Contract

Engage 2: International Engagement Research

  • Department of Energy Security and Net Zero

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-031959

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04a613

Published 4 October 2024, 4:33pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Department of Energy Security and Net Zero

3 - 8 Whitehall Place, London

London

SW1A 2EG

Email

nuclearinnovation@energysecurity.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-energy-security-and-net-zero

one.2) Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Environment


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Engage 2: International Engagement Research

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 73110000 - Research services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

International engagement is viewed as a key enabler in achieving the UK’s decarbonisation targets, and the UK is already involved in several relevant bilateral and multilateral engagement activities that promote accessing, developing, and sharing knowledge, research and innovation outputs.

The purpose of the International Engagement Programme is to build upon current, previous, and potential future international engagement activities funded by DESNZ and extend them to reflect the increased ambition. This will involve wider engagement with UK academic and R&D communities in the UK.

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: £141,012

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The purpose of the International Engagement Programme is to build upon current, previous, and potential future international engagement activities funded by DESNZ and extend them to reflect the increased ambition. This will involve wider engagement with UK academic and R&D communities in the UK.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

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

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below

  • No tenders or no suitable tenders/requests to participate in response to restricted procedure
  • The services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

There is considerable evidence that there is a single eligible supplier for these services, specifically the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). NNL is a public corporation wholly owned by DESNZ which has a remit to support delivery of the Government’s national programmes in nuclear through excellence in science and technology; provide impartial and objective strategic advice to Government; represent the interests of the UK Government nationally or internationally in appropriate nuclear science and technology related fora, meetings and events.

There are over-arching reasons for tasking NNL. As the UK national lab, NNL have an established network representing the entire nuclear landscape. Their reputation as the national lab enables them to work with partners who may not choose to work with purely commercial third parties. In addition, NNL have international networks and memberships to Boards and committees that third parties do not have and could not establish. NNL are the UK signatories and lead organisation for the Halden Programme. Membership to the programme is not determined by UK Government, and there is no guarantee that a different organisation would be accepted onto the Programme. This function should be carried out by the national laboratory as the central point of contact for nuclear energy R&D in the UK. It also provides input into the NNL role as strategic advisors to Government. NNL have a unique breadth of skills and knowledge spanning technical and strategic fields, resulting from their heritage as a national laboratory and requirement to understand Government policy.

The justification for the Single Tender Action (STA) is therefore that competition is absent due to technical reasons, and to provide the combination of skills, integration and neutrality and STA to NNL is the most suitable procurement route to achieve the objectives and outcomes of this programme.

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

con_6621

Title

Engage 2: International Engagement Research

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

6 September 2024

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1

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

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

National Nuclear Laboratory

Chadwick House, Warrington Road, Birchwood Park.

Warrington

WA3 6AE

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
National registration number

3857752

The contractor is an SME

No

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

Total value of the contract/lot: £141,012


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

3-8 Whitehall Place

London

SW1A 2EG

Country

United Kingdom