Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
DSTL
Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ
Salisbury
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory
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
£729,000.00
Reference number
PA0000001465
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 51430000 - Installation services of laboratory equipment
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL), part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) intends to award a 5 year contract with a total estimated value of between £775k to £875k (including VAT) to Contained Air Solutions (CAS) Ltd for the provision of 14 Class III Microbiological Safety Cabinets of varying sizes (sizes listed separately) and their installation
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Lowest offer: £646,000 / Highest offer: £729,000 taken into consideration
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL), part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) intends to award a 5 year contract with a total estimated value of between £775k to £875k (including VAT) to Contained Air Solutions (CAS) Ltd for the provision of 14 Class III Microbiological Safety Cabinets of varying sizes (sizes listed separately) and their installation.
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:
It is considered that the award of this contract without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice in the UK e-notification service (in accordance with the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 because competition is absent for technical reasons.
The required microbiological safety cabinets are for use in high containment laboratories for working with Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) Group 3 organisms. The cabinets are the primary containment method for the protection of laboratory staff, and wider environment, when working with dangerous pathogens. The cabinet control mechanisms are also used to control the routine fumigation of the cabinets and the safe venting after this process.
Currently all Class III microbiology safety cabinets in the Authority’s high containment laboratories come from the same manufacturer, CAS Ltd. This is to reduce factors that are likely to cause human error, which includes a ‘standardisation’ of equipment to reduce operational risk, aligned with HSE stipulations. All laboratory staff are specifically trained in the safe use of CAS Ltd cabinets: standardisation is critical both within laboratories and across the building to minimise the potential for Authority staff to make safety critical mistakes through multiple manufacturer instructions and instrumentation to work with during operation.
Use of alternative cabinet suppliers, where these may appear similar to CAS Ltd, would impose changes in controls and training requirements that would increase the likelihood of error resulting in accident or exposure to biological or chemical hazards to levels that would be unacceptable to the MoD.
Given the required safety cabinets must be manufactured by CAS Ltd for the reasons set out above then they must also be installed by them as only this supplier has the necessary technical data, skills and experience to install their own equipment to the required safety and operational standards.
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/concession
Contract No
PA0000001465
Title
Supply and installation of fourteen Class III Microbiological Safety Cabinets
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
19 January 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
Contained Air Solutions Limited
Manchester
M241UB
info@containedairsolutions.co.uk
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)
Lowest offer: £646,000 / Highest offer: £729,000 taken into consideration
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
Ministry Of Defence
London
Country
United Kingdom