Ministry of Defence Serapis Framework
The Serapis Framework aims to provide an expedient mechanism for DSTL to access industrial and academic expertise both within the UK and wider, in support of the Divisions’ S&T programmes, and potentially wider MOD and Partner Across Government organisations.
United Kingdom-Porton Down: Research services
2018/S 214-491355
Contract notice
Services
Directive 2009/81/EC
Section I: Contracting authority/entity
I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)
Ministry of Defence, DSTL, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
Bldg 5
Contact point(s): Kishore Sarkar
For the attention of: Sophie Stent
SP4 0JQ Porton Down
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1980957510
E-mail: ksarkar@dstl.gov.uk
Internet address(es):
General address of the contracting authority/entity: www.dstl.gov.uk
Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)
I.2)Type of the contracting authority
I.3)Main activity
I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities/entities
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
SW1P 4DF London
United Kingdom
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
SW1A 2AH London
United Kingdom
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
1 Victoria Street
SW1H 0ET London
United Kingdom
Section II: Object of the contract
II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:
II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance
Service category No 3: Defence services, military defence services and civil defence services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: United Kingdom.
NUTS code UK
II.1.3)Information on framework agreement
II.1.4)Information on framework agreement
Duration of the framework agreement
Duration in years: 6
Justification for a framework agreement, the duration of which exceeds seven years:
Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement
Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 220 000 000 and 300 000 000 GBP
II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s):
The Serapis framework aims to provide an expedient mechanism for DSTL to access industrial and academic expertise both within the UK and wider, in support of the Divisions’ S&T programmes, and potentially wider MOD and Partner Across Government organisations (PAGs). The construct should allow the supply base to be refreshed throughout the contract lifespan, ensuring that Dstl has access to innovative solutions and robust technical support. Such a construct will allow for the rapid response to emerging capability needs, Urgent Operational Requirements/Urgent Capability Requirements (UOR/UCR) and surge requirements emanating from operations.
Based on the structure and contents of the programmes and the aggregation of wider requirements across the portfolios, the Serapis Framework has been categorised into six Lots, details of each Lot is provided in this notice.
The competition is seeking to appoint a Prime Contractor for each Lot to lead, manage and deliver research in to the areas covered by the 6 lots. The appointed Prime Contractors will be responsible for delivering agile, and cutting-edge research, building and maintaining a robust supplier network with an emphasis on scientific excellence, innovation, and collaboration to exploit research, skills and capabilities.
In addition to Dstl and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Serapis framework will be available to the following Government Departments/Public Authorities (including their agencies and public bodies): the Home Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
73110000
II.1.7)Information about subcontracting
II.1.8)Lots
Tenders may be submitted for one or more lots
II.1.9)Information about variants
II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:
— manage the delivery of cutting edge, world-leading, innovative research, to address both future focused, longer term requirements, and nearer term more applied requirements,
— adopt processes/an approach that will enable agile, timely and flexible responses to research needs across several technical disciplines. This is to include rapid responses to emerging and urgent operational and surge requirements when required,
— access and engage a diverse and vibrant external supplier network. Including refreshing, growing and reconfiguring the supply base throughout the contract lifespan as required,
— enabling a collective and inter-/multi-disciplinary approach to task delivery where appropriate and building links between industry, Small Medium Enterprises (SME) and academia, and facilitating effective partnerships,
— provide a robust and proportionate technical and quality assurance mechanism as part of a wider assurance model. This should include the option to invite independent external review of S&T outputs where appropriate,
— enable the inward and outward exchange/sharing of staff between DSTL and supplier organisations, including the ability to work as a combined team where required in order to:
(a) build and sustain capability, and
(b) enable delivery of S&T tasks,
— support suppliers to take part in international research collaboration as Panel/Group representatives and/or as part of a research activity with MOD/DSTL agreement,
— provide an open, transparent, fair and flexible mechanism for selecting the supplier(s) to deliver research,
— maximise the accessibility, exploitation potential and impact of the S&T it delivers, including enabling S&T exploitation support activities; and
— follow a thorough and transparent approach to knowledge and information management.
