PRIOR INFORMATION NOTICE FOR CONTRACT IN THE FIELD OF DEFENCE AND SECURITY - OFFICIAL JOURNAL

Section I: Contracting Authority / Entity

I.1)

Name, Address and Contact Point(s)

I.2)

Type of contracting Authority and Main Activity or Activities

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions National or federal agency/Office Regional or local Authority Regional or local Agency/Office Body governed by public law European Institution/Agency or International Organisation

General public services Defence Public order and safety Environment Economic and financial affairs Health Housing and community amenities Social protection Recreation, culture and religion Education

Section II: Object of the Contract

II.1)

Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority/entity

Air Dropped Weapons (ADW) Disposal

II.2)

Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

II.3)

This notice involves a framework agreement

II.4)

Short description of nature and scope of works or nature and quantity or value of supplies or services

The Specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal & Search (SEEC) Delivery Team are considering initiating a programme of projects to procure a RCE capability and a specialist low order capability to provide the backbone for future Conventional Munition Disposal (CMD) of WWII German Bombs found in the UK. This PIN concerns two projects:

Project 1: Remote Cased Entry

• A mobile abrasive water jet cutting tool capable of piercing and cutting through WWII munitions to enable removal of Net Explosive Quantity (NEQ) without causing the target to High Order. (Approx qty 5)

• Total mass a mobile abrasive water jet cutting tool is required to cut through a total mass of 250kg (550lbs), Length up to 1.65m (5ft 5 in) Diameter 368mm (14.5in).

o Thickness of steel casing shall be released as part of the ITT requirements.

Project 2: Bespoke Low Order

• A User Filled Container Charge system capable of penetrating WWII munition casings to allow for either mechanical breakup of the target or deflagration without causing the target to High Order. (Approx qty 100)

o A High Order references detonation of the original munition’s chemical composition in a manner which would have been deemed appropriate if the munitions had functioned as intended when dropped.

The Authority will be purchasing Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) equipment in both projects to provide capability to Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal Units across Defence. Project 1 will also include an in-service package which may include, but is not limited to:

• Spares provision

• Repair services

• Technical expertise

• Servicing – where required.

• Safety & Environmental Management

• Obsolescence Management

• Configuration Control & Technical Support

Project 2 will also be required to include, but is not limited to:

• Spares provision

• Technical expertise

• Safety & Environmental Management

• Obsolescence Management

• Configuration Control & Technical Support

It is expected that the ADW programme will be split into five distinctly separate projects (two specifically listed within this PIN and three which will be listed in future PINs), with each project having its own development schedule to reaching in-service. Each project is expected to have a minimum of a ten-year in-service life expectancy from the date of manufacture and should remain supportable during that period.

Each contract is expected to have a duration of five years with options to extend by an additional two years. The estimated value of the two projects in totality are approximately £13M (Project 1: est £8.8M, Project 2 est £4.2M).

Please see 'Additional information' for information on Early Market Engagement, including Supplier Briefs and potential Industry Days and Demonstration Events.

II.5)

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

II.6)

Scheduled date for start of award procedures and duration of the contract

II.7)

Additional information

Early Market Engagement:

The Authority is interested in understanding the capabilities in the market to help inform the development of the requirements. Early Market Engagement activities will be conducted in three parts.

1. Supplier Briefs

2. An MoD hosted Industry Day

3. A MoD hosted Demonstration Event

Supplier Briefs:

Please provide a brief of up to 2,500 words detailing your capability and potential solutions to the requirements along with a price list and any potential risk/issues that the Authority should consider. Your brief should be addressed to DESLESTSP-SEEC-Commercial@mod.gov.uk. Please provide your brief no later 09 August 2024.

As a minimum, your brief should address the following aspects:

Questions:

1. What potential solutions are available to meet the requirements as stated in this PIN. Please provide information to support including any brochures (including technical information), and supplementary information if appropriate.

2. Please provide specific information on the product maturity/ technology readiness level.

3. What are the estimated delivery timescales from order through to delivery? Please base timescales on quantities listed above.

4. What are the estimated costs per unit at the market price?

5. Please provide information on how you would provide an in-service support package which may include but not limited to spares provision, repairs, technical expertise, servicing, safety and environmental management, obsolescence management, configuration control and technical support.

6. Potential risks / issues in relation to these requirements

Industry Day:

As part of the Early Market Engagement the Authority intends to hold an industry day for these projects. Further information will be released through subsequent PINs.

Demonstration Event:

The Authority may wish to hold a Demonstration day after the Industry day has taken place. Further details will be outlined in a future PIN.

Supplier Engagement

The MoD will be reaching out to suppliers to discuss their potential solutions as part of this Early Market Engagement strategy. These discussions will help inform the Authority’s requirement in preparation for the anticipated competition.

If you are interested and would like to discuss your capability that meets these requirements, please contact DESLESTSP-SEEC-Commercial@mod.gov.uk.

All information provided at each Market Engagement Stage shall not be used by the Authority to down select or evaluate suppliers but shall help inform the development of the requirement and contracting strategy only.

In issuing this PIN, The Authority is not committing to commence with any procurement in relation to the requirements stated in this PIN. Accordingly, any expenditure, work or effort undertaken before contract award is a matter solely for the commercial judgement of potential suppliers.

Section III: Legal, Economic, Financial and Technical Information

III.1)

Conditions relating to the contract

III.1.1)

Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions regulating them

III.2)

Conditions for participation

III.2.1)

Reserved contracts

Section VI: Complementary Information

VI.1)

Contract related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds

VI.2)

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.

VI.3)

Information on general regulatory framework

VI.4)

Date of dispatch of this notice