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
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
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