Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
Bristol
desjsens-comrcl-dsp@mod.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.contracts.mod.uk/web/login.html
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
In-service Support for the Ground Based Air Defence Battlefield Information System Application (GBAD BISA)
Reference number
JSENS/00185
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 71336000 - Engineering support services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Joint Sensors and Engagement Networks Team part of the UK Ministry of Defence (“the Authority”), intends to award a contract for a period of three years with one option year. The contract will be awarded to BAE Systems for the continued in-service support and provision of software licences and equipment for the Ground Based Air Defence Battlefield Information System Application (BISA). This support will continue the compatibility with the Bowman System of which it is hosted.
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: £3,200,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Not provided.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Criterion: criterion weighting
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
1 year
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 Authority considers that the single source procurement of this non-competitive contract falls within the circumstances set out in regulation 16 (1)(a)(ii) use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice for technical reasons as detailed below.
BISA is owned by BAE as a bespoke application developed solely for the use with the BOWMAN system. Procuring with a new suppliers would not be possible as the BISA software and licences are wholly owned by BAE. Security will also be an issue as BOWMAN is an American system and anything integrated into it would come under the ITAR ruling. As such, this would lead to increased time and cost to integration and disposal once out of service. BAE are the only supplier to have access to both GD(UK) and the various BOWMAN/DS2 test and reference facilities.
BAE are the GBAD BISA Developer and Design Authority, and as such hold the knowledge and expertise of the current fielded in-service capability and developmental history of the product over its lifetime. A continued contract with BAEs will assure the continued availability of GBAD BISA and its utility to the Military End User. The option represents the minimum scale of effort required to maintain a dedicated base In-Service support capability through the contractor. Proposed activities within the scope of the single source contract will mitigate the risks identified and continue the support solution accepted by Sponsors and Military End Users at ISD.
BAEs have exclusive rights to the Alternative Messaging System (AltMS) and Local Network Software (LNS) software components which are essential to the security of BISA. The licences under which the AltMS and LNS software is provided do not allow the MoD to seek support from a third party. The MoD has exclusive rights of the remaining software components; however, these rights cannot be exercised as the MoD does not possess the required technical material. This is further complicated by the fact it is not possible to view the different software components in isolation, as the existing GBAD BISA software is a single application, which is subsequently incorporated onto the BOWMAN platform and, as such, it is not possible to split out these software components, isolate them, and support them individually – in summary BISA is owned by BAE as a bespoke application and they are the only supplier who can provide enduring support and updates, they own the licences and the BISA software. BAE are the only supplier to have access to both GD(UK) and the various BOWMAN/DS2 test and reference facilities.
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
3 October 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
BAE Systems
Guildford
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
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: £3,200,000
five.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The Authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law of Government policy. If any contract documents are accompanied by instructions on safeguarding, classified information (e.g a Security Aspects Letter), the Authority reserves the right to amend the terms of these instructions to reflect any changes in national law or Government Policy, whether in respect of the applicable protective marking scheme, specific protective markings given, the aspects to which any protective markings applies, or otherwise. The link below to the gov.uk provides information on the government security classifications.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-security-classifications
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Defence Equipment and Support
Bristol
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Defence Equipment and Support
Bristol
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
Not provided.
six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
Defence Equipment and Support
Bristol
Country
United Kingdom