Future opportunity

Defence Air Passenger Services System (DAPSS)

  • Ministry of Defence

F16: Prior information notice for contracts in the field of defence and security

Notice reference: 2021/S 000-024150

Published 28 September 2021, 10:45pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

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

Ministry of Defence

MOD Abbey Wood, Elm 3B #4342

Bristol

BS34 8JH

Contact

Jessica Cambridge

For the attention of

Cambridge Jessica

Email(s)

Jessica.Cambridge100@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

General address of the contracting authority/entity

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-equipment-and-support

Address of the buyer profile

https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=51830

Further information

Further information can be obtained from 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/entity is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities/entities:

No


Section two: Object

two.1) Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority/entity:

Defence Air Passenger Services System (DAPSS)

two.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Supplies

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

United Kingdom (UK)

NUTS code

  • UK - United Kingdom

two.3) Information on framework agreement

The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement: No

two.4) Short description of nature and scope of works or nature and quantity or value of supplies or services

Please see Additional Information at VI.2)

Lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.5) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

  • 48813000 - Passenger information system

Additional CPV code(s)

  • 48000000 - Software package and information systems
  • 48120000 - Flight control software package
  • 48131000 - Aviation ground support software package
  • 48813200 - Real-time passenger information system

two.6) Scheduled date for start of award procedures and duration of the contract

Scheduled date for start of award procedures: 30 September 2022


Section six: Complementary information

six.1) Information about European Union funds

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

six.2) Additional information

1. Title

701575803 - The Provision of a Defence Air Passenger Services System (DAPSS)

2. Object of the Prior Information Notice

Contracting Authority’s Reference: 701575803

The purpose of this Prior Information Notice (PIN) is to inform potential suppliers of the intended procurement for an Air Passenger Logistics Support requirement with a focus on COTS applications coupled with in-service support.

3. Background and Description

The Authority provides air transportation around the world to various destinations and carry in the region of 200,000 passengers and crew each year. These passengers include personnel deploying to operations worldwide, VIPs and their associates, Civil Servants, civilian contractors, families and other concessionary travellers and on occasion, fare paying passengers.

The Defence Air Passenger Systems Service (DAPSS) capability shall provide a flight scheduling, reservation processing, and aircraft despatch capability to manage air passengers and their baggage to ensure the sustainable, safe and efficient operation of the Air Transport Force and Authority passenger charter aircraft worldwide.

The DAPSS capability will be used by 1000-2000 users in (but not limited to) RAF airheads in the UK and worldwide as well as Command Headquarters and major military establishments.

The DAPSS capability will utilise three modular elements from the standard airline industry Passenger Services Systems technology:

1. Scheduling – to support the scheduling of RAF air transport flights and the Authority charter air passenger flights.

2. Airline Reservation System – to allow air passengers to be allocated to a specific flight.

3. Departure Control Systems – to support the air terminal functions of checking-in air passengers and their baggage.

The capability will need to be able to:

• connect to the Authority network and therefore will require security accreditation

• protect the DAPSS data with a Privacy Marking not exceeding OFFICIAL SENSITIVE.

• connect to UK Borderforce

• provide a conversion training package for the users

• connect to peripherals (boarding card scanner, printer and baggage weighing scales – these may be procured separately or part of the service)

• provide a Management Information report writing capability

• provide a backup and disaster recovery capability

• provide up to 24hr software support

• ensure that digitisation and automation are to be utilised as much as is practicable to simplify and expedite air passenger processing and the capability will be interoperable with existing systems and home base infrastructure.

There is no requirement for users to be able to use the DAPSS capability to book Authority air passengers onto civilian airline flights as they use their own passenger booking systems. This negates any requirement for interoperability between the DAPSS capability and any civilian airline booking systems.

The requirement for the capability to comply with Authority, Government and International Air Transport Regulations, as detailed in (but not limited to), International Air Transport Association (IATA), Military and Civilian Aviation Authorities (MAA/CAA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) manuals. Covering the movement of air passengers and their baggage.

It is expected that the DAPSS capability should have Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) functionality.

4. Procurement Timescales & Contract Value

The Authority anticipates issue of Contract Notice and Supplier Selection in February 2022 with the issue of an Invitation to Tender in May 2022. The current estimated value range of the Contract is between £1 - £11M (Within Cat D Range)

5. Provision of Further Information

Prior to initiating the procurement, the Authority seeks to gather information from the market to engage and understand the capabilities of suppliers within the market in relation to the objective either as a whole or in component elements. This will help inform the Authority's procurement strategy for the programme.

The Authority would like to identify what services and equipment are currently available from suppliers in order meet this outline capability. In order to inform our options and plan appropriately DE&S would welcome the receipt of the following information from potential suppliers.

a. Provide details of products that could fulfil part, or all the basic capability outlined above. This must be limited to a maximum of 6 A4 pages (including any embedded documentation and links), or equivalent, and can come in the form of promotional material.

If suppliers would like to provide information in accordance with 5. a. Provision of Further Information, you must do so by the following time and date and shall submit this information to the named contact point at Section 1 of this PIN:

• 17:00pm on the 25th October 2021.

Please note that non-participation in the provision of further information shall not prevent any supplier from subsequently expressing an interest to respond to the Contract Notice and PQQ.

6. Additional Information

You must not take this Prior Information Notice to mean confirmation that the Authority shall award a contract for this requirement. The Authority is publishing this announcement without any commitment to issue a tender or place a contract. Accordingly, any expenditure, work or effort undertaken before contract award is a matter solely for the commercial judgement of potential suppliers.

The Contracting Authority intends to use an e-Tendering system in this procurement exercise, please visit www.contracts.mod.uk for full details and to register your interest in this procurement.

Any questions related to the DAPSS project should be directed to the SCIS Delivery Team via the Defence Sourcing Portal. Please also refer to the Opportunity Listing on the Defence Sourcing Portal –

https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=51830