Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
Filton Abbeywood, Stoke Gifford
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Contact
Karen Jarvis
Telephone
+44 3067930878
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
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
The Maritime Strategic Capability Agreement (MSCA) Future Arrangement (FA
Reference number
701575518
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 75220000 - Defence services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Delivery of essential UK strategic capabilities to support the effective delivery of current and future submarine and surface platform design, manufacture and operation.
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: £215,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 50660000 - Repair and maintenance services of military electronic systems
- 71320000 - Engineering design services
- 71600000 - Technical testing, analysis and consultancy services
- 79993000 - Building and facilities management services
- 80600000 - Training services in defence and security materials
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Procurement for the provision of assured access to deep expertise, and the facilities required to support them, in hydrodynamics, maritime life support, structures & survivability and stealth materials in support of the UK Royal Navy.
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
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:
The Submarine Delivery Agency (the “Authority”), part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contract to QinetiQ Limited (the “Contractor”) for the sustainment and support of the Maritime Strategic Capability Agreement (MSCA). This contract will be for a period of 10 years. This will be a new Qualifying Defence Contract (QDC) and will be compliant with the Defence Reform Act (DRA) and secondary legislation Single Source Contract Regulations (SSCR) 2014.
An exemption from the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR) 2011 (as amended) using regulation 7(1)(a), in conjunction with Regulation 6(3A)a, for security of national-eyes only information has been endorsed by the MoD Directorate of Security and Resilience.
It is considered that this contract can be placed using the principles of the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice pursuant to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 (as amended) on the basis that QinetiQ Limited is the only contractor capable of supplying the facilities and Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel (SQEP) needed to meet the Authority's requirements under this contract.
The MSCA requirement has been determined to be, and must remain, a sovereign capability by the current UK Government meaning any potential contractor must meet this requirement with a capability within UK territory.
The Restated Principles Agreement (RPA) was signed in July 2001 and transferred operations of the former Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which was a part of the MOD, to QinetiQ Limited. QinetiQ Limited are currently the only contractor with UK based facilities accredited to the required security requirements and with sufficient technical capability to fulfil the MSCA requirement in UK territory. If a different contractor were to be awarded the contract, these create a disproportionate technical difficulty for the Authority in maintaining and operating its maritime platforms including its Defence Objective of a Continual at Sea Detetterant (CASD).
This is due to the necessity for an alternative contractor to undertake a significant investment in their existing capital estate across the whole of the UK to build and furnish dedicated facilities within the UK to meet the unique demands of the MSCA requirement. QinetiQ Limited have operated the facilities transferred to them under the RPA for 15 years and have developed extensive expertise, deeply integrated technical knowledge of the maritime platforms, and specialist tools to support the Authority with maintaining maritime platform capability through-life and CASD. Furthermore, the alternative contractor would be fully responsible for keeping the safety profile of multiple maritime platforms during this initial period to the expected standard, which creates an unacceptable risk to life for users of the maritime platforms in question given the disproportionate technical effort needed from the contractor to meet and maintain this operational requirement. Therefore, only QinetiQ Limited are currently able to meet the Authority’s requirement due to technical reasons.
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
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
11 March 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
QinetiQ Limited
Cody Technology Park, Ively Road
Farnborough
GU14 0LX
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
03796233
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: £215,000,000
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
MOD Central Legal Services
Bristol
Country
United Kingdom