Please note:
No business whatsoever is guaranteed under any resulting Framework Agreement or contracts, indeed there is no guarantee that any Framework Agreement or contract will be put in place in relation to this notice. No compensation etc will be paid if a tender or resulting Framework Agreement is withdrawn for any reason. Bidders should take part in this process only on the basis that they fully understand and accept this position.
Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 220 000 000 and 300 000 000 GBP
II.2.2)Information about options
II.2.3)Information about renewals
Information about lots
Lot No: 1 Lot title: Collect
1)Short description
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
73110000
3)Quantity or scope
5)Additional information about lots
Lot No: 2 Lot title: Space System
1)Short description
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
73110000
3)Quantity or scope
5)Additional information about lots
Lot No: 3 Lot title: Decide
1)Short description
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
73110000
3)Quantity or scope
5)Additional information about lots
Lot No: 4 Lot title: Assured Information Infrastructure
1)Short description
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
73110000
3)Quantity or scope
5)Additional information about lots
Lot No: 5 Lot title: Simulation and Synthetic Environments
1)Short description
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
73110000
3)Quantity or scope
5)Additional information about lots
Lot No: 6 Lot title: Understand
1)Short description
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
73110000
3)Quantity or scope
5)Additional information about lots
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:
(a) allow the potential provider to demonstrate it has the necessary financial capacity to deliver the contract by other means such as a deed of guarantee from its bank or insurance company or, if appropriate, its parent company; and
(b) take into account all aspects of the potential providers financial status, e.g. turnover, profit, net assets, liquidity, gearing and capacity and may use an independent financial assessment from a reputable credit rating organisation as part of this process.
If the potential provider cannot demonstrate to the Authority that it has the appropriate economic and financial standing to provide the service they will automatically be deemed non-compliant.
III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:
III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:
III.1.4)Other particular conditions to which the performance of the contract is subject, in particular with regard to security of supply and security of information:
Please note that this assessment will be conducted separately for each task placed under any resulting framework that maybe awarded following this competition. As a result the risk assessment may vary depending on the nature of each task.
Requirements placed under this framework could be up to UK Top Secret.
The successful contractor will be required to have appropriate facility security clearance provisions in place preferably by the time of contract award but no later than 9 months after contract award.
The Authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law or government policy. If any contract documents are accompanied by a Security Aspects Letter, the Authority reserves the right to amend the terms of the Security Aspects Letter to reflect any changes in national law or government policy whether in respect of the applicable protective marking scheme, specific protective markings given, the aspects to which any protective marking applies or otherwise.
III.1.5)Information about security clearance:
III.2.1)Personal situation
Criteria regarding the personal situation of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion) including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: The Authority will apply all the offences listed in Article 39(1) of Directive 2009/81/EC (implemented as Regulation 23(1) of the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR) 2011 in the UK) and all of the professional misconducts listed at Article 39(2) of Directive 2009/81/EC (see also Regulation 23(2) in the DSPCR 2011) to the decision of whether a Candidate is eligible to be invited to tender.
A full list of the Regulation 23(1) and 23(2) criteria are at http://www.contracts.mod.uk/delta/project/reasonsForExclusion.html#dspr
Candidates will be required to sign a declaration confirming whether they do or do not have any of the listed criteria as part of the pre-qualification process.
Candidates who have been convicted of any of the offences under Article 39(1) are ineligible and will not be selected to bid, unless there are overriding requirements in the general interest (including defence and security factors) for doing so.
Candidates who are guilty of any of the offences, circumstances or misconduct under Article 39(2) may be excluded from being selected to bid at the discretion of the Authority.
The Authority will apply all the offences listed in Article 39(1) of Directive 2009/81/EC (implemented as Regulation 23(1) of the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR) 2011 in the UK) and all of the professional misconducts listed at Article 39(2) of Directive 2009/81/EC (see also Regulation 23(2) in the DSPCR 2011) to the decision of whether a Candidate is eligible to be invited to tender.
A full list of these criteria are at http://www.contracts.mod.uk/delta/project/reasonsForExclusion.html#dspr
Candidates will be required to sign a declaration confirming whether they do or do not have any of the listed criteria as part of the pre-qualification process.
Candidates who have been convicted of any of the offences under Article 39(1) are ineligible and will not be selected to bid, unless there are overriding requirements in the general interest (including defence and security factors) for doing so.
