Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Defra Network eTendering Portal
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Contact
Defra Group Commercial
Telephone
+44 3459335577
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
Buyer's address
https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
Environment
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
UK Hydrocarbons Monitoring Network 2025 STA
Reference number
C27497
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 90731100 - Air quality management
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice, indicating that Defra (on behalf of the Environment Agency (EA)) intends to enter into a contract with Ricardo AEA Ltd for UK Hydrocarbons Monitoring Network 2025. The Hydrocarbon Network Operator is responsible for the management of the network of air pollution monitoring sites throughout the UK for the measurement and assessment of Benzene and volatile organic compounds at automatic sites. The operator will be responsible for upkeep, collection, analysis QA/QC and transfer of data to contractors who have responsibility for wider dissemination of the data.
Defra intends to award this contract following the expiry of a voluntary standstill period, 10 days from the date of publication of this notice.
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: £2,509,513.65
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice, indicating that Defra (on behalf of the Environment Agency (EA)) intends to enter into a contract with Ricardo AEA Ltd for UK Hydrocarbons Monitoring Network 2025. The Hydrocarbon Network Operator is responsible for the management of the network of air pollution monitoring sites throughout the UK for the measurement and assessment of Benzene and volatile organic compounds at automatic sites. The operator will be responsible for upkeep, collection, analysis QA/QC and transfer of data to contractors who have responsibility for wider dissemination of the data.
Defra intends to award this contract following the expiry of a voluntary standstill period, 10 days from the date of publication of this notice.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 100
Cost criterion - Name: Cost / Weighting: 0
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 without a prior call for competition
- The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
- New works/services, constituting a repetition of existing works/services
Explanation:
New works and services consisting of the repetition of similar works or services entrusted to the economic operator to which the same contracting authority awarded an original contract, the original contract was awarded following an open competitive procedure, in which only one supplier returned a bid.
Based on the information detailed below, the conclusion is that Ricardo AEA Ltd is the only supplier able to provide these Services to the Environment Agency. To the best of our knowledge and investigations it is concluded that, given the Supplier’s exclusive rights (IPR) to the software required to ratify the data, and therefore the Services, only the incumbent Supplier can maintain the existing contract with the Environment Agency.
- Ricardo has confirmed that they own IP in the software they use under the current contract. Further investigation by Environment Agency and Defra via a call to competition has confirmed that there is no competition amongst any potential suppliers and would not be a valid route to market.
- To enable connection between the data collection and Supplier software, it would appear that a new supplier would have to develop their own software package for data ratification and this would critically have a significant disruptive effect on business-as-usual Environment Agency data reporting of Hydrocarbons monitoring measurements for UK requirements (obligations must be met under AQSR regulations).
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2024/S 000-009830
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
5 February 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
Ricardo-AEA Ltd
The Gemini Building, Harwell, Oxfordshire
Harwell
OX11 0QR
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
08229264
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: £2,509,513.65
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Public Procurement Review Body
N/A
N/A
N/A
publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit