Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
Bristol
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
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
Framework Agreement value is £1.00 ex VAT. The Total Fleet Requirement (TFR) is approx 10,000 systems. estimated contract value of £150M ex VAT subject to financial approval.
Reference number
706392450-ARILLS 2-VTN
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 38633000 - Telescopic sights
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
Assault Rifle In-Line Low Light Sight 2
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: £150,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 38633000 - Telescopic sights
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Dismounted Close Combat project team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to place a seven-year Framework Agreement with Qioptiq Limited for the continued procurement of the TALON Fused Weapon Sight – Image Intensifier / Thermal Imager under the Assault Rifle In-Line Low Light Sight (ARILLS) capability.
All future purchases will be subject to financial approval on a case-by-case basis.
There will be no initial quantity from the outset. However, there is an estimated TFR of 10,000 TALON systems over the life of the framework, estimated at £150m ex VAT.
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
two.2.14) 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 sub-contractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named above
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:
In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI No.2019/697) this procurement shall be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (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 this Contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) and is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR for technical reasons.
This is due to strict technical impracticality for any other economic operator other than Qioptiq to achieve the same technical requirements/output performance provided by the TALON system that offers a fused dual-channel sight and the interoperability, compatibility and commonality purposes that is required with the current TALON fleet as part of the ARILLS requirement. Qioptiq are the only economic operator that has the necessary know-how/access to information to manufacture and provide the TALON system, to meet the Authority’s requirement.
Qioptiq is the only economic operator that can meet the Authority’s requirement to provide the TALON Fused Weapon Sight – Image Intensifier / Thermal Imager, for the assault rifle weapon system, that meets the Authority’s bespoke needs.
The Authority’s critical technical capabilities as part of the ARILLS requirement can only be met by this unique TALON system, and the requirement therefore cannot be met by another economic operator.
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
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
706392450
Title
Assault Rifle In-Line Low Light Sight 2
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
20 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
Qioptiq
Glascoed Road, St Asaph
Denbighshire
LL17 0LL
Telephone
+44 7500085704
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £150,000,000
five.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
MOD
Bristol
Country
United Kingdom