Award

User Filled Off Route Mines

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-001518

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04d09d

Published 16 January 2025, 2:21pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

ANDOVER

Email

jennifer.mcrae-thomas682@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.army.gov.uk

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

User Filled Off Route Mines

Reference number

713756451

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 35331400 - Land mines

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

Army Commercial, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (“MoD”), intends to award a contract to Alford Technologies Ltd (“Alford”), to procure GLADIUS User Filled Off Route Mine systems. This will mitigate a current capability gap in Lethal Barriers (mines). This procurement directly increases lethality by providing a means for defensive actions, offensive ambush and sabotage. This equipment will be used to support training, capability development and to bolster NATO readiness and interoperability for operations.

The contract is proposed to be entered into early 2025 and will have a duration of approximately 3 months, dependent upon production timelines. The contract has an estimated value of £1,000,000.00 (one million pounds) and will be placed as a Supply contract.

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: £1,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance

South East England

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Army Commercial, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (“MoD”), intends to award a contract to Alford Technologies Ltd (“Alford”), to procure GLADIUS User Filled Off Route Mine systems. This will mitigate a current capability gap in Lethal Barriers (mines). This procurement directly increases lethality by providing a means for defensive actions, offensive ambush and sabotage. This equipment will be used to support training, capability development and to bolster NATO readiness and interoperability for operations.

The contract is proposed to be entered into early 2025 and will have a duration of approximately 3 months, dependent upon production timelines. The contract has an estimated value of £1,000,000.00 (one million pounds) and will be placed as a Supply contract.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Negotiated procedure without publication of a contract notice

  • No tenders or no suitable tenders/requests to participate in response to negotiated procedure with prior publication of a contract notice
  • The products involved are manufactured purely for the purpose of research, experiment, study or development
  • The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

Army Commercial, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (“MoD”), intends to award a contract to Alford Technologies Ltd (“Alford”), to procure GLADIUS User Filled Off Route Mine systems. This will mitigate a current capability gap in Lethal Barriers (mines). This procurement directly increases lethality by providing a means for defensive actions, offensive ambush and sabotage. This equipment will be used to support training, capability development and to bolster NATO readiness and interoperability for operations.

The contract is proposed to be entered into early 2025 and will have a duration of approximately 3 months, dependent upon production timelines. The contract has an estimated value of £1,000,000.00 (one million pounds) and will be placed as a Supply contract.

Procurement of a user-filled mine system, identical to in-service systems, will minimise Defence Lines of Development (DLOD) impacts and align with the existing safety case for in-service systems. The GLADIUS system is in use with multiple elements of UK Armed Forces and eleven other NATO nations, presenting opportunities for shared knowledge, training, and interoperability whilst on operations with common spares which will increase operational resilience.

In accordance with Regulation 4 of the Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this contract falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011(the “DSPCR 2011”) as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). 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 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 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 for technical reasons and regulation 16(1)(b)(i)(bb) relating to technical difficulties in the operation and maintenance of the existing goods. 

This is because Alford is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and Intellectual Property (IP) owner of the GLADIUS User Filled Mine System. Therefore, Alford is the only economic operator with the proprietary information to meet this requirement and meet MoD’s capability gap. 

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

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No


Section five. Award of contract/concession

Contract No

713756451

Title

713756451 - User Filled Off Route Mines

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

15 January 2025

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

Alfords Technologies limited

Newcastle upon Tyne

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1,000,000

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

This notice is not a request for expressions of interest so please do not apply to be invited to tender. This notice advises that the Authority has decided to negotiate a contract with the named supplier on a single source basis, and is published for reasons of transparency. If you are interested in becoming a subcontractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named above.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

MOD COMMERCIAL

ANDOVER

Country

United Kingdom