Award

Maintenance and Support to the Hypobaric Chamber - Transparency notice

  • Defence Equipment and Support

UK5: Transparency notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-061241

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0529ba (view related notices)

Published 1 October 2025, 11:42am



Scope

Reference

714595451

Description

The technical maintenance and support to the Hypobaric Chamber system, with the contractor performing Design Organisation responsibilites.


Contract 1. Maintenance and Support to the Hypobaric Chamber

Supplier

Contract value

  • £900,000 excluding VAT
  • £1,100,000 including VAT

Below the relevant threshold

Earliest date the contract will be signed

14 November 2025

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 31 December 2025 to 31 December 2030
  • Possible extension to 31 December 2033
  • 8 years, 1 day

Description of possible extension:

Three individual one year option years

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 50660000 - Repair and maintenance services of military electronic systems

Contract locations

  • UK - United Kingdom

Participation

Particular suitability

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)


Procedure

Procedure type

Direct award

Special regime

Defence and security

Direct award justification

Single supplier - technical reasons

The Air Enablers delivery team, part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence ("the Authority") intends to place a new contract with Busch (UK) Ltd for the maintenance and support of its Hypobaric Chambers. The duration of this contract is intended to be four (4) years, plus an additional four (4) individual one (1) year options.

The Authority considers that the direct award justification in paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 applies in the circumstances. Namely, in relation to the contract (a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the services required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those services.

In particular, no economic operator aside from Busch (UK) Ltd is capable of supplying the necessary services to the Authority, owing to the fact that Busch (UK) Ltd has recently formally merged with the Design Organisation ("DO"), Vacuum Furnace Engineering (VFE). No supplier other than Busch (UK) Ltd would be able to deliver to the Authority's level of requirements to ensure maintainability of the Equipment Contribution of Risk to Life Safety Case, without which there is no functioning Hypobaric Chamber.


Supplier

Busch (UK) Ltd

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWYW-9582-JTRT

Unit 8, Hayes Trading Estate

Halesowen

B63 2RR

United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0)1384 426170

Email: ian.jenner@vfe.co.uk

Website: https://www.buschvacuum.com/uk/en/

Region: UKG36 - Dudley

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No

Contract 1. Maintenance and Support to the Hypobaric Chamber


Contracting authority

Defence Equipment and Support

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVRL-5831-GLMM

MOD Abbey Wood

Bristol

BS34 8JH

United Kingdom

Region: UKK12 - Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

Organisation type: Public authority - central government