Award

Supply of VR Forces Licenses, Associated Maintenance and Hardware

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-023661

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03ef5a

Published 14 August 2023, 8:20am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

Salisbury

SP4 0JQ

Email

CTS-Transparency@dstl.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory

Buyer's address

https://www.contracts.mod.uk

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

Supply of VR Forces Licenses, Associated Maintenance and Hardware

Reference number

RQ0000027028

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 48000000 - Software package and information systems

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contracts for the supply of VR Forces Licenses, associated hardware and maintenance for use by it's Counter Terrorism and Security (CTS) Division.

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: £345,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 48461000 - Analytical or scientific software package
  • 48462000 - Mathematical or forecasting software package
  • 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
  • 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services
  • 72260000 - Software-related services
  • 72267000 - Software maintenance and repair services
  • 72267100 - Maintenance of information technology software
  • 72268000 - Software supply services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contracts for the supply of VR Forces Licenses, associated hardware and maintenance for use by it's Counter Terrorism and Security (CTS) Division.

The initial contract will be for the supply of 4 licenses and 4 USB dongles, 1 years annual maintenance for each license and an additional 1 year maintenance for an existing license already owned by Dstl (estimated value of £160,000.00 - £165,000.00 ex VAT) with the option to extend the maintenance on an annual basis up to a maximum period of 5 years (up to an estimated total contract value of £340,000 - £345,000.00 ex VAT)

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: See Additional Information Section II.2.14 / Weighting: See II.2.14

Price - Weighting: See II.2.14

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

The contract will contain options to extend the maintenance for each license on an annual basis up to a maximum period of 5 years.

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

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

two.2.14) Additional information

II.2.5 Award Criteria:

The award of this contract will be in accordance with MOD commercial policy on the pricing of single source non qualifying contracts applying the principle of No Acceptable Price, No Contract (NAPNOC).


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Negotiated without a prior call for competition

  • 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 Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) acting on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence (the Authority) intends to award a contract to ST Engineering Antycip Limited for a term of up to 5 years and an estimated value of £345,000.00

In accordance with the provisions of The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 SI No. 2020/1319, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) as amended (in particular by SI 2020/1319). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the PCR 2015 because competition is absent for technical reasons.

The Authority has a mandate to demonstrate the benefits of a consistent, cohesive and sharable approach to federated modelling & simulation (M&S) for Testing and Evaluation (T&E) across all of the UK Ministry Of Defence (MOD). This common approach needs to be able to bring together existing and new M&S from across MOD, including models from Science & Technology, Defence Intelligence, Front Line Commands and industry. As part of this mandate, The Authority is required to build multiple simulation and modelling test benches that can be loaned to governmental, industrial and academic partners.

A specification for these was designed in conjunction with The Authority’s industry and Governmental partners, and resulted in a need for battlefield simulation software. As a result, the Authority has a requirement to procure battlefield simulation software that is compatible and able to interoperate with (including but not limited to) other DSTL modelling and simulation projects and the RAF GLADIATOR and associated projects that currently utilise the MAK VR-Forces software.

The MAK VR-Forces software is the only battlefield simulation software currently available on the market that can meet all of the Authority’s technical requirements. Including, but not limited to, its ability to follow industry open standards to allow the federation of external models, datasets and hardware-in-the-loop into the simulation, it’s scale of simulations (e.g. simple first person individual training) to full scale realistic scenarios (e.g. opposed carrier task force supported amphibious landing) across all domains (land, air, maritime, space and cyber etc) and it not being limited to specific government departments or ITAR controls. It also has to be compliant with the Defence Modelling and Simulation Coherence Technical Authority in line with JSP 939.

The proprietary rights in the VR Forces software, hardware and maintenance are owned exclusively by MAK Technologies, Inc., for which ST Engineering Antycip Ltd are the sole UK distributor. Both companies are part of the same company group, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. ST Engineering Antycip Ltd is therefore the only economic operator that is capable of meeting the Authority’s requirement.

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

PA0000001447

Title

Supply of VR Forces Licenses, Associated Hardware and Maintenance

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

9 August 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

ST Engineering Antycip Ltd

The Hub, Twyford Mill

Adderbury

OX17 3SX

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKJ14 - Oxfordshire
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Lowest offer: £160,000 / Highest offer: £345,000 taken into consideration

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

Ministry of Defence

Salisbury

Country

United Kingdom