Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/toolkit/notice/edit.do?noticeId=1042286&viewPage=1#fh
Portsmouth
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
£24,999
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
£24,999
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: £24,999
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 30213100 - Portable computers
- 48517000 - IT software package
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
SUPPORT CONTRACT FOR THE PROVISION OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE PILOT UNITS
two.2.5) Award criteria
Criterion: Technical 80
Criterion: Commercial (Price) 20
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
One additional option year
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
- New works/services, constituting a repetition of existing works/services
Explanation:
PCR Regulation 32 defines the circumstances for sole source procurement – including the absence of competition for technical reasons, when no reasonable alternative or substitute exists, and the absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement.
As such Regulation 32(2)(B), technical justification has been selected. The rationale for applying 32(2)(B) is as follows:
1. Near impossibility for another supplier to achieve the required technical performance or the necessity to use specific know-how, tools or means which only one supplier has at its disposal.
2. Specific interoperability requirements which must be fulfilled in order to ensure the functioning of the supplies, works or services that you are procuring.
Context is included below:
• The PPU system, procured competitively from INSHORE SYSTEMS LTD in 2013, was considered to have a service life of 5 years. It is now recommended that it could remain operational a further 4 years.
• The project team, has completed internal market analysis to investigate if single source procurement is fully justified, including on legal grounds (technical reasons). The findings are that there are specific interoperability requirements to enable the PPU system to function:
(a) The PPU units are only one element of the system. The maintenance requirement also covers the RTK base station, the hardware support for the Toughbook laptops and tablet and the software support for the QASTOR system.
(b) The QASTOR software licences for the tablets and laptops are solely licenced by Inshore Systems. The software licences are the most expensive component of the PPU system, and an additional cost would be incurred to procure new licences with an alternative provider.
(c) Although the initial purchase of the PPU was off the shelf, the PPU system has a number of bespoke and proprietary elements. For example, Inshore Systems have created bespoke vessel outlines (QE Class and T45) for QHM which are essential to the effective operation of the system. Additional costs would be incurred to reproduce this capability if system support was awarded to supplier.
• It is worth note that a replacement PPU is not required, simply maintenance, support and licences for the bespoke system procured in 2013 from INSHORE SYSTEMS LTD.
• The PPU system is bespoke and includes proprietary elements, tailored to QHM requirements with the system configured to meet QHM specific requirements. An alternative service supplier would need to be trained by Inshore Systems to understand the bespoke elements, including system configuration and design.
• This would have associated cost and assumes the co-operation of Inshore Systems. The Requirement Owner believes it would be very challenging for a new supplier to take over support of the system without vital training.
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
FMSP/037 (702802453)
Title
SUPPORT CONTRACT FOR THE PROVISION OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE PILOT UNITS
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
14 February 2022
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
IN-SHORE SYSTEMS
Bristol
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
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: £24,999
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
DE&S
Bristol
Country
United Kingdom