Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
Space Delivery Team, Spruce 1C, MoD Abbey Wood
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Contact
Mr Douglas Kershaw
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=55334
Buyer's address
https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=55334
one.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at
https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=55334
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=55334
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned 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
Project JUNO
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 34712000 - Spacecraft, satellites and launch vehicles
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
The JUNO mission is one of the space missions of the MINERVA programme. The Authority expects the JUNO R&D satellite to enable MOD to advance UK MOD-owned space-based ISR (SBISR) capability, providing electro-optical imagery to UK and allied researchers, to enhance UK SBISR expertise, credibility and interoperability.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £40,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 34712200 - Satellites
- 35631200 - Observation satellites
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Background: In support of the UK Defence Space Strategy, the Integrated Space Game Changer (ISGC) outlines the need for the UK to have “a secure, robust, resilient, integrated Space domain information architecture to operate within and utilise information from the Space domain to maximise the utility of the Space domain and protect it and our information from the adversary”.
The foundations of this ISGC architecture will be developed and delivered under the MINERVA Programme. The MINERVA Research and Development (R&D) programme will demonstrate Tasking, Collection, Processing and Dissemination of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) data from space through the development, delivery and operation of satellites.
The JUNO mission is one of the space missions of the MINERVA programme. The Authority expects the JUNO R&D satellite to enable MOD to advance UK MOD-owned space-based ISR (SBISR) capability, providing electro-optical imagery to UK and allied researchers, to enhance UK SBISR expertise, credibility and interoperability.
The JUNO satellite will include a high resolution electro-optical imager to deliver SBISR to support Defence activities. The JUNO satellite will be capable of demonstrating the ability to be integrated into MOD’s ISTARI ground architecture and to be capable of demonstrating interoperability with Allied ground assets. The JUNO satellite will investigate and demonstrate the ability to conduct multiple mission sets within the bounds of the satellite capabilities and without compromising the SBISR mission. The JUNO satellite could enable greater data delivery and processing through Inter-Satellite links and On-Board Processors. The JUNO satellite provides an opportunity to establish use cases in support of the Defence Space Strategy’s SDA direction towards detection, tracking, characterisation and attribution of Resident Space Objects (RSO’s) to provide an increased understanding of the domain and threats to UK critical systems. The JUNO high resolution electro-optical imaging satellite has the potential to be utilised for multiple space missions including a secondary Space Domain Awareness (SDA) mission to provide resolved space-to-space imagery to demonstrate characterization capabilities against other RSO’s in different orbital regimes. Hosted SDA payloads on-board the JUNO satellite could enable development of the UK’s SDA capability.
Aims: The JUNO System aims are expressed as four high level goals:
• Goal 1: Develop, launch and operate a UK-MOD owned electro-optical satellite within budget and schedule constraints.
• Goal 2: Demonstrate collaborative Space ISR development and operation with allies.
• Goal 3: Enable UK access and utilisation of Allied space systems ground architectures as a demonstrator for military operations.
• Goal 4: Investigate the ability to utilize hosted payloads that would expand the mission set that the satellite could be used for.
Within these goals a high priority for the JUNO system is the ability to collect panchromatic and multispectral data on an area of interest specified by Authority Users and to then process and deliver the data to the Authority to required standards with operational freedom of action. A second high priority for the system is its ability to perform R&D which will inform subsequent options analysis and future development.
Further options will include mission operations, training and support (per year) for a further 6 years; mission integration and implementation to the ground architecture; further details will be in the ITN.
For further information on the ISTARI Programme, see “Defence Space Strategy: Operationalising the Space Domain”,, UK Gov, Feb 22 , and “Press Release: UK cutting-edge space defence backed by £1.4 billion”, UK”, UK Gov, 1 Feb 22.
The JUNO procurement will be run at OFFICIAL SENSITIVE up to and including SECRET. The potential provider must have the ability to process, store and transmit classified information at OFFI
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
44
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: Yes
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Up to 6 one-year options to include mission operations, training, and support. Additional options include, secondary payload options, mission integration and implementation to the ground architecture; further details will be in the ITN.
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
Competitive procedure with negotiation
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
Framework agreement with several operators
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 4
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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Originally published as:
Date
29 May 2023
Local time
5:00pm
Changed to:
Date
30 May 2023
Local time
5:00pm
See the change notice.
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
JUNO System:
• The Core Contract, constitutes a JUNO solution, envisioned as an Electro-Optical imaging satellite that the Supplier shall operate. To deliver the system, a full end-to-end solution, with adequate pan-Defence Lines of Development (DLOD) coverage, is required including inter alia; design, development, manufacture, assembly, integration, test, launch, commissioning, operations and, support to experimentation..
• Secondary Payload Options, constitutes the same JUNO solution with additional satellite payload opportunities that consider at least one of the following:
o Application of the Primary Electro-Optical Imaging Payload to Space Domain Awareness (SDA) collection taskings, such that the EO imager can be used for non-Earth pointing image collection tasks, whilst always maintaining primary payload integrity.
o Space Domain Awareness (SDA) hosted payloads, where additional sensors that provide SDA mission data could be incorporated onto the space-craft to enable the Juno satellite to conduct a multi-mission approach to data collection from space.
o RF Inter-satellite Links to GEO, where the Juno Core Contract solution is enhanced by the ability to link to the satellite via agreed Geostationary Orbit space based assets, to support Out Of Area satellite command and control, and payload data handling.
o On-Board Processing (OBP), providing enhanced high fidelity on-board image processing, with target oriented machine learning image exploitation, enabling in-situ processing of captured imagery, prior to image downlinking to the agreed ground station network.
• Maintained Operations Option, constitutes a time extension of the period where the Supplier operates the JUNO solution from the Core Contract and completes mission operations beyond the timeframe covered in the Core Contract.
• Concurrent Ground Segment Options, constitutes the same JUNO solution from the Core Contract but with the system integrated with the elements of the ISTARI MOD ground architecture that are sufficiently mature to be utilised together. During this phase, operation of the JUNO system will be by the Supplier until the ISTARI MOD ground architecture is capable of operating the system. Integration between the JUNO system and elements of ISTARI will occur within these phases with gradual, progressive functional transitions. The Supplier shall also support the transition through provision of Training to MOD.
• Support to MOD Operation Option, constitutes the same JUNO solution from the Core Contract, but that is fully integrated with the MOD’s ISTARI ground architecture and is operated by the MOD with support from the Supplier.
• Disposal Option, Disposal of the JUNO solution from the Core Contract at End of Life.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Cabinet Office
70 Whitehall
London
Country
United Kingdom