Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
Dismounted Close Combat Team Land Equipment Operating Centre Soldier Training & Special Projects MOD Abbey Wood Cedar 2a #4110
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Contact
Mrs Amy Parker
Telephone
+44 3001640802
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main 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
704395456 FTL-SS-VTN
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 38633000 - Telescopic sights
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
The Dismounted Close Combat programme team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to place a five-year contract with Ian Edgar (Liverpool) Limited (TA – Edgar Brothers) for the procurement of a Fused Target Locator (FTL) capability, with an initial procurement of 36 FTL systems at an estimated value of £6,000,000 and scope to procure additional FTL systems and increase the contract up to a value of £191,000,000 Ex VAT if required.
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: £191,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Dismounted Close Combat programme team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to place a five-year contract with Ian Edgar (Liverpool) Limited (TA – Edgar Brothers) for the procurement of a Fused Target Locator (FTL) capability, with an initial procurement of 36 FTL systems at an estimated value of £6,000,000 and scope to procure additional FTL systems and increase the contract up to a value of £191,000,000 Ex VAT if required.
In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI No.2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (DSPCR 2011) as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that this Contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) and is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR for technical reasons due to strict technical impracticality for any economic operator other than Edgar Brothers to achieve the technical requirements needed by the Authority for the FTL system and the critical interoperability, compatibility and commonality purposes that is required with the current FTL system.
Edgar Brothers is the only economic operator that is able to meet the Authority’s requirement to provide a handheld TRL 9 FTL solution that meets the Authority’s bespoke needs in possessing the following set of technical capabilities:
(a) The capability to detect vehicles in excess of 25km in the IR spectrum, via a multi-channel handheld sensor
(b) The capability to provide a range to target in excess of 25km and to the limit of visual detection
(c) The ability to provide accurate target location within a TLE of Cat 1, as defined in JSP 900; utilising software that complies with STANAG 4609 and is not of a security classification higher than Official Sensitive.
Edgar Brothers are the sole UK sales agent for its FTL system’s main component the Jim-compact and in combination with other system elements, provide a unique FTL system. The Authority’s critical technical capabilities can only be met by this unique FTL system, and the requirement therefore cannot be met by any other economic operator.
The current FTL system provided by Edgar Brothers has integrated in a manner that permits networking of the sensor feed without affecting interoperability or safety. In addition to technical capability, the Authority is not able to procure an alternative solution as it would be incapable of fully satisfying the technical requirements relating to interoperability as any new system would be incapable of communicating with the existing FTL fleet due to a lack of integration and would provide a fleet of inconsistent capability. This interoperability issue would unacceptably affect the ability for new and existing FTL systems to effectively communicate, thus compromising the safety of the end-user in operational theatre and substantially increasing risk to life.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Framework agreement to allow additional purchases of the capability
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
- The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
The Dismounted Close Combat programme team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to place a five-year contract with Ian Edgar (Liverpool) Limited (TA – Edgar Brothers) for the procurement of a Fused Target Locator (FTL) capability, with an initial procurement of 36 FTL systems at an estimated value of £6,000,000 and scope to procure additional FTL systems and increase the contract up to a value of £191,000,000 Ex VAT if required.
In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI No.2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (DSPCR 2011) as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that this Contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) and is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR for technical reasons due to strict technical impracticality for any economic operator other than Edgar Brothers to achieve the technical requirements needed by the Authority for the FTL system and the critical interoperability, compatibility and commonality purposes that is required with the current FTL system.
Edgar Brothers is the only economic operator that is able to meet the Authority’s requirement to provide a handheld TRL 9 FTL solution that meets the Authority’s bespoke needs in possessing the following set of technical capabilities:
(a) The capability to detect vehicles in excess of 25km in the IR spectrum, via a multi-channel handheld sensor
(b) The capability to provide a range to target in excess of 25km and to the limit of visual detection
(c) The ability to provide accurate target location within a TLE of Cat 1, as defined in JSP 900; utilising software that complies with STANAG 4609 and is not of a security classification higher than Official Sensitive.
Edgar Brothers are the sole UK sales agent for its FTL system’s main component the Jim-compact and in combination with other system elements, provide a unique FTL system. The Authority’s critical technical capabilities can only be met by this unique FTL system, and the requirement therefore cannot be met by any other economic operator.
The current FTL system provided by Edgar Brothers has integrated in a manner that permits networking of the sensor feed without affecting interoperability or safety. In addition to technical capability, the Authority is not able to procure an alternative solution as it would be incapable of fully satisfying the technical requirements relating to interoperability as any new system would be incapable of communicating with the existing FTL fleet due to a lack of integration and would provide a fleet of inconsistent capability. This interoperability issue would unacceptably affect the ability for new and existing FTL systems to effectively communicate, thus compromising the safety of the end-user in operational theatre and substantially increasing risk to life.
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
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
704395456
Title
704395456 FTL-SS
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
30 June 2022
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
Ian Edgar (Liverpool) Ltd
Units 1-3 Heather Close, Lyme Green Business Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire,
Macclesfield
SK11 0LR
matthew.grundy@edgarbrothers.com
Telephone
+44 1625664621
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)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £6,000,000
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £191,000,000
five.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted
Value or proportion likely to be subcontracted to third parties
Proportion: 70 %
Short description of the part of the contract to be subcontracted
bought out finished parts
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Ministry of Defence
Dismounted Close Combat Team Land Equipment Operating Centre Soldier Training & Special Projects MOD Abbey Wood Cedar 2a #4110
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Telephone
+44 3001640802
Country
United Kingdom