Award

In-service Support for the Ground Based Air Defence Battlefield Information System Application (GBAD BISA)

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-029124

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04077e

Published 3 October 2023, 2:44pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

Bristol

Email

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