United Kingdom-Bristol: Unmanned aerial vehicles

Type of document: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice
Country: United Kingdom
OJEU Ref: (2016/S 011-015153/EN)
Nature of contract: Supply contract
Procedure: Negotiated without a call for competition
Regulation of procurement: EU
Type of bid required: Not applicable

Voluntary ex ante transparency notice
Supplies
Directive 2009/81/EC
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1) Name addresses and contact point(s):
Ministry of Defence, Combat Air, Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Team
Yew 2c, Abbey Wood
Bristol
Postal code: BS34 8JH
United Kingdom
Contact points(s): DESUAS-CM2@mod.uk
For the attention of: Sue Waring
Phone: +44 3067938151
Email: DESUAS-CM2@mod.uk
I.2) Type of the contracting authority:
I.3) Main activity:
I.4) Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities/entities:
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: No

Section II: Object of the contract
II.1) Description:
II.1.1) Title attributed to the contract:
Provision of Watchkeeper Support.
II.1.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance:
SUPPLIES
NUTS code: UKK1
II.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS):
II.1.4) Short description of the contract or purchase(s):
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The provision of contractor logistic support to include supply of spares, equipment storage, maintenance and repair, training support, engineering and engineering safety support and maintenance of technical documentation.
II.1.5) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV):
35613000,
II.1.6) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA):
The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA):
II.2) Total final value of contract(s)
II.2.1) Total final value of contract(s)
80 000 000 GBP
Excluding VAT

Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Type of procedure:
Negotiated without publication of a contract notice/call for competition.
Justification for the choice of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice in the OJEU in accordance with Directive 2004/18/EC
The works/goods/services can be provided only by a particular tenderer for reasons that are: technical,
The Secretary of State for Defence (‘the Authority’) through the Defence Equipment and Support Unmanned Air Systems Team intends to contract for the provision of contractor logistic support (CLS) to support contract number (TUAV/00026), made between the Authority and Thales UK Limited (‘the Contractor’) for the Demonstration, Manufacture and Initial Support of the Watchkeeper Unmanned Air System (UAS) (‘the DMIS Contract’) in July 2005. Whilst the DMIS Contract was previously amended in 2009 to provide certain CLS services until 31.1.2016, there is a continuing requirement beyond this date for the provision of support to the system at both Initial Operating Capability (IOC) and Full Operating Capability (FOC) equipment standards. The proposed contractual requirement will be for a period of 3 years and 2 months with a further option period of up to 1 year to take into account any delay in any proposed future competition.
The Authority considers that this contract action can be taken using the Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice, pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC (Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011). This is for the following technical reasons:
There is a strict technical impracticality for any contractor other than the Contractor to provide CLS due to the necessity to use specific know-how and information which only the Contractor has at its disposal. Ongoing development of the Watchkeeper UAS under the DMIS contract to deliver the contracted FOC equipment standard including modifications to incorporate the upgrade of the Narrow Band Data Links means there is currently insufficient baseline technical data available (including flight trial, maintenance, servicing and spares data) to provide an alternative contractor the information necessary to bid for and deliver the required support thus necessitating reliance on the Contractor’s know-how and expertise.
Secondly there are constraints associated with the impracticality for alternative suppliers to be able to deliver CLS due to logistical, interoperability and safety requirements which must be met to the Authority’s satisfaction during the conversion of the systems from IOC to FOC equipment standard under the DMIS contract during 2016 and 2017.
Thirdly the conversion of the systems from IOC to FOC standard will necessitate the provision of a technical data pack, to be provided by the Contractor, without which the CLS cannot be undertaken by another contractor.
It is envisaged that following completion of development and delivery of the contracted FOC Equipment Standard, baseline technical data referred to above will become available to the Authority to enable a third party to provide the required support from 1.4.2019 onwards. It is therefore the Authority’s intention to compete the provision of ongoing CLS from that date, to be managed via a competition to be started in the first half of 2016. In the event that such a competition encounters any delay the Authority proposes to include an option within the proposed contract provisions which are the subject of this notice to extend the proposed CLS arrangements by up to 1 year.
IV.2) Award criteria
IV.2.1) Award criteria:
IV.2.2) Information about electronic auction:
IV.3) Administrative information
IV.3.1) File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:
UAS/00066
IV.3.2) Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract:
Section V: Award of contract

V.1) Date of contract award decision:
V.2) Information about offers:
V.3) Name and address of economic operator in favour of whom the contract award decision has been taken:
Thales UK Limited
2 Dashwood Lang Road
Addlestone
Postal code: KT15 2NX
United Kingdom
Email: steve.dhillon@thales.r.mil.uk

Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about European Union funds:
The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:VI.2) Additional information:
Suppliers interested in working with the Ministry of Defence should register on the MOD Supplier Information Database (SID) Register, available at www.contracts.mod.uk
The MOD SID is a database of active and potential suppliers available to all MOD and UK Defence procurement personnel, and is the main supplier database of MOD Procurement organisations. Please note: the registration and publication of a company profile on the MOD SID does not mean or imply that the supplier has in any way been vetted or approved by the MOD. Suppliers wishing to compete for advertised MOD contracts must respond to any specific call for competition by submitting a separate expression of interest in accordance with the instructions of the purchasing organisation.
From 2.4.2014 the Government is introducing its new Government Security Classifications Policy (GSC) to replace the current Government Protective Marking Scheme. A key aspect of this is the reduction in the number of security classifications used. All suppliers to the Department are encouraged to make themselves aware of the changes as it may impact on this Requirement. The link below to the Gov.uk website provides information on the new GSC.

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.
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-2016114-DCB-7577131.
VI.3) Procedures for appeal
VI.3.1) Body responsible for appeal procedures:
Ministry of Defence, Combat Air, Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Team
Yew 2c,#1251, Abbey Wood
Bristol
Postal code: BS34 8JH
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 3067938151
Body responsible for mediation procedures:
Ministry of Defence, Combat Air, Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Team
Phone: +44 3067938151
VI.3.3) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
Ministry of Defence, Combat Air, Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Team
Phone: +44 3067938151
VI.4) Date of dispatch of this notice:
14.01.2016