Tender

Army Collective Training Service (ACTS)

  • Ministry of Defence

F17: Contract notice for contracts in the field of defence and security

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-022495

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03ec80

Published 2 August 2023, 3:28pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name, addresses and contact point(s)

Ministry of Defence

ILD 12 Army Headquarters (AHQ), Blenheim Building, Marlborough Lines, Monxton Road, Andover, Hampshire

Andover

SP11 8HJ

Contact

Commercial department

For the attention of

Rachel Robinson

Email(s)

rachel.robinson972@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

General address of the contracting authority/entity

www.army.mod.uk

Further information

Further information can be obtained from the above mentioned contact point(s)

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from

The above-mentioned contact point(s)

Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to

The above-mentioned contact point(s)

one.2) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions

one.3) Main activity

Defence

one.4) Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities/entities

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities:

No


Section two: Object of the contract

two.1) Description

two.1.1) Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority

Army Collective Training Service (ACTS)

two.1.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services

Service category No 3: Defence services, military defence services and civil defence services

Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Ministry of Defence, Waterloo Lines, Imber Road, Warminster, BA12 0DJ

NUTS code

  • UKK - South West (England)

two.1.5) Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

The military's collective training aims to develop the ability of small teams to entire units and formations, to function as a cohesive entity. Around 60,000 soldiers are involved in collective training every year. The Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) will transform this training to match ever-more-complex future threats, through digitalisation, simulation, a different relationship with industry, and by changing how and where the military trains.

The objective of the Collective Training Transformation Programme is to appoint a Strategic Training Partner (STP) to jointly develop and implement the Army Collective Training Service (ACTS). The ACTS will exploit new technologies and digitalisation to deliver training which drives innovation and exploits data, empowers and stimulates the training audience and better informs Force Development. It will better prepare the Army and Defence for future complex operations and help to achieve greater productivity in training.

The procurement of the STP will be through a two-stage procurement procedure described further in section V1.3 below, and will involve the award of Development Contracts to short-listed Tenderers following the first stage of the procurement, and a Delivery Contract to the successful tenderer at the conclusion of the procurement process.

two.1.6) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

  • 80610000 - Training and simulation in security equipment

Additional CPV code(s)

  • 34152000 - Training simulators
  • 45214800 - Training facilities building
  • 48518000 - Emulation software package
  • 48610000 - Database systems
  • 48611000 - Database software package
  • 48612000 - Database-management system
  • 71540000 - Construction management services
  • 72212518 - Emulation software development services
  • 72212931 - Training software development services
  • 72242000 - Design-modelling services
  • 72310000 - Data-processing services
  • 72314000 - Data collection and collation services
  • 72322000 - Data management services
  • 79418000 - Procurement consultancy services
  • 79632000 - Personnel-training services
  • 79993000 - Building and facilities management services
  • 80000000 - Education and training services
  • 80500000 - Training services
  • 80511000 - Staff training services
  • 80520000 - Training facilities
  • 80521000 - Training programme services
  • 80522000 - Training seminars
  • 80530000 - Vocational training services
  • 80531200 - Technical training services
  • 80532000 - Management training services
  • 80570000 - Personal development training services
  • 80600000 - Training services in defence and security materials
  • 80610000 - Training and simulation in security equipment
  • 80620000 - Training and simulation in firearms and ammunition
  • 80630000 - Training and simulation in military vehicles

two.1.7) Information about subcontracting

The tenderer has to indicate in the tender any share of the contract it may intend to subcontract to third parties and any proposed subcontractor, as well as the subject-matter of the subcontracts for which they are proposed

The tenderer has to indicate any change occurring at the level of subcontractors during the execution of the contract

two.1.8) Lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.9) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2) Quantity or scope of the contract

two.2.1) Total quantity or scope

The objective of this procurement is to select a Strategic Training Partner (STP) to jointly develop and implement the Army Collective Training Service (as described in further detail in II.1.5 above).

Service Requirement Document (SvRD)

An SvRD will be issued to all Tenderers as part of the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) Stage 1. The SvRD will provide detailed requirements for each of the service elements of the ACTS, but in summary the services to be provided under the Delivery Contract are expected to include:

Govern the Collective Training Service. This will include services to provide: governing, reporting and confirming. Noting the governing service is expected to be an Authority led process delivered in collaboration with the STP.

Direct the Collective Training Service. This will include services to provide: scheduling of training events and the booking of Army and Defence training resource to satisfy the training demand.

Analyse the Collective Training Service. This will include services to provide: analysing and developing training requirements.

Design the Collective Training Service. This will include services to provide: designing and composing training events.

Deliver Collective Training. This will include services to provide: facilitation and administration, security, logistics, real life support, facilities, Actors, Audiences, Adversaries and Enemies (A3E), instrumenting, controlling, data modelling, simulation emulation, specialist support, observing and reviewing and cloud supporting.

Develop the Collective Training Service, this will include services to provide: monitoring, innovating, configuring and acquiring.

Assure Collective Training, this will include a service to validate collective training activity.

Collaboration between the STP and Authority will be an essential enabler to achieve the services as outlined above.

