United Kingdom-London: 5G and Interconnectivity Equipment and Virtual Production Services for StudiosUK Facilities

Type of document: Contract award
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Ref: (2022/S 000-018828/EN)
Nature of contract: Supply contract
Procedure: Open procedure
Type of bid required: Not applicable

Contract award notice
Supplies

Section I: Contracting authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: Digital Catapult
Postal address: 101 Euston Road
Town: London
Postal code: NW1 2RA
Country: United Kingdom
Contact Person: Procurement Department
Telephone: +44 2038823557
Email: procurement@digicatapult.org.uk
Internet address(es):
Main address: www.digicatapult.org.uk
Address of the buyer profile:

I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Other activity: Research and Innovation

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title: 5G and Interconnectivity Equipment and Virtual Production Services for StudiosUK Facilities

Reference number: P2021-067
II.1.2) Main CPV code: 32400000
II.1.3) Type of contract Supplies
II.1.4) Short Description: Digital Catapult is looking to establish StudiosUK, a cluster of interconnected research facilities leveraging 5G and future networks capability to enable the exploration of convergent visual content production technologies – such as the use of high-density LED walls, motion-capture, real-time rendering engines and new forms of real-world capture.
Studios UK will be a cluster of interconnected facilities that leverage private 5G standalone (5G-SA) networks with multi-access edge compute (MEC) infrastructure hosting machine learning algorithms to enable real-time animation, wireless data transfer, volumetric capture, motion capture and AR broadcast; thus, enabling co-creation, remotely testing applications and experiences for Film and TV productions.
These studios will be utilised for collaborative research and development projects, skills training initiatives and commercial productions within the creative and manufacturing sectors. Examples of projects could include productions utilising in-camera VFX and Virtual Production, 5G enabled device testing, digital twin testbeds, real-time multi-site collaboration and tools and workflow development.
There are two sites, the first is within the M25, to be confirmed, the second is at PROTO, Abbott’s Hill, Baltic Business Quarter, Gateshead NE8 3DF and both must be of specification to integrate with existing equipment. This procurement is for PROTO only, a procurement for the requirements of the site within the M25 will be subject to a separate procurement.
II.1.6) Information about lots:
The contract is divided into lots: yes
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement(excluding VAT)
Value:2120000
Currency:GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.1) Title: Virtual Production Services
Lot No:2
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
Main CPV code: 48522000
Main CPV code: 72212522

II.2.3) Place of performance
Nuts code:
Main site or place of performance:Gateshead

II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Catapult wishes to procure equipment and services in order to upgrade and integrate Virtual Production Services at the PROTO site from a suitably capable and experienced Supplier.
The Catapult in collaboration with partners currently operates the BlackBox motion capture studio housed within PROTO, a site managed by Sunderland Software City & Gateshead City Council. The BlackBox currently houses an Optitrack motion capture solution as well as the compute, cabling and physical infrastructure. This procurement looks to augment this with an LED screen, a camera solution, increase the fidelity of the motion capture solution and provide new compute and infrastructure to support this.
The equipment to be procured as a result of this procurement will need to be integrated with the existing systems, as these existing systems cannot be altered. It is an important consideration of this procurement that the equipment proposed as part of the Supplier’s solution integrates and reuses the existing technology. Existing equipment is specified in Annex K to provide Bidders with information to enable consideration to be given to the quality of service and interoperability to be maintained.

II.2.5)Award criteria

II.2.11) Information about options
Options no
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

II.2.1) Title: 5G and Interconnectivity Equipment
Lot No:1
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
Main CPV code: 32412000
Main CPV code: 32420000
Main CPV code: 32412110
Main CPV code: 32418000
Main CPV code: 32422000
Main CPV code: 32424000
Main CPV code: 48821000
Main CPV code: 64221000

II.2.3) Place of performance
Nuts code:
Main site or place of performance:Gateshead

