Contract

RFP-FY-22-17 Provision of an OpenRAN platform

  • Satellite Applications Catapult

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-008283

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-02ec06

Published 28 March 2022, 1:31pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Satellite Applications Catapult

Electron Building, Fermi Avenue, Harwell

Didcot

OX11 0QR

Contact

James Morrison

Email

James.Morrison@sa.catapult.org.uk

Telephone

+44 1235567977

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://sa.catapult.org.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA42845

one.2) Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Other type

RDO

one.5) Main activity

Other activity

Space Technology


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

RFP-FY-22-17 Provision of an OpenRAN platform

Reference number

RFP-FY-22-17

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 32522000 - Telecommunications equipment

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

Requirements For OpenRAN & Neutral Host Solution

1. Radio (RRUs)

2. Software (DU, CU)

3. Core Network and Integration

4. Services: Support the following use cases

5. Support

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: £173,501

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 32522000 - Telecommunications equipment

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ14 - Oxfordshire
Main site or place of performance

Electron Building, Fermi Avenue, Harwell Campus Oxford, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QR, UK

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Requirements For OpenRAN & Neutral Host Solution

1. Radio (RRUs)

2x 5G RRU -ideally outdoor

bands n77/n78

eCPRI 7.2 interface or O-RAN split 7.2

1x 4G RRU -ideally outdoor

Any band

eCPRI 7.2 interface or O-RAN split 7.2

If not available, please state 4G units and when 5G RRUs will be compatible with your platform (same for 5G CU/DU)

2. Software (DU, CU)

DU: Associated DUs based on RRU provided: 5G vDU compatible with commercial --x86 servers (i.e. DellR440, Cisco UCS-B200M4/M5)

These servers have the following specs:

- OS: Linux

- memory: 256 GB

- vCPU:48

- Storage: 1T

- If not compatible, suggest x86 servers that can host DU/CU solution together with OS, memory, CPU, storage requirements

CU: Server requirements as above

- DU-CU split 2 (Optional) or DU-CU in the same hardware

Configuration

- GUI for configuring PLMN ids, as per core network PLMN for the case of Neutral host, radio Tx power, RIC parameters, DU,CU parameters e.t.c

- Installation guidelines for containerized DUs/CUs

- Access to the Kubernetes cluster where DU/CUs are running

- Possibility to scale up scale down applications/ delete deployments/install new deployments and services

Intelligence – Please describe the solution you provide:

- Real time RIC module (E2 interface O-RAN) - Please describe and also specify protocols used for E2 interface

- Non-RT RIC module (A1 interface O-RAN) - Please describe and also specify protocol used for A1 interface

- Exemplary applications that can be handled by RIC modules : hand-over/Radio resource management (RRM)

- RIC API for third party applications development – Please specify API (e.g. RESTful, netconf etc) and protocols used.

KPI monitoring, alarms monitoring, troubleshooting – Track KPIs (access, attach, CPU, memory etc) / alarms per MNO

3. Core Network and Integration

- Compatible with at least one of the following cores:

- Fraunhofer Focus Open 5g Core,

- open5Gs (4G/5G core)

- Amarisoft 5G/4GCore

4. Services: Support the following use cases

- 5G Neutral hosting MORAN -RRC configuration based on PLMN

- 5G and 4G Neutral hosting -MORAN -RRC configuration based on PLMN

- 5G Neutral Hosting MOCN -RRC configuration based on PLMN

- Hand over handled by RIC module.

- Radio Resource management through RIC module based on application (stage one O-RAN requirements)

- Third party apps deployed in RIC (xApps/rApps)

- Ability to integrate 4G and 5G networks under the platform (e.g neutral hosting of 4G and 5G bearers under the same platform)

5. Support

Knowledge transfer in terms of installation and configuration (No black boxes please)

Information on the IaaS platform used, (i.e. Kubernetes, Starlinx, e.t.c)

Instruction to configure the DU, CUs through GUI as well as trough low level config files(i.e yaml files e.t.c)

On-site support for 6 months

Training and demos on the following:

- Platform RIC deployment and API

- Deployment of the 5G/5G or 4G/5G Neutral Host

- handling RIC modules for the RRM and handover use cases

- OSS solution available

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 70

Cost criterion - Name: Cost / Weighting: 30

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

Open procedure

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

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2021/S 000-025753


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

RFP-FY-22-17

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

25 March 2022

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1

Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 1

Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Accelleran

QuellinStraat 49

Antwerp

2018

Telephone

+32 498940028

Country

Belgium

NUTS code
  • BE - Belgium
The contractor is an SME

Yes

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

Total value of the contract/lot: £173,501


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

(MT Ref:225850)

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Public Procurement Review Service

Cabinet Office

London

Email

publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 3450103503

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit