Future opportunity

Information Activities (IA) Systems Integrator and Innovator (SII)

  • Ministry of Defence

F16: Prior information notice for contracts in the field of defence and security

Notice reference: 2023/S 000-001643

Published 19 January 2023, 10:48am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name, addresses and contact point(s)

Ministry of Defence

Spruce 0A, MOD Abbey Wood

Bristol

BS34 8JH

For the attention of

Evan Powell

Email(s)

evan.powell104@mod.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 3001647471

Country

United Kingdom

Further information

Further information can be obtained from the above mentioned contact point(s)

one.2) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions

one.3) Main activity

Defence

one.4) Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities/entities

The contracting authority/entity is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities/entities:

No


Section two: Object

two.1) Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority/entity:

Information Activities (IA) Systems Integrator and Innovator (SII)

two.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services

Service category No 3: Defence services, military defence services and civil defence services

NUTS code

  • UK - United Kingdom

two.3) Information on framework agreement

The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement: No

two.4) Short description of nature and scope of works or nature and quantity or value of supplies or services

The purpose of this advert is to announce a potential requirement for a Ministry of Defence (MOD) Information Activities (IA) Systems Integrator and Innovator (SII). This is the first PIN as part of an initial preliminary market engagement. The Authority encourages industry to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI).

The Information Activities Programme will deliver infrastructure and services that will exponentially increase the Army’s contribution to Information Activity, meeting the aspirations of Integrated Action as articulated in the Integrated Operating Concept (IOpC). This will be achieved through enabling Army to understand and influence target audiences in both physical and informational environments in support of Army, Defence, and wider UK Governmental objectives e.g.:

o Audience Analysis.

o Messaging in both the Physical and Informational environments.

o Monitoring and Evaluation.

o Innovation and capability development.

o An Online Engagement Service (OES) capability delivering managed attribution digital information activities.

The MOD requires a SII to provide a scalable agile DevSecOps team to develop and maintain bespoke, developed applications, and to integrate together with COTS and existing MOD applications, data sources and enterprise services into one end-to-end Service (SaaS). It will follow a formal Scaled Agile (SAFe) approach for incremental delivery and will both take on and then continue to build upon the development work undertaken by incumbent SII supplier(s). The SII will also provide the service wrap to support the capability in service.

1. The solution will Integrate bespoke, COTS and MOD applications, with Enterprise Services (including hosting, IDAM, and gateways) into an end-to-end service.

2. Integrate the Service with other MOD systems and data sources.

3. Incrementally develop bespoke applications through DevSecOps Teams, leveraging emerging technology including automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

4. Identify innovative applications and approaches to deliver against the requirement, from both Industry and within MOD (SaaS).

5. Incrementally develop and maintain architecture, design, engineering, security, safety, and in service support artefacts.

6. Provide the Service Wrap (including incident management, service desk, training, software license management, obsolescence management, patching, security, safety etc).

The IA SII procurement is currently in its initiation phase as the Authority seeks Full Business Case (FBC) approvals. It is anticipated that the contract duration will be for five (5) years with breakpoints at years four (4) and five (5). The estimated total value is £50M.

For guidance purposes only the Authority offer the following indicative dates and activities:

• Request for Information (RFI) published: February 2023

• Early Market Engagement Event: May 2023

• Supplier Demos / Meetings: May – June 2023

• Full Business Case (FBC) Approvals: October 2023

• DPQQ Issue [Procurement formally starts]: December 2023

• ITN Issue: June 2024

• Contract Award: March 2025

The Authority anticipates that any SII contract will be procured with an exemption to the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR) 2011. The classification of the project is expected to be UKEYO.

Estimated value excluding VAT

£50,000,000

Lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.5) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

  • 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Additional CPV code(s)

  • 48613000 - Electronic data management (EDM)
  • 72212500 - Communication and multimedia software development services
  • 72212520 - Multimedia software development services
  • 72227000 - Software integration consultancy services
  • 72231000 - Development of software for military applications
  • 72253200 - Systems support services
  • 72261000 - Software support services
  • 72262000 - Software development services
  • 72263000 - Software implementation services
  • 72264000 - Software reproduction services
  • 72265000 - Software configuration services
  • 72266000 - Software consultancy services
  • 72268000 - Software supply services
  • 72316000 - Data analysis services
  • 72322000 - Data management services
  • 72611000 - Technical computer support services

two.6) Scheduled date for start of award procedures and duration of the contract

Scheduled date for start of award procedures: 1 April 2025

Duration in months: 60 (from the award of the contract)

two.7) Additional information

Responses to the PIN will support the Authority decision with whether it will invite Industry to participate formally, and early market engagement activities may help to support FBC assurance and requirements development. Organisations must register their interest via the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP).

Any information (however recorded, preserved, or communicated) relating to the programme or project requirements which is disclosed or made available, directly, or indirectly by the MOD may be subject to change at the sole discretion of the MOD. The MOD does not make any express or implied warranty or representation as to the accuracy or completeness of the information. Neither the disclosure of such information nor any discussion relating to this information, or any application or other communications received in connection with this activity constitutes, the giving of investment advice by the MOD or the creation of a customer relationship with the MOD.

The MOD shall not be liable for any costs, expenditure, work, or effort incurred by you in early engagement activities including if the activity is cancelled or amended by the MOD. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken in connection with this activity is a matter solely for the commercial judgment of your company.

This opportunity and the activities detailed do not constitute the initialisation or otherwise form part of any official procurement procedure. The MOD may, at its discretion and at any time, choose not to proceed with this procurement, but maintains the right to use any information supplied for the purposes of future procurement.

All communications are to be conducted via the messaging portal within the DSP.


Section four: Procedure


Section six: Complementary information

six.1) Information about European Union funds

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

six.2) Additional information

The Contracting Authority intends to use an e-Tendering system in this procurement exercise, please visit www.contracts.mod.uk for full details and to register your interest in this procurement.