Award

The Supply and In-service Support of Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBDs)

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-027634

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0401f7

Published 19 September 2023, 1:24pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

Bristol

Email

desshipscomrcl-salmo-multiuser@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=57017

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 Supply and In-service Support of Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBDs)

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 98360000 - Marine services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The Salvage & Marine Operations Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (‘MOD’), intends to negotiate a contract with Ocenco Incorporated (‘Ocenco’) to provide in-service support for Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBDs), together with the purchase of additional EEBDs. It is intended that the contract will be for a period of 5 years from 1st April 2024, with three additional one-year Options to extend. The estimated value of this contract is £8,000,000 ex VAT.

EEBDs are used in the event of an escape from atmospheres that are either toxic or unable to sustain life and are a safety critical item to personnel on board ships/submarines.

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: £8,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 35111400 - Fire escape equipment
  • 44611200 - Breathing apparatus

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Salvage & Marine Operations Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (‘MOD’), intends to negotiate a contract with Ocenco Incorporated (‘Ocenco’) to provide in-service support for Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBDs), together with the purchase of additional EEBDs. It is intended that the contract will be for a period of 5 years from 1st April 2024, with three additional one-year Options to extend. The estimated value of this contract is £8,000,000 ex VAT.

EEBDs are used in the event of an escape from atmospheres that are either toxic or unable to sustain life and are a safety critical item to personnel on board ships/submarines.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

Three additional one-year Options to extend.

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:

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 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 this contract without prior publication of a Contract Notice in the UK e-notification service (in accordance with the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) because competition is absent for technical reasons.

This is because Ocenco is the sole manufacturer of the M-20.2, M-20.2XT and M-20.2T EEBDs which are currently in service with the MOD. Ocenco is the only company with the in-depth technical know-how and expertise to fulfil the requirement. Ocenco, as the original equipment manufacturer, is the only company with the ability to provide the legislative safety certification to re-certify or recycle the EEBDs which is required for MOD to comply with statutory legislation (Solas Regulation ii-2/13.3.4, ii-2/13.4.3, IMO Resolution MCS.98(73) Chapter 3.2.2 (FSS Code), IMO Resolution MCS/Circ.849, EN 13794 (2002) and ISO 23269-1 (2008)). The EEBDs provided by Ocenco are a safety critical item to personnel on board ships/submarines. Personnel are trained to use only one variant of EEBDs in the event of an escape from atmospheres that are either toxic or unable to sustain life. Using different equipment would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation by Royal Navy (RN) personnel and incompatibility with existing RN equipment. Introducing another type of EEBD would introduce an unacceptable safety risk to personnel.

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

19 September 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

Ocenco Incorporated

Pleasant Praire

Country

United States

NUTS code
  • US - United States
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

Yes

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

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £8,000,000

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

Ministry of Defence

Bristol

Country

United Kingdom