staff Training (JCAST) will provide Joint Operational level training expertise to support Joint Warfare (JW) with aspects of the design, planning, preparation, delivery and reporting of Joint Operational training for small and medium scale operations. JCAST will support JW in its remit to help train commanders and staff from all 3 Services and other partner nations, at Tiers 2+, 3 and potentially Tier 4 (small, medium and large scale contingent operations); also supporting the Contingent Capability Requirements and Standards (CCRS) process.
The single statement of user need that JCAST will deliver against is: “The User (DJW) requires support to deliver Combined Joint Task Force Exercises in order to prepare Joint Task Force Headquarters for Operations.”
It is anticipated that the initial contract duration shall run for 4 years from April 2020 until end of March 2024. Also, that the Authority shall have irrevocable options to extend the contract by a further 2 x 1 year until end of March 2026.
In issuing this Contract Notice and engaging with the Market, the Authority is not committing to carrying out any procurement in relation to the requirements stated in this Notice. If third parties are interested in engaging with the Authority in relation to the requirements stated here they must do so without sharing information that is protected by copyright or patents.
JCAST capability will provide support to exercise the Training Audience in the Command and Control of small and medium scale contingent operations at Tier 2+ and 3 levels with the potential to deliver Tier 4 (large) exercises, utilising subordinate Force Elements, some or all of which may be simulated. It will do this by supporting JW throughout the Planning, Execute, Reporting and Assurance stages of nominated exercises.
It will replace the existing training and support capabilities currently provided by Joint Warfare Support Team (JWST).
JCAST capability will provide support to exercise the Training Audience in the Command and Control of small and medium scale contingent operations at Tier 3 level, utilising subordinate Force Elements, some or all of which may be simulated. It will do this by supporting JW throughout the Planning, Execute, Reporting and Assurance stages of nominated exercises.
JCAST will comply with the Defence Modelling and Simulation Coherence (DMaSC) rules defined within JSP 939.
JCAST will provide, manage, and iteratively develop an appropriate Lessons Data Management tool. This must be coherent with the wider Defence Organisational Learning Strategy (DOLS) in addition to being compatible with the current database to enable tracking of Defence and single Service Front Line Commands (sS FLC) Lessons Identified (LIs) including those from JW exercises. It must also be able support the ability to track and report Defence mandated activity within the CCRS process.
JCAST will manage, and iteratively develop the CCRS application. This information from the CCRS process will aid the Defence Board in assuring its output is coherent, timely and appropriately presented.
JCAST will provide a DXP Data Management capability to maintain and iteratively develop the appropriate monitoring and database storage, presentation and manipulation tools as directed to support JW activity. Broadly this tool would maintain a record of activity and allow the appropriate exchange of data across Defence including compatibility with database tools and applications. It should also be backwards compatible with historical database information.
JCAST will aim to be as flexible as possible, to meet the changing exercise requirements of the Defence Exercise Plan (DXP). Agility will be provided by reallocation of remaining resource budget, with the possibility of additional contract action to provide further capability, as funding allows.
JCAST will comply with The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (SDSR 15), Defence Policy for Simulation, Defence Strategic Direction, Defence Training and Education Coherence (DTEC) and SOSA.
The MOD will provide all building infrastructure as Government Furnished Assets (GX). The MOD will also provide other GX, including but not limited to: COTS IT Systems (i.e. laptops), information and data.
It is anticipated the initial contract duration shall run for 4 years from April 2020 until end of March 2024. Also, that the Authority shall have irrevocable options to extend the contract by a further 2 x 1 year until end of March 2026. to cover the lifespan of the JCAST (Out of Service at end of March 2026).

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. Evidence of appropriate professional risk indemnity; at least 2 years certified audited accounts in statutory form, profit and loss account and balance sheet; statement of overall turnover to be provided with DPQQ. 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, liquidity, gearing and capacity. This assessment will include the Parent company where applicable. An independent financial assessment obtained from a reputable credit rating organisation will be utilised as part of this process.
The estimated average annual contract value is 6M GBP. If the estimated average annual contract value is greater than 40 % of the supplier’s turnover, the Authority reserves the right to exclude the supplier from being selected to tender except where the supplier provides, to the satisfaction of the Authority, evidence showing it has sufficient economic and financial capability, e.g. such evidence may include: (1) Any additional information proving it has sufficient economic and financial resources to deliver the requirement; and (2) State whether the supplier is willing to provide the Authority with an indemnity, guarantee or bank bond. 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, liquidity, gearing and capacity. This assessment will include the Parent company where applicable. An independent financial assessment obtained from a reputable credit rating organisation will be utilised as part of this process.
