Contract

ESMCP - Mobile Services Agreement for the Emergency Services Network

  • The Secretary of State for the Home Department

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-041313

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04868e

Published 20 December 2024, 6:22pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

The Secretary of State for the Home Department

Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP), 3rd Floor, Clive House, 70 Petty France

LONDON

SW1H 9EX

Contact

ESMCP Mobile Services Commercial Lead

Email

ESMCPSupplier@homeoffice.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office

Buyer's address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Public order and safety


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

ESMCP - Mobile Services Agreement for the Emergency Services Network

Reference number

C15416

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 64200000 - Telecommunications services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

This Award Notice is for the provision of the Mobile Services network and related services for the Home Office to support the development and implementation of the new Emergency Services Network (ESN).

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: £1,850,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 32000000 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
  • 32523000 - Telecommunications facilities
  • 32524000 - Telecommunications system
  • 45232332 - Ancillary works for telecommunications
  • 45314000 - Installation of telecommunications equipment
  • 48200000 - Networking, Internet and intranet software package
  • 50312300 - Maintenance and repair of data network equipment
  • 50312600 - Maintenance and repair of information technology equipment
  • 50312610 - Maintenance of information technology equipment
  • 50324200 - Preventive maintenance services
  • 50330000 - Maintenance services of telecommunications equipment
  • 50334400 - Communications system maintenance services
  • 51000000 - Installation services (except software)
  • 64212000 - Mobile-telephone services
  • 64212100 - Short Message Service (SMS) services
  • 64225000 - Air-to-ground telecommunications services
  • 64227000 - Integrated telecommunications services
  • 64228100 - Television broadcast transmission services
  • 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
  • 72253000 - Helpdesk and support services
  • 72253200 - Systems support services
  • 72315100 - Data network support services
  • 72318000 - Data transmission services
  • 72322000 - Data management services
  • 72514000 - Computer facilities management services
  • 72514100 - Facilities management services involving computer operation
  • 72514200 - Facilities management services for computer systems development
  • 72514300 - Facilities management services for computer systems maintenance
  • 98110000 - Services furnished by business, professional and specialist organisations

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance

England, Scotland and Wales

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

This Award Notice is for the provision of the Mobile Services network and related services for the Home Office to support the development and implementation of the new Emergency Services Network (ESN). ESN will replace the expensive, ageing and outdated Airwave system and provide critical communications for the emergency services.

The new Mobile Services Agreement (MSA) has been awarded jointly to EE Ltd and BT Plc in the form of a tripartite agreement. The award of the contract was previously announced at pre-contract stage via a Voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice published on the Find a Tender service website on 31 July 2024 (FTS/024046-2024).

The Mobile Services contract is for a term of 7.25 years plus one extension year, as well as a termination assistance period, for a maximum value of £1.85bn. The Mobile Services contract will provide mobile network coverage for emergency services mission critical communications. This contract subsumes and replaces the previous contract for mobile network services with EE which was expiring and required updating.

The main services to be provided by the MS Suppliers shall include the services specified in the Original Lot 3 Agreement with certain modifications which are designed to optimise the delivery and performance of the ESN, based on experience gained during the Original Lot 3 Agreement, as set out in the afore-mentioned VEAT.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

1 Year

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No

two.2.14) Additional information

Continuation from section V.2.5):

28.3% of the services will be subcontracted to entities outside of the BT Group. Most of these subcontracted services will be provided through existing contractual relationships with suppliers that the MS Suppliers already use for their commercial network service.


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below

  • The services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

The Authority has entered into the Mobile Services Agreement with the MS Suppliers on the basis that regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 applies, i.e. that only the MS Suppliers can provide the services required because competition is absent for technical reasons. The Authority considers that no reasonable alternative or substitute exists, and the absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement. The reasons that the Authority considers the use of regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) applies are detailed in the ESN Mobile Services Agreement Voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice published on the Find a Tender service website on 31 July 2024 (FTS/024046-2024).

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2024/S 000-024046


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

C15416

Title

Mobile Services Agreement for the Emergency Services Network

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

22 November 2024

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1

Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 1

Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

EE Ltd and British Telecommunications Plc

1 Braham Street

LONDON

E1 8EE

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
Internet address

https://ee.co.uk

The contractor is an SME

No

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

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £1,289,231,819

Total value of the contract/lot: £1,850,000,000

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract is likely to be subcontracted

Value or proportion likely to be subcontracted to third parties

Proportion: 28 %

Short description of the part of the contract to be subcontracted

Specialist services required to design, build and install specialist coverage solutions, 5G SA implementation, 4G/5G core network integration support, appropriate power resilience solutions, support with the Air to Ground network and specialist services to fix urgent faults at EE network sites and maintenance and support of the ESN dedicated core network. (Cont/d in additional Information section)


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

The Home Office as Contracting Authority intends to put in place contracts for the ESN for use by or on behalf of itself and other UK public sector bodies (The Scottish Ministers acting through the Scottish Government, Safer Communities Directorate , The Welsh Ministers acting through the Welsh Government) in England, Scotland, and Wales (and their statutory successors and organisations created as a result of re-organisation or organisational changes).

However, the services shall also be available for use by all UK contracting authorities (as defined in the Regulations) with a public safety, crime prevention or security remit, including, but not limited to, Central Government Departments (in particular the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Scottish Ministers acting through the Scottish Government, and the Welsh Ministers acting through the Welsh Government and their Agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) (a list of Government Departments, Agencies and NDPBs can be found at: Departments, agencies and public bodies - GOV.UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/economicstatisticsclassifications/introductiontoeconomicstatisticsclassifications. The services shall also be available to the following entities:

NHS bodies (i.e. NHS England, NHS Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts and other NHS organisations including NHS Scotland and its organisations and Special NHS Boards in Scotland) (lists of such Authorities and Trusts can be found at: NHS England » NHS provider directory NHS Wales health boards and trusts | GOV.WALES Organisations – Scotland's Health on the Web

Local Authorities a list of such authorities can be found at:

LOCAL AUTHORITY COUNCILS:

England:

County, Unitary, District, Borough, and Metropolitan Councils. (Parish and Community Councils are also permissible users). See link:

A-Z of councils online | Local Government Association

https://www.local.gov.uk/topics http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils/index.htm

Scotland: Administered across 32 Council areas. See link:

Councils | COSLA

Wales: Administered across 22 Council areas. See link:

Find your local authority | GOV. WALES https://www.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/local-authorities/local-authority-contacts/

All territorial and specialist police forces in England, Wales, and Scotland, including National Crime Agency, College of Policing and other law enforcement agencies, all Police and Crime Commissioners and Police Authorities in the UK, Fire and Rescue Services Find a police force | Police.uk (www.police.uk) List of UK fire and rescue services (nationalfirechiefs.org.uk) Structure of the UK Ambulance Services - aace.org.uk. In addition, the services may be made available to Category 1 Responders so "organisations identified as Category 1 or 2 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) which could include (transport operators, utility operators, and charities that interact with public safety bodies).

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

High Court of Justice Royal Courts of Justice

Strand

LONDON

WC2A 2LL

Telephone

+44 2079476000

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.judiciary.uk/courts-and-tribunals/high-court/