Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Satellite Applications Catapult
Electron Building, Fermi Avenue, Harwell
Didcot
OX11 0QR
Procurement@sa.catapult.org.uk
Telephone
+44 1235567977
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA42845
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Other type
RTO
one.5) Main activity
Other activity
Space Sector
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Contract for Emissions of Green House Gas Data
Reference number
UKSA_SAC_GHG
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72319000 - Data supply services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Contract is for the purchase of data generated by satellites on where, when and by how much methane emissions are made across the UK and internationally. This includes a substantial archive of data and an ongoing delivery of new data from satellites tasked by UK customers.
This contract allows multiple users to access the data via the vendors service platform.
Deliverables include:
- Abundance dataset: Access the abundance datasets for select locations (approximately 5,000 images); a multi-layered image containing methane concentration amounts and surface reflectance. Spatial resolution is less than 50m.
- Concentration map: Access to concentration maps of methane emissions. Spatial resolution is less than 50m.
- Archive data which is historical satellite data from at least the previous two years and for select countries (i.e. spatial extents).
The Satellite Applications Catapult is making this purchase on behalf of the UK Space Agency who have instructed it to use this supplier.
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: £5,500,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ14 - Oxfordshire
Main site or place of performance
Didcot
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Following publication of this notice, the Satellite Applications Catapult will allow a 10-day standstill period prior to entering into the contract, pursuant to regulation 99(3)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
The Satellite Applications Catapult intends to award the contract to GHGSat (UK) Ltd following the expiry of the VEAT notice.
The purchase is being made directly from the supplier as competition is absent for technical and operational reasons.
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
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
Due to the absence of competition for technical and operational reasons, this supplier offers the most comprehensive capability for commercially available, taskable measurements of methane emissions at an individual asset scale with specialism in methane detection.
The supplier is the only known entity at this time with a constellation of satellites in-orbit that are specifically designed to detect Methane at very hight spatial resolution (< 30m) enabling point source attribution both historically and in the future.
The supplier’s high-resolution imagery and analytics of point-source detections of methane, enabling spatial attribution of emissions to a high standard. Their constellation of satellites has a low detection threshold of 100 kg/hr and a high spatial resolution of less than 30 meters in a wide range of geographic (e.g. surface cover, topography) and weather (e.g. seasons, wind, lighting). Their methane-specific remote sensing capabilities provide estimates of small- and medium-sized leaks (>100 kg/hour) which is needed to supplement the superemitter events (5 tons/hour) that the public Sentinel satellites provide. The supplier’s satellites feature the Innovative Wide-Angle Fabry-Perot (WAF-P) instrument which can be tuned to measure methane and carbon dioxide and perform measurements both onshore and offshore. Performance has been validated through controlled releases with commercial operators and in third-party, peer-reviewed blind trials (e.g. Stanford University Sherwin et al., Nature Sci Rep 13, 3836 (2023)).
The constellation of multiple satellites enables high availability (geographic coverage and specific site revisit) for measurements in any region of the world of interest to UK stakeholders.
The supplier is also to meet our legacy data requirements, of a minimum of 2 years previous, having the maximum historic availability of data, dating from 2021.
Value for Money has been confirmed by gaining commitment from the supplier on utilising UK suppliers and creating social and economic benefit in the UK.
Finally, the Satellite Applications Catapult is making this purchase on behalf of the UK Space Agency who have instructed it to use this supplier.
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/concession
Contract No
UKSA_SAC_GHGSat
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
19 May 2023
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
GHGSat (UK) Limited
Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street,
London
EC4N 6AF
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: £5,500,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
(MT Ref:229407)
(MT Ref:229447)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Public Procurement Review Service
Cabinet Office
London
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