Award

Additional Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)

  • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-001257

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0397c1

Published 16 January 2023, 12:38pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

Porton Down

SALISBURY

SP40JQ

Contact

Hannah Lander

Email

hlander@dstl.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKK15 - Wiltshire CC

Justification for not providing organisation identifier

Not on any register

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Defence


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Additional Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 35512400 - Unmanned underwater vehicles

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

The Secretary of State for Defence intends to enter into a supply contract with Atlantas Marine for the purchase of five Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for use in to conduct research into deep water search capabilities. The duration of the contract will be 14 months and has an estimated value of £2m (excluding VAT).

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Value excluding VAT: £2,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKK - South West (England)

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Secretary of State for Defence intends to enter into a supply contract with Atlantas Marine for the purchase of five Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for use in to conduct research into deep water search capabilities. The duration of the contract will be 14 months and has an estimated value of £2m (excluding VAT).

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Negotiated without a prior call for competition

  • Additional deliveries by the original supplier

Explanation:

The Secretary of State for Defence intends to enter into a supply contract with Atlantas Marine for the purchase of five Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for use in to conduct research into deep water search capabilities. The duration of the contract will be 14 months and has an estimated value of £2m (excluding VAT). In accordance with the provisions of The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 SI No. 2020/1319, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as amended (in particular by SI 2020/1319). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate.

It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 32(5)(b) of the PCR 2015 because these goods consist of additional deliveries by the original supplier (Atlantas Marine) which are intended either as a partial replacement of supplies or installations or as the extension of existing supplies or installations where a change of supplier would oblige the contracting authority to acquire supplies having different technical characteristics which would result in incompatibility or disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance.

The MOD has developed systems to interact specifically with the Videoray Defender ROV. These systems would be incompatible with all other ROVs, so procurement of different ROVs would require these systems to be redeveloped. It would also require all personnel to be retrained to use and maintain the new ROV design. Having two completely different ROVs would therefore be a significant logistic and training burden to the MOD. These factors would result in disproportionate difficulties in operation and maintenance if a different ROV were procured. Atlantas Marine is the only authorised UK supplier of the Videoray defender ROV.

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes


Section five. Award of contract/concession

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

16 January 2023

five.2.2) Information about tenders

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

Atlantas Marine Ltd

Yeovil

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKK - South West (England)
Companies House

04109813

The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

Yes

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £2,000,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Dstl

Sailsbury

Country

United Kingdom