Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
UK Space Agency
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
SWINDON
SN2 1SF
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy
Buyer's address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Other activity
UK Space Propulsion Testing
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Technical Operation of the National Space Propulsion Test Facility
Reference number
PR18132
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 50800000 - Miscellaneous repair and maintenance services
- QB56 - On space industry sector
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The UK Space Agency has a requirement to test customer engines using the NSPTF in a timely manner. Therefore, ensuring the test facilities are ready and available to perform testing of engines and propulsion systems for customers to the NSPTF, and to support ensuring the continuing testing of hardware in the event of a facility breakdown.
The facility incorporates a range of testing hardware. The service provider will provide the test cells for the facility, from small thrust engine testing (1N+) up to medium thrust testing (up to 1500N). The latter test chamber will have new equipment (vacuum generating plant, common vacuum manifold, plume intercooler, vacuum chamber etc), owned by the UK Space Agency, that will be operated and maintained by service provider.
Provide technical support for facility operations and enter into a technical support contract for running the facility with UKSA. This will include responsibility for all safety aspects in national facility operations and to support ensuring the continuing testing of hardware in the event of a facility breakdown.
Provide cost estimates for customers through liaison with the brokers (STFC).
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: £1,309,125
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ - South East (England)
Main site or place of performance
Westcott Venture Park, Westcott, Aylesbury. Buckinghamshire, HP18 0XB, England
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The UK Space Agency has a requirement to test customer engines using the NSPTF in a timely manner. Therefore, ensuring the test facilities are ready and available to perform testing of engines and propulsion systems for customers to the NSPTF, and to support ensuring the continuing testing of hardware in the event of a facility breakdown.
The facility incorporates a range of testing hardware. The service provider will provide the test cells for the facility, from small thrust engine testing (1N+) up to medium thrust testing (up to 1500N). The latter test chamber will have new equipment (vacuum generating plant, common vacuum manifold, plume intercooler, vacuum chamber etc), owned by the UK Space Agency, that will be operated and maintained by service provider.
Provide technical support for facility operations and enter into a technical support contract for running the facility with UKSA. This will include responsibility for all safety aspects in national facility operations and to support ensuring the continuing testing of hardware in the event of a facility breakdown.
Provide cost estimates for customers through liaison with the brokers (STFC).
The requirement is to:
• Manage the operation of the NSPTF, supplying the personnel to operate the plant and to ensure that the maintenance, calibration and spares plans are in place.
• Procure any consumables to support the operation of the NSPTF.
• Management and storage of critical spares to support the aim.
• To permit use of service provider test facilities (J3 test cell, mini-HATFA, HATFA) as part of the national facility and management of customers and third party users while on the site.
• Provide the resources to run the testing of customer engines.
• Demonstrate that compliance and strict governance is applied to Statutory and Regulatory requirements (including Health and Safety)
• Maintain a sensible Health and Safety schedule, audited in an appropriate manner.
• Handle customer's data securely
• Provision of relevant insurance cover for activities.
• Notification of issues to UKSA in line with notification protocol.
• Liaison with the landlord for all landlord provided services (eg water, electrical supply etc)
• Provide quarterly reports of use of the facility to the steering board and provide inputs into annual budgets definition for future running of the facility.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The contract duration will be for a year on a 1+1+1+1+1 basis (maximum 5 years)
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
The Westcott facility and Nammo are the only location and supplier that can provide this service and therefore the authority are justified in awarding in accordance with regulation 32(5)(b).
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
PR18132
Title
Technical Operation of the National Space Propulsion Test Facility
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
6 April 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Nammo (U.K.) Limited
Westcott Venture Park, Westcott
Aylesbury
HP18 0XB
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ - South East (England)
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £1,309,125
Total value of the contract/lot: £1,309,125
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The UK has key expertise and facilities in industry and academia relating to both chemical and electric propulsion / testing. The lack of investment in current UK facilities means that they are not suitable to the new demands, with the result that UK
engines have to be tested abroad at greater expense.
The proposed National Space Propulsion Test Facility will incorporate a vacuum pumping facility, to simulate the vacuum of space to test propulsion systems, by drawing sea level ambient pressure
from the platform that a propulsion system will be tested. The UK Space Agency have identified Westcott Venture Park, with the existing testing facilities of NAMMO Westcott Ltd, as the only area such a facility can be best achieved.
The Westcott Venture Park is the UK's only chemical rocket test and development site. It has been in operation as such since 1946 and has been developing, manufacturing and testing rockets for space applications, primarily satellites, since the mid-1980s.
Having explored the possibility of a National Propulsion centre being set up in areas other than the Westcott facility, no viable alternative site has been identified. There is no other comparable location to Westcott, with a suitably skilled workforce located in the UK. Moreover, NAMMO Westcott Ltd has invested in Westcott facility and they would allow companies and Universities to access their facility, which may not occur elsewhere. The vast majority of the operating time will be setting up and firing of the
tested engines, less than 20% of the time will be to operate the vacuum pump assembly being built by the UK Space Agency, with ESA expertise, to be attached to the test rig (giving the simulated experience of the vacuum of space). Therefore, while NAMMO staff operate their equipment to test the engine, their staff will be best placed to continue to operate the vacuum pump before firing any tested engine.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
UK Shared Business Services Limited
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon
SN2 1FF
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
UK Shared Business Services Limited
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon
SN2 1FF
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
UK Shared Business Services Limited
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon
SN2 1FF
Country
United Kingdom