Contract

Recruitment Services for the Army

  • Ministry of Defence

F20: Modification notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-030600

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-040cac

Published 17 October 2023, 1:33pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

RPP Contract Management Team Army Strategic Centre Commercial, Room 210, 2nd Floor, Building 370 HQ Army Recruiting & Initial Training Command Trenchard Lines Upavon Wiltshire SN9 6BE

Upavon

SN9 6BE

Contact

Christopher Johnson

Email

chris.johnson254@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Justification for not providing organisation identifier

Not on any register

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.contracts.mod.uk


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Recruitment Services for the Army

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79600000 - Recruitment services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 79600000 - Recruitment services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement at the time of conclusion of the contract:

Recruitment Services for the Army. The nature and extent of the services to be provided by Capita during this period of further extension will be unchanged from those previously provided by Capita during the original contractual period from 16th March 2012 to 31st March 2024.

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession

Start date

12 March 2012

End date

31 March 2026

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.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Contract award notice concerning this contract

Notice number: 2012/S 053-085882


Section five. Award of contract/concession

Contract No

HQLF2/1739

Title

RECRUITING PARTNERING PROJECT (RPP)

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:

15 June 2023

five.2.2) Information about tenders

The contract/concession has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

CAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTD

LONDON

SW1H 0XA

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (at the time of conclusion of the contract;excluding VAT)

Total value of the procurement: £18,000,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

RPP Army Commercial

Recruiting Partnering Contract, Army Commercial, HQ ARITC, Bldg 370, Room 210, Trenchard Lines, Upavon, Pewsey, Wiltshire, SN9 6BE

Uapvon

SN9 6BE

Country

United Kingdom


Section seven: Modifications to the contract/concession

seven.1) Description of the procurement after the modifications

seven.1.1) Main CPV code

  • 79600000 - Recruitment services

seven.1.3) Place of performance

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom

seven.1.4) Description of the procurement:

In 2012, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) engaged Capita Business Services Limited as an industry partner under a 10-year contractual arrangement to support its Army recruiting services from point of receipt of initial recruiting targets to the securing of an individual’s commitment to the Army, up to the point where that individual commenced their initial military training; and, in so doing, optimise the mix of military and industry expertise delivering such services.

MOD was keen to embrace the opportunities that leading edge technology and industry’s expertise was able to bring to Army recruiting throughout the life of a contractual arrangement, and thus the contractual arrangement included the development and periodic technological refresh of a bespoke ICT system to underpin the Army recruitment processes.

The initial contractual arrangement between MOD and Capita Business Services Ltd ran from 16th March 2012 to 31st March 2022, with an original advertised contract value of £500m.It was then subsequently extended by two further years, to 31st March 2024, through the exercising of existing extension options available under the original contractual arrangement.

It is the Ministry of Defence’s intention to now modify Contract HQLF2/1739, the existing RPP contractual arrangement with Capita Business Services Ltd, in accordance with Regulation 72 (1)(b) of PCR 2015. This modification will take the form of a non-competitive extension to the existing Contract with the current contractor, for a further period of up to 1 year from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025. The nature and extent of the services to be provided by Capita Business Services Ltd during this period of further extension will be unchanged from those provided by the Contractor during the previous contract period from 16th March 2012 to 31st March 2024.

seven.1.5) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession

Start date

12 March 2012

End date

31 March 2026

seven.1.6) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot/concession:

£1,087,223,217.49

seven.1.7) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

Capita Business Services Ltd MoD Recruiting Partnering Project 71 Victoria Street London SW1H 0XA For the attention of Tony Page, RPP Managing Director

SW1H 0XA

LONDON

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
Justification for not providing organisation identifier

Sole trader

The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

seven.2) Information about modifications

seven.2.1) Description of the modifications

Nature and extent of the modifications (with indication of possible earlier changes to the contract):

In 2012, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) engaged Capita Business Services Limited as an industry partner under a 10-year contractual arrangement to support its Army recruiting services from point of receipt of initial recruiting targets to the securing of an individual's commitment to the Army, up to the point where that individual commenced their initial military training; and, in so doing, optimise the mix of military and industry expertise delivering such services.

MOD was keen to embrace the opportunities that leading edge technology and industry's expertise was able to bring to Army recruiting throughout the life of a contractual arrangement, and thus the contractual arrangement included the development and periodic technological refresh of a bespoke ICT system to underpin the Army recruitment processes.

The initial contractual arrangement between MOD and Capita Business Services Ltd ran from 16th March 2012 to 31st March 2022, with an original advertised contract value of £500m.It was then subsequently extended by two further years, to 31st March 2024, through the exercising of existing extension options available under the original contractual arrangement.

It is the Ministry of Defence's intention to now modify Contract HQLF2/1739, the existing RPP contractual arrangement with Capita Business Services Ltd, in accordance with Regulation 72 (1)(b) of PCR 2015. This modification will take the form of a non-competitive extension to the existing Contract with the current contractor, for a further period of up to 1 year from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025. The nature and extent of the services to be provided by Capita Business Services Ltd during this period of further extension will be unchanged from those provided by the Contractor during the previous contract period from 16th March 2012 to 31st March 2024.

seven.2.2) Reasons for modification

Need for modification brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority/entity could not foresee.

Description of the circumstances which rendered the modification necessary and explanation of the unforeseen nature of these circumstances:

6. Description of the circumstances which have rendered necessary the modification.

A separate competitive procurement programme is currently in train under the provisions of PCR 2015 to deliver a new recruiting contract which covers not just Army recruitment but recruitment to all 3 arms of the UK Armed Services. This separate programme is known as the “Armed Forces Recruitment Programme” (“AFRP”), and will ultimately replace the current RPP Contractual arrangement.

However, due to unforeseen programme delays, the anticipated start date for the AFRP contract has now slipped to 1st April 2025, leaving a 1-year gap between scheduled expiry of the RPP contract in March 2024 and the projected commencement of the AFRP recruiting contract. There is consequently a need to ensure that the Army’s existing recruiting contract service continues to operate until such time as the AFRP Contract has been awarded under competitive tender process, and AFRP service delivery is able to commence.

seven.2.3) Increase in price

Updated total contract value before the modifications (taking into account possible earlier contract modifications, price adaptions and average inflation)

Value excluding VAT: £180,000,000

Total contract value after the modifications

Value excluding VAT: £1,087,223,271