Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name, addresses and contact point(s)
Ministry of Defence
Abbey Wood, Cedar 2B
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Contact
DESLESTSP-DCC-ComrclTeam@mod.gov.uk
Email(s)
Country
United Kingdom
Section two: Object of the contract
two.1) Description
two.1.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance
Supplies
Purchase
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance
Qioptiq
Glascoed Road, St Asaph
Denbighshire
LL17 0LL
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
two.1.3) Information on framework agreement
The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement
two.1.4) Short description of the contract or purchase(s)
The Dismounted Close Combat project team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, has placed a seven-year Framework Agreement with Qioptiq Limited for the continued procurement of the TALON Fused Weapon Sight – Image Intensifier / Thermal Imager under the Assault Rifle In-Line Low Light Sight (ARILLS) capability.
Framework is placed for £1.00 consideration.
All future purchases will be subject to financial approval on a case-by-case basis.
There will be no initial quantity from the outset. However, there is an estimated TFR of 10,000 TALON systems over the life of the framework.
two.1.5) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
- 38633000 - Telescopic sights
two.2) Total final value of contract(s)
two.2.1) Total final value of contract(s)
Value: £120,000,000
Excluding VAT
Section four: Procedure
Type of procedure
Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
Justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice
1) Justification for the choice of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice
No tenders or no suitable tenders in response to: negotiated procedure competition
All tenders submitted in reply to an open procedure, a restricted procedure or competitive dialogue were irregular or inacceptable. Only those tenderers were included in the negotiations which have satisfied the qualitative selection criteria: no
The periods for the restricted procedure and the negotiated procedure with prior publication of a contract notice are incompatible with the urgency resulting from a crisis: no
Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority/entity: no
The works/goods/services can be provided only by a particular tenderer for reasons that are:
technical
The contract concerns research and development services other than those referred to in the regulations: no
The products involved are manufactured purely for the purpose of research, experiment, study or development: no
Additional works/deliveries/services are ordered under strict conditions: no
For supplies quoted and purchased on a commodity market: no
New works/services, constituting a repetition of existing works/services: no
Contract related to the provision of air and maritime transport services for the armed forces deployed or to be deployed abroad: no
Explanation:
In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI No.2019/697) this procurement shall be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (DSPCR 2011) as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450).
Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate.
It is considered that this Contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) and is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR for technical reasons.
This is due to strict technical impracticality for any other economic operator other than Qioptiq to achieve the same technical requirements/output performance provided by the TALON system that offers a fused dual-channel sight and the interoperability, compatibility and commonality purposes that is required with the current TALON fleet as part of the ARILLS requirement. Qioptiq are the only economic operator that has the necessary know-how/access to information to manufacture and provide the TALON system, to meet the Authority’s requirement.
Qioptiq is the only economic operator that can meet the Authority’s requirement to provide the TALON Fused Weapon Sight – Image Intensifier / Thermal Imager, for the assault rifle weapon system, that meets the Authority’s bespoke needs.
The Authority’s critical technical capabilities as part of the ARILLS requirement can only be met by this unique TALON system, and the requirement therefore cannot be met by another economic operator.
four.2) Award criteria
four.2.2) Information about electronic auction
An electronic auction has been used: no
four.3) Administrative information
four.3.1) File reference number attributed by the contracting authority
706392450
four.3.2) Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract
no
Section five: Award of contract
Contract No
706392450
five.1) Date of contract award decision
22 August 2024
five.2) Information about offers
Number of offers received
1
Number of offers received by electronic means
1
five.3) Name and address of economic operator in favour of whom the contract award decision has been taken
Qioptiq Ltd
Glascoed Road, Saint Asaph
Denbighshire
LL10 0LL
Country
United Kingdom
five.4) Information on value of contract
Initial estimated total value of the contract
Value: £1
Excluding VAT
Total final value of the contract
Value: £120,000,000
Excluding VAT
If annual or monthly value
Number of months: 0
five.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract is likely to be sub-contracted: No
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.3) Procedures for appeal
six.3.1) Body responsible for appeal procedures
Ministry of Defence
Abbey Wood, Cedar 2B
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Email(s)
DESLESTSP-DCC-ComrclTeam@mod.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom