Awarded contract

Lower Thames Crossing - Specialist Security Services

  • Highways England

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice reference: 2021/S 000-016682

Published 15 July 2021, 10:45pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Highways England

Woodlands, Manton Lane,

Bedford

MK41 7LW

Email

Annabel.Dunn@highwaysengland.co.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.highwaysengland.co.uk

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

National or federal Agency/Office

one.5) Main activity

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Lower Thames Crossing - Specialist Security Services

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79710000 - Security services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Highways England has an urgent requirement to put in place some specialist security services for its Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) scheme. LTC is a proposed new All Purpose Trunk Road connecting the A2/M2 in Kent, crossing under the Thames through a twin-bored tunnel before joining the M25 south of Junction 29.

The contract will be for a period of 9 months to allow a full competitive procurement process to take place for longer term delivery of these services. The Scope of the services covers:

Specialist protestor mitigation and removal

Social Media Monitoring

Incident Response

Mobile Patrols

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: £900,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 79710000 - Security services
  • 79715000 - Patrol services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKH3 - Essex
  • UKH32 - Thurrock
  • UKJ4 - Kent

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Lower Thames Crossing is a proposed new All Purpose Trunk Road connecting the A2/M2 in Kent, crossing under the Thames through a twin-bored tunnel before joining the M25 south of Junction 29. It has an urgent requirement to put in place some specialist security services to cover the following services:

Mobile Patrol Services (MPS):

deployment of mobile patrol resources to be a proactive and reactive response to incidents involving land and property owned or leased by LTC

The MPS teams have the ability to attend either side of the Thames to offer mutual support.

This function would be able to ensure oversight of locations that have seen criminal and trespass activity taking place during earlier stages of the programme. And are considered high-risk due to their locations within the Programme red line boundary.

Mobile patrol teams would be deployed on 24-hour 7 days a week basis for continuous patrolling.

The mobile patrols would also be able to give mutual support as required during any event either side of the Thames

Incident Response Team:

In the event of an incident and depending on the scale, a dedicated incident response team (IRT) would provide on the ground support.

Specialist protestor mitigation and removal:

In the event of a protester or group breaching security at a location, or preventing works being carried out at any location within the programme red line boundary, a specialist security response service can be deployed. Examples where a specialist response is required could include:

• Regaining possession of land or property

• Executing High Court Writs

• Removing protesters from height, confined spaces, underground or from buildings or other structures

• Dealing with trespass and squatter incursion

Social Media Monitoring and Threat Assessments

• The Contractor will provide a process to carry out proactive monitoring of social media sites that have the potential to disrupt or delay the development of the project.

• The Contractor will develop accurate threat and risk assessments from that intelligence gained and transferring this into biweekly/quarterly reports on the activities of sites and advise, guide and support when required on the actions to take with LTC Project Manager.

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 without a prior call for competition

  • The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons
  • Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority

Explanation:

This notice is being published under a

Negotiated procedure without prior publication (in accordance with Article 32 of Directive 2014/24/EU).

The Authority considers that there are grounds to award a contract directly to Control Risks under Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“PCR”) on the basis that

the immediate urgency is not of Highways England’s making – it is only now aware of an imminent threat of protestor action.

The immediate urgency therefore requires a contract in place more quickly than a regulated competitive procurement would allow for.

The publication of a VEAT notice notifies the market of its intention to place a Direct Award with Control Risks for a period of 9 months only while a full competitive process takes place to award a longer term contract for the provision of these services.

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

1

Title

Lower Thames Crossing - Specialist Security Services

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

29 June 2021

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

Control Risks

Cottons Centre, Cottons Lane

London

SE1 2QG

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKI - London
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £900,000

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

This notice is being published under a

Negotiated procedure without prior publication (in accordance with Article 32 of Directive 2014/24/EU).

The Authority considers that there are grounds to award a contract directly to Control Risks under Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“PCR”) on the basis that

the immediate urgency is not of Highways England’s making – it is only now aware of an imminent threat of protestor action which necessitates having a contractor in place to react immediately to any threats.

This contract is for a period of 9 months only while a full competitive procurement is conducted. Highways England intends to publish a Prior Information Notice no later than September 2021.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Highways England

Bedford

Country

United Kingdom