Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2018-02-15
Buyer: Ministry of Defence, Ships, Warship Support
Country: UK
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 35710000: Command and control systems
Estimated value: 1862000 GBP

Technical requirements: Contract amendment to hunt class re-propulsioning contract to procure and support a Machinery Control and Surveillance System (MCAS) and associated maintenance, programme support, training and MCAS software updates.
The warship support project team, part of the UK Ministry of defence, intends to place a future contract amendment with BAE Systems Surface Ships Limited (BAE) for up to 3 years in order to procure and support an additional Machinery Control and Surveillance System (MCAS) reference set and associated maintenance, programme support, training and updates to MCAS software, in support of Hunt Class Mine Counter Measure Vessels. The value of the requirement is estimated to be GBP 1 862m (ex VAT).
It is considered that this contract can be placed with BAE using the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice pursuant to Articles 28(1)(e) and 28(3)(a) of Directive 2009/81/EC (Regulations 16(1)(a)(ii) and 16(1)(b)(i) of the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations 2011).
The requirement can only be placed with BAE for technical reasons related to the accumulated technical expertise and technical know-how required to procure the additional MCAS system with the same technical characteristics to ensure compatibility between the existing MCAS systems and MCAS reference set. To procure the equipment from another supplier would introduce significant risk in relation to consistency of the required article and it is considered that only BAE for technical reasons have the requisite technical knowledge to ensure the requirement is delivered to the same specification and with the same characteristics as those MCAS systems already procured under the subject contract.
Furthermore, there is a significant risk that to procure the MCAS system from another third party would result in different technical characteristics from those already procured, which would result in incompatibility between the existing MCAS systems already procured and the additional reference set required. If another company was to deliver this requirement, this knowledge would have to be regained, placing further risk to the HUNT programme and potentially resulting in equipment with different characteristics and interface. This could lead to disproportionate technical difficulties in the operation and maintenance of the existing MCAS sets, potentially impact on training, thereby causing significant inconvenience to the Authority in terms of time and cost.
The associated maintenance, programme support, training and updates to MCAS software cannot be technically separated from the Contract due to BAE’s accumulated technical expertise and technical know-how in providing these activities for the MCAS system already procured.
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-2018213-DCB-11901543.


Winner: BAE Systems Surface Ships Limited
Award value: 1862000