Award

GUARDIAN UK Delivery and In-Service Support

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-033314

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04aca9

Published 16 October 2024, 11:32am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

Bristol

Email

matthew.bissett100@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKK11 - Bristol, City of

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.contracts.mod.uk

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

GUARDIAN UK Delivery and In-Service Support

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 42961000 - Command and control system

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

Supply, Integration and Support of UK and FI Air Command and Control (Air C2) System

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: £30,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKK11 - Bristol, City of

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The UK Ministry of Defence intends to place a new Qualifying Defence Contract SACC/00110 for 3 years (one year Delivery and two years In-Service Support) with the Contractor. The Contract is for the provision of Supply Integration and initial support of the Air Command and Control (Air C2) System for the UK and Falkland Islands, a system known as GUARDIAN. The Contract has a value of c. £30M (Ex VAT).

In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 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 the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 for technical reasons.

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

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:

This is a continuation of an existing requirement, and this contract will be placed with the incumbent supplier to deliver the GUARDIAN system to Full Operating Capability (FOC).

The GUARDIAN system is critical to the Air Defence. This Contract will bring GUARDIAN to FOC in the UK and following this will provide a period of In-Service Support.

Competition is absent for technical reasons because the Contractor, as the original equipment manufacturer, is the only economic operator with the specific knowledge of the GUARDIAN system to be able to support such equipment at this stage of its development, without giving rise to incompatibility and safety issues.

When FOC has been achieved, the Contracting Authority will review its contracting strategy with a view to competing the ongoing support of the GUARDIAN system.

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

15 October 2024

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

IBM United Kingdom Limited

Winchester

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKJ36 - Central Hampshire
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £30,000,000

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £30,000,000

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

DE&S

Bristol

Country

United Kingdom