(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 three 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. Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Evidence of appropriate professional risk indemnity; at least 2 years certified audited accounts in statutory form, profit and loss account and balance sheet; statement of overall turnover to be provided with DPQQ. 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, liquidity, gearing and capacity. This assessment will include the Parent company where applicable. An independent financial assessment obtained from a reputable credit rating organisation will be utilised as part of this process.
(a) in the case of a supply contract requiring the siting or installation of goods, a services contract or a works contract, the economic operator's technical ability, taking into account in particular that economic operator's skills, efficiency, experience and reliability; (b) a list of works carried out over the past five years together with (unless the contracting authority specifies that the following certificate should be submitted direct to the contracting authority by the person certifying) certificates of satisfactory completion for the most important of those works indicating in each case: (i) the value of the consideration received; (ii) when and where the work or works were carried out; and (iii) specifying whether they were carried out according to the rules of the trade or profession and properly completed; (c) a statement of the principal goods sold or services provided by the supplier or the services provider in the past five years, or during a shorter period if necessary, and: (i) the dates on which the goods were sold or the services provided; (ii) the consideration received; (iii) the identity of the person to whom the goods were sold or the service were provided; (iv) any certificate issued or countersigned by that person confirming the details of the contract for those goods sold or services provided; and (v) where: (a) that person was not a contracting authority; and (b) the certificate referred to in sub-paragraph (c)(iv) is not available, any declaration by the economic operator attesting the details of the goods sold or services provided; (f) a check carried out by the contracting authority or on its behalf by a competent official body of the member State in which the economic operator is established: (i) on the technical capacity of the economic operator; and (ii) if relevant, on the economic operator's study and research facilities and quality control measures (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 (n) a certificate: (i) attesting conformity to quality management systems standards based on the relevant European standard; and (ii) from an independent accredited body established in any member State conforming to the European standards concerning accreditation and certification; (o) any other evidence of conformity to quality management systems standards which are equivalent to the standards referred to in sub-paragraph (n)(i). The main contractor will be required to provide evidence of its subcontractor’s ability to process, store and transmit classified information at UK SECRET. 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 at UK 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.
(a) in the case of a supply contract requiring the siting or installation of goods, a services contract or a works contract, the economic operator's technical ability, taking into account in particular that economic operator's skills, efficiency, experience and reliability; (b) a list of works carried out over the past five years together with (unless the contracting authority specifies that the following certificate should be submitted direct to the contracting authority by the person certifying) certificates of satisfactory completion for the most important of those works indicating in each case: (i) the value of the consideration received; (ii) when and where the work or works were carried out; and (iii) specifying whether they were carried out according to the rules of the trade or profession and properly completed; (c) a statement of the principal goods sold or services provided by the supplier or the services provider in the past five years, or during a shorter period if necessary, and: (i) the dates on which the goods were sold or the services provided; (ii) the consideration received; (iii) the identity of the person to whom the goods were sold or the service were provided; (iv) any certificate issued or countersigned by that person confirming the details of the contract for those goods sold or services provided; and (v) where: (a) that person was not a contracting authority; and (b) the certificate referred to in sub-paragraph (c)(iv) is not available, any declaration by the economic operator attesting the details of the goods sold or services provided; (f) a check carried out by the contracting authority or on its behalf by a competent official body of the member State in which the economic operator is established: (i) on the technical capacity of the economic operator; and (ii) if relevant, on the economic operator's study and research facilities and quality control measures (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 (n) a certificate: (i) attesting conformity to quality management systems standards based on the relevant European standard; and (ii) from an independent accredited body established in any member State conforming to the European standards concerning accreditation and certification; (o) any other evidence of conformity to quality management systems standards which are equivalent to the standards referred to in sub-paragraph (n)(i). The main contractor will be required to provide evidence of its subcontractor’s ability to process, store and transmit classified information at UK SECRET.
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 at UK 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.
The main contractor will be required to provide evidence of its subcontractor’s ability to process, store and transmit classified information at UK SECRET by describing the required Facility Security Clearance (FSC) granted by its National or Designated Security Authority. Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: (if applicable) 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 at UK 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.