Candidates who are guilty of any of the offences, circumstances or misconduct under Article 39(2) may be excluded from being selected to bid at the discretion of the Authority.
III.2.2)Economic and financial ability
Criteria regarding the economic and financial standing of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion)
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: (a) appropriate statements from the economic operator’s bankers or where appropriate, evidence of relevant professional risk indemnity insurance;
(b) the presentation of balance-sheets or extracts from the balance-sheets, where publication of the balance-sheet is required under the law of the country in which the economic operator is established;
(c) where appropriate, a statement, covering the 3 previous financial years of the economic operator, of:
(i) the overall turnover of the business of the economic operator; and
(ii) where appropriate, the turnover in respect of the work, works, goods or services which are of a similar type to the subject matter of the contract.
The Authority shall require copies of the last two (2) years of audited accounts (if available), or equivalent information, to identify any significant financial trends. This information should be provided with the Pre-qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). In addition to this information suppliers are requested to provide the following details:
(a) any material changes in their economic or financial standing since the date of the last set of audited accounts or likely to take effect within the next 12 months; and
(b) any existing or proposed financial commitments or liabilities that could adversely affect their economic and financial standing.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: A financial assessment will be undertaken on the supplier’s financial status. An overall pass/fail judgement will be made after considering areas such as turnover, profit, net assets.
Criteria regarding the economic and financial standing of subcontractors (that may lead to their rejection)
III.2.3)Technical and/or professional capacity
Criteria regarding the technical and/or professional ability of economic operators (that may lead to their exclusion)
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
(m) in the case of contracts involving, entailing or containing classified information, evidence of the ability to process, store and transmit such information at the level of protection required by the Contracting Authority.
This information should be provided as part of the supplier’s response to the Pre-qualification Questionnaire (PQQ).
Criteria regarding the technical and/or professional ability of subcontractors (that may lead to their rejection)
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
The Authority reserves the right under Article 21(5) of Directive 2009/81/EC to reject any subcontractor chosen by the main contractor at any stage of the contract award procedure or during performance of the contract if that subcontractor:
(1) requires access to classified information up to UK TOP SECRET; and
(2) fails to provide evidence to the satisfaction of the Authority that it has the capability to protect that level of classified information in accordance with Article 42.1(j) of Directive 2009/81/EC.
III.3.1)Information about a particular profession
III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate
IV.2.1)Award criteria
IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction
IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:
IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract
Prior information notice
Notice number in the OJEU: 2018/S 155-357445 of 9.8.2018
IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document
IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about recurrence
VI.2)Information about European Union funds
VI.3)Additional information:
The Contracting Authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are Small or Medium Enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement. The Authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law or government policy. If any contract documents are accompanied by instructions on safeguarding classified information (e.g. a Security Aspects Letter), the Authority reserves the right to amend the terms of these instructions to reflect any changes in national law or government policy, whether in respect of the applicable protective marking scheme, specific protective markings given, the aspects to which any protective marking applies, or otherwise. The link below to the Gov.uk website provides information on the Government Security Classification.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-security-classifications
Advertising Regime OJEU:
— this contract opportunity is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU),the MoD Defence Contracts Bulletin and www.contracts.mod.uk
Suppliers must read through this set of instructions and follow the process to respond to this opportunity.
The information and/or documents for this opportunity are available on http://www.contracts.mod.uk.
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Suppliers must log in, go to your Response Manager and add the following Access Code: F6458A4996.
Please ensure you follow any instruction provided to you here.
The deadline for submitting your response(s) is detailed within this contract notice, you will also have visibility of the deadline date, once you have added the Access code via DCO as the opening and closing date is visible within the opportunity.
Please ensure that you allow yourself plenty of time when responding to this opportunity prior to the closing date and time, especially if you have been asked to upload documents.
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GO Reference: GO-2018115-DCB-13501767
VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures
Ministry of Defence, DSTL, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
Bldg 5
SP4 0JQ Porton Down
United Kingdom
E-mail: ksarkar@dstl.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 1980957510
Internet address: www.dstl.gov.uk
Body responsible for mediation procedures
Ministry of Defence, DSTL, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
Dstl Porton Down
Salisbury
United Kingdom
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice: