Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name, addresses and contact point(s)
Ministry of Defence
Walnut 2b, # 1027, MOD Abbey Wood
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Contact
CSAT Commercial Team
For the attention of
Jason Atkinson
Email(s)
DESC17CSAE-Commercial@mod.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
General address of the contracting authority/entity
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-equipment-and-support
Electronic access to information
Electronic submission of tenders and requests to participate
https://www.contracts.mod.uk/go/50061669018C5D362ACD
Further information
Further information can be obtained from the above mentioned contact point(s)
Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from
The above-mentioned contact point(s)
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to
The above-mentioned contact point(s)
one.2) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
one.3) Main activity
Defence
one.4) Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities/entities
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities:
No
Section two: Object of the contract
two.1) Description
two.1.1) Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority
C17CSAE/707083450 Command Support Air Transport (CSAT) Recapitalisation Phase 2
two.1.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance
Services
Service category No 3: Defence services, military defence services and civil defence services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance
RAF Northolt, London, UK
NUTS code
- UKI74 - Harrow and Hillingdon
Duration of the framework agreement
Duration in years: 5
Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement
Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between £135,000,000 and £150,000,000
two.1.5) Short description of the contract or purchase(s)
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) replaced its fleet of BAe146 transport aircraft stationed at RAF Northolt in June 2022, with 2 x New Dassault Falcon 900LX business jets, by adopting a procurement strategy featuring two phases:
Phase 1: Competitive procurement of two new civil jets with an in-service support package that runs until Sep 2026. These aircraft are owned by the MoD but operated on the Civil Aircraft Register (CAR) and initially operated by a contractor. Phase 1 also included the training of military pilots and cabin crew and the use of these service personnel to complement the civilian pilots in the delivery of the service.
Phase 2: A separate competitive procurement for the embodiment of military modifications onto the aircraft, from 1 Oct 2026 (subject to further take-up of contract options), and provision of in-service support through to Apr 2037, utilising military personnel in the operation of the aircraft, under the Military Aircraft Register (MAR).
NB – this Contract Notice is concerned exclusively with Phase 2.
two.1.6) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
- 50650000 - Repair and maintenance services of military aircrafts, missiles and spacecrafts
Additional CPV code(s)
- 35730000 - Electronic warfare systems and counter measures
- 50210000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services related to aircraft and other equipment
- 50211200 - Aircraft repair services
two.1.7) Information about subcontracting
The tenderer has to indicate in the tender any share of the contract it may intend to subcontract to third parties and any proposed subcontractor, as well as the subject-matter of the subcontracts for which they are proposed
two.1.8) Lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.9) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2) Quantity or scope of the contract
two.2.1) Total quantity or scope
The current CSAT fleet consists of 2 x Envoy IV Aircraft (Dassault Falcon 900LX) based at RAF Northolt. Although the Envoy IV are currently operated on the Civilian Aircraft Register (CAR), the intention is to transfer Envoy IV onto the Military Aircraft Register (MAR) prior to the start of the new contract.
Scope comprises two key requirements:
1. Provision of a fully inclusive in-service support solution to support and maintain the Envoy IV Aircraft through to planned OSD of Apr 2037, utilising military personnel in the operation of the aircraft.
2. Design and embodiment of military modifications onto the aircraft and ensure certification of airworthiness under MAR, to enable the aircraft to be operated in military airspace and in a non-benign environment. The modifications will be subject to the outcome of a requirements review.
The contract shall be for a term of 5 (five) initial years with options to extend by a further 6 (six) years (taken in single or multiple year intervals).
This contract is being procured under Regulation 18 (Negotiated Procedure) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.
The Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) will be used to manage the procurement process, including evaluation. Access to the DSP is required to complete the DPQQ and access should be requested via the Supplier Registration Page on the DSP.
Following DPQQ evaluation, the Authority intends to invite a maximum of the 4 (four) highest scoring respondents to the ITN phase. Following submission and assessment of the written Initial Tender submissions, all technically and commercially compliant bidders may be invited to a negotiation phase. However, the Authority reserves the right to award the Contract to the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) in accordance with the scoring criteria following evaluation of the tenders, without undertaking a negotiation phase.
The Authority anticipates issuing the ITN in December 2024, followed by a bidders’ conference to be held in the UK. Contract award is forecast for March 2026 with contract start in October 2026, though the Authority reserves the right to amend the timetable from time to time.
The Authority trades using the electronic ‘Contracting, Purchasing & Finance’ system (CP&F). Before completing the DPQQ, any interested parties should ensure that they have the ability to trade electronically, and the willingness connect to the CP&F System in the event of being successful.
A Cyber Risk Assessment has been conducted for this requirement to ascertain the level of Cyber Risk present. The result of this assessment is that a Cyber Risk level of 'Low’ exists and therefore successful respondents invited to ITN will need to hold a Cyber Essentials [Plus] certificate and undertake a Cyber Risk Assessment on their proposed supply chain. Respondents can verify their readiness to comply with opportunities bearing this Cyber Risk Level by completing a Cyber Risk Assessment using RAR code: RAR-303384308.
To note: The issue of this Contract Notice (CN) or any future ITN or ITN material is not a commitment by the Authority to place a contract as a result of this competition, or at a later stage. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to any offer and subsequent acceptance of contract, is a matter solely for your commercial judgement. The Authority has conducted previous industry engagement using Defence Contracts Online (DCO), with a Request for Information (RFI) published in April 2023 and industry day held in July 2023.
Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between £135,000,000 and £150,000,000
two.2.2) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of these options: In addition to the previously stated contract duration, the Authority may at its sole discretion extend the contract by a maximum of 6 years (taken in single or multiple year intervals).
The £135,000,000 to £150,000,000 estimated Contract value is inclusive of the above options.
two.2.3) Information about renewals
This contract is subject to renewal: No
two.3) Duration of the contract or time limit for completion
Duration in months: 60 (from the award of the contract)
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions relating to the contract
three.1.1) Deposits and guarantees required
As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN.
three.1.2) Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them
As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN.
three.1.3) Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded
As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN.
three.1.4) Other particular conditions to which the performance of the contract is subject, in particular with regard to security of supply and security of information
The successful personnel will be required to obtain the necessary security clearances following award of contract. Further detail regarding the processes to be followed and conditions to be applied will be included within the ITN.
three.2) Conditions for participation
three.2.1) Personal situation
Criteria regarding the personal situation of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion) including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Economic operators will be required to sign a declaration confirming whether they do or do not have any of the listed criteria as part of the pre-qualification process.
Economic operators who have been convicted of any of the offences under Article 39(1) are ineligible and will not be selected to bid, unless there are overriding requirements in the general interest (including defence and security factors) for doing so.
Economic operators who are guilty of any of the offences, circumstances or misconduct under Article 39(2) may be excluded from being selected to bid at the discretion of the Authority.
Suppliers Instructions How to Express Interest in this Tender:
1. Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once)
- Browse to the eSourcing Portal
- Click the “Click here to register” link
- Accept the terms and conditions and click “continue”
- Enter your correct business and user details
- Note the username you chose and click “Save” when complete
- You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (please keep this secure)
2. Express an Interest in the tender
- Login to the portal with the username/password
- Click the "PQQs Open to All Suppliers" link. (These are Pre-Qualification Questionnaires open to any registered supplier)
- Click on the relevant PQQ to access the content.
- Click the “Express Interest” button in the “Actions” box on the left-hand side of the page.
- This will move the PQQ into your “My PQQs” page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only)
- Click on the PQQ code, you can now access any attachments by clicking the “Settings and Buyer Attachments” in the “Actions” box
3. Responding to the tender
- You can now choose to “Reply” or “Reject” (please give a reason if rejecting)
- You can now use the ‘Messages’ function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification
- Note the deadline for completion, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the PQQ
- There may be a mixture of online & offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available)
If you require any further assistance please consult the online help, or contact the eTendering help desk.