II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Each facility will host a private 5G Standalone (5G-SA) network that provides high bandwidth, low latency, synchronization and edge computing to support enhanced visual content production workflows and flexible wireless deployments. Security over public and non-public networks is a key consideration for media production applications. The Catapult is to leverage the development of non-public networks to integrate wireless production equipment into each studio and network slicing to differentiate and isolate the data flows.
High capacity (+10Gbps) dedicated secure inter-connections will enable the distribution of network services and workloads across the facilities. The network infrastructure will be flexible and scalable enough to meet the requirements for visual content production scenarios, such as those defined in 3GPP Rel. 16/17 to support ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC) and Video, Imaging and Audio for Professional Applications (VIAPA). Specifically, for the MEC infrastructure, it will connect all the production technology – camera, dolly and crane, audio-multitrack recorder, wireless microphone, tracking sensors, lighting – in a low latency and high-bandwidth network that will enhance the overall workflow.
The Catapult is to contract with an experienced and capable Supplier as a result of this procurement for the supply of 5G and interconnectivity equipment that will be used to upgrade the PROTO site and to connect the aforementioned two studios in the UK in accordance with the scope stated in this ITT.
There are four sub-lots for the equipment to be procured:
Lot 1a: Generic IT/Networking kit;
Lot 1b: 5G Radio and 5G ORAN Solution system;
Lot 1c: 5G Core system; and
Lot 1d: Point-to-point Interconnectivity between PROTO and LONDON
The estimated contract value of the Contracts to be awarded are detailed below:
Lot 1a: Generic IT/Networking kit – estimated value of this Lot is 790,000.00 GBP ex VAT;
Lot 1b: 5G Radio and 5G ORAN Solution system – estimated value of this Lot is 190,000.00 GBP ex VAT;
Lot 1c: 5G Core system – estimated value of this Lot is 60,000.00 GBP ex VAT;
Lot 1d: Point-to-point interconnection between PROTO and LONDON; 120,000.00 GBP ex VAT;
Bidders are permitted to submit tenders for one or more sub-lots at their discretion.

II.2.5)Award criteria

II.2.11) Information about options
Options no
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement(GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:2021/S 000-031834
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 1
Title: 5G and Interconnectivity Equipment

A contract/lot is awarded yes
V.2) Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract:2022-03-29
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received:6
Number of tenders received from SMEs:5
Number of tenders received from other EU Member States:0
Number of tenders received from non-EU Member States:6
Number of tenders received by electronic means:6
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: yes
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Official name: Fastnet International Ltd
Postal address: Shaftesbury Court,, 95 Ditchling Road,
Town: Brighton
Postal code: Bn1 4ST
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1273688088
Nuts code:
The contractor is an SME yes
Official name: boxxe Limited
Postal address: Artemis House, Eboracum Way
Town: YORK
Postal code: YO31 7RE
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 347812100
Nuts code:
The contractor is an SME yes
Official name: AWTG Limited
Postal address: 8 Canham Mews Canham Road
Town: London
Postal code: W3 7SR
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 2035155151
Nuts code:
The contractor is an SME yes
Official name: RF CHANNEL LTD
Postal address: Parallel House, 32 London Road
Town: Guildford
Postal code: Gu1 2AB
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 7894968417
Nuts code:
The contractor is an SME yes

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot(excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: 1160000
Total value of the contract/lot:669399.29
Currency:GBP
Lot No: 2
Title: Virtual Production Services

A contract/lot is awarded yes
V.2) Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract:2022-03-29
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received:1
Number of tenders received from SMEs:1
Number of tenders received from other EU Member States:0
Number of tenders received from non-EU Member States:1
Number of tenders received by electronic means:1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: no
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Official name: Target3D
Postal address: 87-91 Hackney Road
Town: London
Postal code: E2 8FE
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 2034882575
Nuts code:
The contractor is an SME yes

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot(excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: 960000
Total value of the contract/lot:959673
Currency:GBP

Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information:
(MT Ref:226761)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Official name: High Court
Town: London
Country: United Kingdom

VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Official name: CEDR
Town: London
Country: United Kingdom

VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
In the first instance, all appeals should be promptly brought to the attention of Digital Catapult, and will be dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Any appeals must be brought within the timescales specified by the applicable law, including without limitation, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. In accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the contracting authority will also incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period from the date information on award of contract is communicated to tenderers.

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice:
2022-07-08