The training service to be delivered by the STP under the Delivery Contract may require convergence of legacy contracts, details of which will be provided in the Invitation to Negotiate.

The STP may be required to manage military owned assets which will be supplied as Government Furnished Assets. Further details will be outlined in the Invitation to Negotiate.

The procurement of the STP will be through a two-stage procurement procedure described further in section V1.3 below, and will involve the award of Development Contracts to short-listed Tenderers following the first stage of the procurement, and a Delivery Contract to the successful tenderer at the conclusion of the procurement process.

Estimated value excluding VAT:

Range: between £1,900,000,000 and £2,500,000,000

two.2.2) Information about options

Options: No

two.3) Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Duration in months: 180 (from the award of the contract)


Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions relating to the contract

three.1.1) Deposits and guarantees required

The Authority reserves the right to require an indemnity, guarantee or bank bond in the circumstances set out in the ITN.

three.1.2) Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them

Details regarding the pay performance and incentivisation mechanism will be set out in the ITN.

three.1.3) Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded

Details on response requirements from groups of Applicants will be set out in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions.

three.1.4) Other particular conditions to which the performance of the contract is subject, in particular with regard to security of supply and security of information

Conditions will be set out in the DPQQ and ITN materials.

three.2) Conditions for participation

three.2.1) Personal situation

Criteria regarding the personal situation of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion) including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

Criteria regarding the personal situation of subcontractors (that may lead to their rejection) including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

three.2.2) Economic and financial ability

Criteria regarding the economic and financial standing of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion)

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Selection Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: Selection Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

Criteria regarding the economic and financial standing of subcontractors (that may lead to their exclusion)

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Selection Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

three.2.3) Technical and/or professional capacity

Criteria regarding the technical and/or professional ability of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion)

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Selection Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: Selection Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

Criteria regarding the technical and/or professional ability of subcontractors (that may lead to their rejection)

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Selection Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: Selection Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions


Section four: Procedure

four.1) Type of procedure

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Negotiated

four.1.2) Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: Selection Criteria as stated in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions

four.1.3) Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated: yes

four.2) Award criteria

four.2.1) Award criteria

the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

four.2.2) Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction has been used: no

four.3) Administrative information

four.3.1) File reference number attributed by the contracting authority

707414450

four.3.2) Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

Prior information notice

Notice number: 2020/S 213-523082

Other previous publications

no

four.3.4) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

7 September 2023

four.3.6) Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English


Section six: Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.2) Information about European Union funds

The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No

six.3) Additional information

A DPQQ will be conducted and all those who pass successfully will proceed to the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) Stage 1.

The procurement process thereafter will be structured as a multi-stage procurement consisting of the following stages:

ITN Stage 1: The ITN Stage 1 will be issued to all Tenderers down-selected following the DPQQ process. Tenderers will be invited to submit initial tenders in response to the ITN Stage 1. The Authority will evaluate those initial tenders and identify the two highest ranked Tenderers to proceed to ITN Stage 2.

ITN Stage 2: The two highest ranked Tenderers identified at ITN Stage 1 will be awarded Development Contracts. These contracts will provide for the Tenderers to conduct a series of development tasks to demonstrate practical activities which will further support the evaluation of the tenders. Further detail to be provided in the Invitation to Negotiate.

It is envisaged that the duration of ITN Stage 2 will be up to 8 months. The relevant Tenderers will receive a firm fee as a contribution to overall costs paid by reference to completion of identified milestones.

During ITN Stage 2 the Authority also expects to conduct negotiations with the Tenderers.

At the end of ITN Stage 2 the Tenderers will be invited to submit final tenders. The Authority will evaluate those final tenders in line with the evaluation criteria. This tenderer will (subject to approvals) be awarded the Delivery Contract.

The Authority's intention is to take two Tenderers through to the end of ITN Stage 2. However, the Authority reserves the right to proceed with a single tenderer should it consider it appropriate to do so.

Suppliers Instructions How to Express Interest in this Tender:

Register your interest via the Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) AWARD® Portal PQQ Security Gateway supplier registration link here:

https://award.commercedecisions.com/cttp/web/project/8c911fa7-d6a3-4aa0-a43b-ec4631ce7f4d/register

Please note that if your company is already registered in the CTTP AWARD® Portal then do not re-register; you will find the link under “Open Registrations” when you login.

Each company must only register once – additional users can be added on request once registration is complete.

Details of how to access and respond to the ACTS DPQQ documentation will be presented to you within AWARD®

To meet the Cyber risk profile at the DPQQ stage a ‘Supplier Assurance Questionnaire’ (SAQ) must be completed in compliance with DEFSTAN 05-138. The Risk Assessment Reference (RAR) to complete the questionnaire is: 372511172 link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/defence-cyber-protection-partnership.

Please refer to further details in the DPQQ guidance, instructions and conditions document.

For information, under section II.2.1 value range, £1,900,000,000 - £2,500,000,000 the upper range reflects uncertainty of training volume of demand and inflation.

six.4) Procedures for appeal

six.4.1) Body responsible for appeal procedures

Ministry of Defence

Army Headquarters (AHQ), Ramillies Building, Marlborough Lines, Monxton Road

Andover

SP11 8HJ

Email(s)

jeremy.carless101@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom