Planning

Diving Life Support (DLS) In-Service Support (ISS)

  • Defence Equipment and Support

UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-009589

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04edac

Published 17 March 2025, 10:37am

Last edited 24 March 2025, 9:41am

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Scope

Reference

712091450

Description

Defence Equipment and Support (DES) Salvage and Marine Operations (SALMO) Delivery Team (DT) have a requirement for the provision of In-Service Support (ISS) to the Diving Life Support (DLS) portfolio of equipment.

The DLS portfolio provides a diving capability to the UK Military, led by the Royal Navy, to support a full range of technical and support activities to enable the delivery of underwater Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), underwater engineering, underwater search and engineering tasks in support of UK Defence Tasks.

The Authority are proposing that the DLS ISS requirement will be divided into the following four Lots:

Lot 1 - Diver's Dress and Dive Ancillaries

Estimated value: £10M ex VAT

Includes: Diver's dress, e.g. dive suits, boots, gloves, etc and Dive Ancillaries

Lot 2 - Diving Support Equipment

Estimated value: £14M ex VAT

Includes:

Diver Through Water Communication (DTWC)

Gas Boosters Pumps

Portable Breathing Air Compressor (PBAC)

Portable Oxygen Monitoring  Apparatus (POMA)

Type B Recompression Chamber (RCC)

Lot 3 - Dive Sets and Dived Equipment

Estimated value: £21M ex VAT

Includes:

Enclosed Mine Lift Bags (EMLB)

Swimmers Oxygen Breathing Apparatus (SOBA), including Excursion variant

Surface Supplied Diving Equipment (SSDE)

Parachute Lift Bags (PLB)

Underwater Hydraulic Tools

Lot 4 - Mixed Gas (Clearance Divers Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)) and Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE)

Estimated value: £17.5M ex VAT

Includes:

Clearance Divers Life Support Equipment (CDLSE)

Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE), including Swimmers Air Breathing Apparatus (SABA) and Rechargeable Air Breathing Apparatus (RABA)

The proposed Lots will require ISS as well as the ability to procure more/new equipment at the direction of the Authority.

The proposed Lots may change, subject to intelligence gathered from the market interest day.

The proposed DLS ISS contracts will be for five (5) years, with two (2) additional one (1) year options to extend. If all the options to extend are exercised by the Authority, each contract's duration will be a total of seven years.

Total value (estimated)

  • £62,500,000 excluding VAT
  • £75,000,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2031
  • Possible extension to 31 August 2033
  • 7 years

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 35113400 - Protective and safety clothing
  • 37412240 - Diving instruments or accessories
  • 37412241 - Breathing apparatus for diving
  • 37412242 - Diving wear
  • 37412260 - Wetsuits
  • 37412270 - Dry suits
  • 42123400 - Air compressors
  • 43328100 - Hydraulic equipment
  • 44611110 - Compressed-air cylinders
  • 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services

Contract locations

  • UK - United Kingdom

Engagement

Engagement deadline

4 April 2025

Engagement process description

This notice serves to inform Industry of the Authority's intention to conduct market engagement in the form of holding two industry days for this requirement.

A market interest day will be held on 02/04/2025 at MoD Abbey Wood, Bristol. This will consist of an overview of the requirement and contracting approach, including an indicative procurement timeline; a questionnaire to gain supplier feedback; and a question and answer session.

An equipment familiarisation day will be held on 03/04/2025 at the Defence Diving School, Horsea Island, Portsmouth. This will consist of the ability to view equipment in scope of the requirement, and a question and answer session. Subject matter experts will be available to answer technical questions.

Please note, the dates stated above may be subject to change.

The aim of the two days is to:

a) determine if there is an established market that can meet the Authority's requirements and enable a successful competition to be run;

b) provide suppliers with an overview of the requirement, e.g. type/volume of equipment that needs to be supported/bought;

c) gain suppliers' opinions on the requirement and proposed contracting approach (e.g. amendments to the four proposed Lots)

d) provide suppliers the mechanism to suggest alternative ways of meeting the overarching requirement; and

e) provide the opportunity for suppliers to discuss opportunities with one another (e.g. sub-contracting and forming consortia, etc)

If you are interested in attending either or both days, please submit expressions of interest to desshipscomrcl-salmo-multiuser@mod.gov.uk by 17:00 hours on 24/03/2025.

More information, including booking onto site, timings and maximum number of attendees will be provided to those who register their interest.

The supplier shall bear all costs of their attendance at the industry days.

For the avoidance of doubt, this notice is not a call for competition. Any comments, indications of interest, participation, or non-participation by any organisation at this stage will not influence the process, selection and/or award decision for any future possible procurement, nor will it be taken as a supplier's committed position. Non-participation in the industry days will not exclude you from any possible future competition for this requirement.


Participation

Particular suitability

  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
  • Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)

Submission

Publication date of tender notice (estimated)

30 June 2025


Procedure

Special regime

Defence and security


Contracting authority

Defence Equipment and Support

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVRL-5831-GLMM

MOD Abbey Wood

Bristol

BS34 8JH

United Kingdom

Contact name: Marion Stone

Telephone: +44

Email: DESShipsComrcl-SALMO-Multiuser@mod.gov.uk

Website: http://www.contracts.mod.uk

Region: UKK12 - Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

Organisation type: Public authority - central government