Criteria regarding the personal situation of subcontractors (that may lead to their rejection) including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Suppliers Instructions How to Express Interest in this Tender:
1. Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once)
- Browse to the eSourcing Portal
- Click the “Click here to register” link
- Accept the terms and conditions and click “continue”
- Enter your correct business and user details
- Note the username you chose and click “Save” when complete
- You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (please keep this secure)
2. Express an Interest in the tender
- Login to the portal with the username/password
- Click the "PQQs Open to All Suppliers" link. (These are Pre-Qualification Questionnaires open to any registered supplier)
- Click on the relevant PQQ to access the content.
- Click the “Express Interest” button in the “Actions” box on the left-hand side of the page.
- This will move the PQQ into your “My PQQs” page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only)
- Click on the PQQ code, you can now access any attachments by clicking the “Settings and Buyer Attachments” in the “Actions” box
3. Responding to the tender
- You can now choose to “Reply” or “Reject” (please give a reason if rejecting)
- You can now use the ‘Messages’ function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification
- Note the deadline for completion, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the PQQ
- There may be a mixture of online & offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available)
If you require any further assistance please consult the online help, or contact the eTendering help desk.
three.2.2) Economic and financial ability
Criteria regarding the economic and financial standing of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion)
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN
Criteria regarding the economic and financial standing of subcontractors (that may lead to their exclusion)
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN
three.2.3) Technical and/or professional capacity
Criteria regarding the technical and/or professional ability of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion)
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: Economic operator is expected to be a Coordinated Design Organisation (CDO) accredited with Maintenance Approved Organisation Scheme (MAOS) and Design Approved Organisation Scheme (DOAS), or willing to obtain such accreditation, or able to partner with an organisation that meets these requirements.
As further stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN.
Criteria regarding the technical and/or professional ability of subcontractors (that may lead to their rejection)
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: As stipulated within the DPQQ and later within the ITN
Section four: Procedure
four.1) Type of procedure
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated
four.1.2) Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate
Envisaged minimum number 2 and maximum number 4
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: Following assessment of the DPQQ responses the Authority shall invite the four highest scoring economic operators that also meet the minimum threshold to tender for the requirement.
Where there are less than four economic operators that meet the minimum threshold, the Authority reserves the right (at its sole discretion) to invite less than four economic operators to tender or, cancel the procurement exercise.
Further information on the criteria used for scoring each DPQQ question, the minimum threshold and allocating a final score can be found in the DPQQ and DPQQ guidance notes attached to this opportunity.
four.1.3) Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue
Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated: yes
four.2) Award criteria
four.2.1) Award criteria
the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document
four.2.2) Information about electronic auction
An electronic auction has been used: no
four.3) Administrative information
four.3.1) File reference number attributed by the contracting authority
C17CSAE/707083450
four.3.2) Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract
Notice number: 2021/S 000-027137 of 28 October 2021
Other previous publications
Notice number: 2022/S 000-005779 of 2 March 2022
four.3.4) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
3 March 2024 - 11:59pm
four.3.6) Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up
English
Section six: Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about European Union funds
The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
six.3) Additional information
The Contracting Authority intends to use an e-Tendering system in this procurement exercise, please visit www.contracts.mod.uk for full details and to register your interest in this procurement.
six.4) Procedures for appeal
six.4.1) Body responsible for appeal procedures
Ministry of Defence
DE&S, Air Support, Walnut 2b, #1027, MoD Abbeywood South
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Email(s)
DESC17CSAE-Commercial@mod.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.1) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Ministry of Defence
DE&S, Air Support, Walnut 2b, #1027, MoD Abbeywood South
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Email(s)
DESC17CSAE-Commercial@mod.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained
Ministry of Defence
DE&S, Air Support, Walnut 2b, #1027, MoD Abbeywood South
Bristol
BS34 8JH
Email(s)
DESC17CSAE-Commercial@mod.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom