Award

Design and Integration Partner for the Dismounted Situational Awareness project

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-036456

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0424c7

Published 12 December 2023, 9:44am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

Ash 0A, MOD Abbey Wood, Stoke Gifford

Bristol

BS34 8JH

Contact

Harvey Webber

Email

Harvey.Webber100@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKK11 - Bristol, City of

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/defence-digital

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

Design and Integration Partner for the Dismounted Situational Awareness project

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 73436000 - Test and evaluation of military electronic systems

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The Tactical Systems Service Executive (TacSys SE) Team within Defence Digital, part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MOD), intends to award a 4 month contract. This contract will allow Rowden Technologies to continue as the Design and Integration Partner for the Dismounted Situational Awareness project. Rowden Technologies will be required to provide support to the Authority with the competitions for the DSA Equipment providers, as well as continuing to develop the system design in readiness for system integration, testing and acceptance activities against the DSA system design delivered by the current Design and Integration Partner contract.

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: £911,807

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKK11 - Bristol, City of

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Tactical Systems Service Executive (TacSys SE) Team within Defence Digital, part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MOD), intends to award a 4 month contract to Rowden Technologies Ltd. This contract will allow Rowden Technologies to continue as the Design and Integration Partner for the Dismounted Situational Awareness project. Rowden Technologies will be required to provide support to the Authority with the competitions for the DSA Equipment providers, as well as continuing to develop the system design in readiness for system integration, testing and acceptance activities against the DSA system design delivered by the current Design and Integration Partner contract.

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:

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 this contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice in the UK e-notification service (in accordance with the relevant legislation) pursuant to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 (as amended) for Technical Reasons. Rowden Technologies is the current incumbent and are responsible for the development and delivery of the DSA system design from inception. This means that they have the technical knowhow and expertise to integrate and accept the DSA system in accordance with the system design developed by them. Rowden Technologies have also integrated the experimental DSA system, and therefore have in depth knowledge and understanding of any integration issues that may arise. The continuation of services with Rowden Technologies will ensure that a single contractor is accountable for the DSA system from design through to acceptance and ensure they are on contract to resolve any design issues raised during system integration, testing and acceptance activities. Rowden Technologies will play a key role in the DSA system Assessment Phase competition. They will be involved in development of the evaluation criteria and assessment of bids submitted during the competition for the supply of DSA system, so a continuation of this same contractor through to IOC is essential to ensure the eventual DSA system meets the design. The introduction of an alternative contractor to take on the Design and Integration work at this stage will introduce an unacceptably high degree of technical risk to the achievement of the project’s objective requirement and lead to potential rework and significant integration/acceptance risk

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

709139458

Title

Design and Integration Partner for the Dismounted Situational Awareness project

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

5 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

Rowden Technologies Ltd

Unit G3C, Bolingbroke Way, Filton

Bristol

BS34 6FE

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKK11 - Bristol, City of
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

Yes

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

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £911,807

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

TacSys Commercial

Ash 0A, MOD Abbey Wood, Stoke Gifford

Bristol

BS34 8JH

Country

United Kingdom