Award

Provision of Type 31 Capability Insertion Phase

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-036164

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0422a0

Published 8 December 2023, 9:25am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

Ship Acquisition, Ash 0C #3016 MOD Abbey Wood

Bristol

BS34 8JH

Email

Felicity.Roberts103@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

Main address: (URL) https://des.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

Provision of Type 31 Capability Insertion Phase

Reference number

709887452

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 50640000 - Repair and maintenance services of warships

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

This contract is for the insertion, testing and enhancement of military capability of the Type 31 Frigate Programme. This is known as the Capability Insertion Phase (CIP) and is standard across RN Fleet vessels new to Service.

The work will include the provision of technical and management services that support the insertion of key military capability across all five [5] Royal Navy [RN] Type 31 Frigates as they transition into service.

The CIP is essential to providing Royal Navy enhancements and will provide additional capability beyond that provided during the vessel build phase.

The Company, as ship builder, is the only economic operator that can supply the Technical and Management Services with the necessary know how and technical information to fulfil this requirement.

The work will include the provision of technical and management services that support the integration of key military capability across all five [5] Royal Navy [RN] Type 31 Frigates as they transition into service.

The CIP is essential to providing Royal Navy enhancements to fully support the vessels post Vessel Acceptance into Service and will provide additional capability beyond that provided during the vessel build phase.

The Company, as ship builder, is the only economic operator that can supply the Technical and Management Services with the necessary know how and technical information to fulfil this requirement.

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: £55,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 50640000 - Repair and maintenance services of warships

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Ships Acquisition, which is part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) proposes to place a contract with Rosyth Royal Dockyard Ltd for the insertion, testing and enhancement of military capability, including the technical and management support services that contribute to the transitioning of the five [5] Type 31 Royal Navy Frigates into service.

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:

Ships Acquisition, which is part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has contractually committed for the build of five (5) Type 31 (T31) frigates, awarded following a competition.

Normally, on completion of the build phase of each Vessel, DE&S will be required to execute technical and military capability upgrades during the subsequent post build activity known as the Capability Insertion Period (CIP). The CIP injects military capability in the period between Vessel Acceptance Date (VAD) and Initial Operating Capability (IOC), raising the currency of the platforms to the required operational level.

The Design & Build (D&B) contract did not include an option to inject future military capability due to the vessels being both new to service and immature in terms of build specification. This is in keeping with other UK Naval Ship build programmes e.g. QEC, T26. Build specification matured over time and the footprint stabilised post contract award.

Delivering a CIP on T31 adopts the same approach taken on all RN platforms. However, the T31 CIP will be delivered in parallel with the current D&B schedule, comprising of technical and management services that support the installation and testing of key military capability across all 5 RN T31 Frigates as they transition into service.

Data interchange under D&B Information Exchange Rights does not occur until VAD. In providing CIP via the ship builder, free exchange of information will be accelerated and will present an opportunity for earlier and mutually beneficial data flow resulting in a seamless bridge between D&B, CIP and ultimately the competed support solution.

In order to complete the CIP package of work and deliver the capability, the Shipbuilder (Babcock), is the only economic operator that can supply the technical and management services, with the necessary know how and technical information. This would ultimately de-risk the programme to enable the protection of national interests, along with levelling the playing field for a competed commercial solution to support the platforms through life.

It is considered that this contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC and Section 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (SI 1848), on the basis that the contract may be awarded only to the Company for technical reasons.

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

Contract No

709887452

Title

Type 31 Capability Insertion Phase

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

8 December 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

Rosyth Royal Dockyard Ltd

Babcock International, Rosyth Business Park, Rosyth, Dunfermline, Fife, KY11 2YD

Rosyth

KY11 2YD

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: £55,000,000

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted

All or certain subcontracts will be awarded through a competitive procedure


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Ships Commercial

MOD Abbeywood

Bristol

BS34 8JH

Country

United Kingdom