Award

LTPA Extension

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-016104

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-046981

Published 22 May 2024, 9:10am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

Abbey Wood

BS34 8JH

Contact

Andrea Cowan

Email

andrea.cowan588@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://des.mod.uk

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

LTPA Extension

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 73410000 - Military research and technology

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Amendment of CB/FT/001 (LTPA) to enact an agreed extension of 5 years

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: £1,533,300,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

In March 2003, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) let the LTPA (Long-Term Partnering Agreement) contract with QinetiQ which is a 25-year commitment to 31st March 2028, including an option to extend. The LTPA provides for the operation and management of MOD assets and sites geographically dispersed across the UK, as well as the performance of T&E services to ensure the continued availability of T&E capabilities, enabling Defence to accept capabilities into service and to assure the through-life performance of capabilities.

The Authority intends to extend the contract by 5-years to 31st March 2033 by exercising the agreed option. The extension will not materially alter the scope and nature of the LTPA.

The extension is exempt from the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR) under Regulation 6(3A)(a) due to the security classification of the projects and the storage and transfer of UK sensitive information. The extension is also excluded from DSPCR under Regulation 7(1)(a) as there is a need for QinetiQ to employ Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel with the appropriate Security clearances.

By invoking the agreed extension in the current contract, it will ensure continued availability of T&E capabilities to Defence and to allow for an organised transition to the follow-on arrangements to the LTPA by March 2033. In parallel, the Authority has commenced the Defence Test & Evaluation Services (Future) (DTES(F)) project for the Authority’s centralised T&E capabilities beyond the LTPA. In due course, the project will be launching Early Market Engagement with Industry to support the project in developing a range of artefacts.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

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

Negotiated procedure without publication of a contract notice

  • No tenders or no suitable tenders/requests to participate in response to negotiated procedure with prior publication of a contract notice
  • The products involved are manufactured purely for the purpose of research, experiment, study or development
  • New works/services, constituting a repetition of existing works/services

Explanation:

Having consulted CLS and the DSPCR, it is considered that invoking the option to extend, without a change to the scope or overall nature of the contract, is permissible.

The DSPCR (Chapter 8 – Procurement Procedures, Para. 109) states the following:

The exercising of a priced option or an option which has mechanisms for determining price will not require a new procurement procedure, if the scope and nature of the option as well as the conditions under which it may be used were set out within the contract. In exercising the option the overall nature of the contract must not be altered.

Any values stated in this notice are provisional and a contract extension has yet to be awarded. The Authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law or government policy. If any contract documents are accompanied by instructions on safeguarding classified information (e.g. a Security Aspects Letter), the Authority reserves the right to amend the terms of these instructions to reflect any changes in national law or government policy, whether in respect of the applicable protective marking scheme, specific protective markings given, the aspects to which any protective marking applies, or otherwise. The link below to the Gov.uk website provides information on the Government Security Classification.

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

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No


Section five. Award of contract/concession

Contract No

CB/FT/001

Title

Long Term Partnering Arrangement

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

7 December 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

QinetiQ Limited

Farnborough

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1,533,300,000

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1,533,300,000

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

TEST DT

Bristol

Country

United Kingdom