Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
Bristol
Contact
Dale Gurney-Newland
dale.gurney-Newland100@mod.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 3001660534
Country
United Kingdom
Region 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
704942450A -Modification to Lipless Firing Needle Assembly VTN
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 35411100 - Main battle tanks
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
Modification to Lipless Firing Needle Assembly VTN
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: £578,899
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
Bristol
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Defence Equipment & Support Land Equipment Vehicle Support Team (VST), part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a single source contract to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) ltd for the manufacture and supply of quantity 400 modified Firing Needle Assemblies (FNA) for the L30A1 (120mm) gun of the Challenger 2 (CR2) main battle tank.
It is considered that this Contract can be placed under Regulation 16 (1) (a) (ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations on a Single Source basis with RBSL for Technical Reasons. The FNA is a safety critical internal component of the 120mm L30A1 CR2 gun and requires modification to the current design to prevent obturation failure. This modification is a safety requirement that must be fulfilled to ensure the safe functioning of the L30A1 CR2 Main Armament during operation.
RBSL are the Design Authority (DA) and the Original Equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the CR2 and have been the sole supplier of FNAs throughout the life of the L30A1 gun. They have been involved in the development of the L30A1 Weapon System from its inception and possess technical information relating to the Weapon TVE Monitoring system, of which the FNA forms part of. In addition to the Firing Needle Assembly (FNA), the Weapons TVE Monitoring system consists of two interfacing units which interact with the Weapon:
• Tube Vent Electrical Display Unit (TVEDU)
• Tube Vent Electrical Contactor unit (TVECU)
These two units are both procured and/or repaired through RBSL, and the Authority does not have access to the full technical information relating to their design specification. This information is required to ensure that the FNA is built to the correct standard as required to interact with the Weapon TVE Monitoring system and RBSL is the only supplier with this necessary technical information. Without the necessary technical information, there is the risk of misfires, causing a safety issue that would put the crew at risk during Operations.
This notice is not a request for expressions of interest so please do not apply to be invited to tender. This notice advises that the Authority has decided to negotiate a contract with the named supplier on a single source basis and is published for reasons of transparency. If you are interested in becoming a sub-contractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named above.
The Authority is conducting a mandatory ten day standstill period ending at 17:00 on Thursday 3rd August 2023.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Criterion: Single source requirement 0%
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
- 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 Defence Equipment & Support Land Equipment Vehicle Support Team (VST), part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a single source contract to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) ltd for the manufacture and supply of quantity 400 modified Firing Needle Assemblies (FNA) for the L30A1 (120mm) gun of the Challenger 2 (CR2) main battle tank.
It is considered that this Contract can be placed under Regulation 16 (1) (a) (ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations on a Single Source basis with RBSL for Technical Reasons. The FNA is a safety critical internal component of the 120mm L30A1 CR2 gun and requires modification to the current design to prevent obturation failure. This modification is a safety requirement that must be fulfilled to ensure the safe functioning of the L30A1 CR2 Main Armament during operation.
RBSL are the Design Authority (DA) and the Original Equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the CR2 and have been the sole supplier of FNAs throughout the life of the L30A1 gun. They have been involved in the development of the L30A1 Weapon System from its inception and possess technical information relating to the Weapon TVE Monitoring system, of which the FNA forms part of. In addition to the Firing Needle Assembly (FNA), the Weapons TVE Monitoring system consists of two interfacing units which interact with the Weapon:
• Tube Vent Electrical Display Unit (TVEDU)
• Tube Vent Electrical Contactor unit (TVECU)
These two units are both procured and/or repaired through RBSL, and the Authority does not have access to the full technical information relating to their design specification. This information is required to ensure that the FNA is built to the correct standard as required to interact with the Weapon TVE Monitoring system and RBSL is the only supplier with this necessary technical information. Without the necessary technical information, there is the risk of misfires, causing a safety issue that would put the crew at risk during Operations.
This notice is not a request for expressions of interest so please do not apply to be invited to tender. This notice advises that the Authority has decided to negotiate a contract with the named supplier on a single source basis and is published for reasons of transparency. If you are interested in becoming a sub-contractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named above.
The Authority is conducting a mandatory ten day standstill period ending at 17:00 on Thursday 3rd August 2023.
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
704942450
Title
Modification to Lipless Firing Needle Assembly
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
20 July 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
Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) ltd
Hadley Castle Works
Telford
TF1 6QW
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
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: £578,899
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
Value excluding VAT: £444,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Beth Monis
Land Equipment Vehicle Support Team, MOD Abbey Wood, NH3 1a
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Telephone
+44 3067981522
Country
United Kingdom