Tender for Safety Consultancy Services

Independent Safety Auditor.

United Kingdom-Bristol: Safety consultancy services

2013/S 180-311074

Contract notice

Services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)

Fast Air Support Team (FAST), DE&S
Walnut 1a #1128, D&S, MOD Abbey Wood, Stoke Gifford
Contact point(s): DES FAST-Comrcl3e1
For the attention of: Pamela Burt
BS34 8JH Bristol
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 3067935796
E-mail: desfast-comrcl3e1@mod.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

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions

I.3)Main activity

Defence

I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

Provision of services of an Independent Safety Auditor (ISA).

II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services
Service category No 27: Other services
NUTS code UKK1

II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

The notice involves a public contract

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

Safety consultancy services.
Expression of Interest
The FAST, as a multi-platform Project Team (PT) requires an ISA to assess parts of the safety cases for the aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), Tornado, and Typhoon fleets. The scope of the task varies for each aircraft type according to its procurement and in-service support arrangements but the ISA’s key role will be to provide assurance to FAST and its stakeholders that the platforms are acceptably safe from an airworthiness perspective.
The ISA role is defined in Def Stan 00-56 Part 1 as
‘…an individual or team, from an independent organisation, that undertakes audits and other assessment activities to provide assurance that safety activities comply with planned arrangements, are implemented effectively and are suitable to achieve objectives; and whether related outputs are correct, valid and fit for purpose…’.
The ISA is to provide assistance to the BBMF ac, Tornado and Typhoon Safety Managers in discharging their responsibilities for monitoring effective safety management of the FAST PT and its contractors. The ISA will provide assurance and guidance on safety management issues by providing an expert, professional opinion without vulnerability to commercial, project or other pressure; however, the opinion offered should consider the reality of competing resources, but should not suppress/obscure the ‘purist’ opinion. The role will be fulfilled by the implementation of an agreed Safety Audit Plan that complements project plans and other regulatory Audits to ensure a timely safety input into projects.
In the context of this Bulletin the terms independent, safety audit and safety advice are defined as:
a. Independent. The ISA must be independent in respect to being able to provide an expert, professional opinion without pressure to modify their opinion. The appointed ISA must be sufficiently independent that there is nothing that might affect or call into question their ability to carry out impartial assessment or audit activities or to make impartial judgements regarding safety. To achieve this, the appointed ISA is required to declare in the ISA Audit Plan its level of independence from the organisations or any parts of its parent organisation already supporting FAST in any capacity. The requirement applies to all ISA team members, including any sub-contracted activities.
b. Safety Audit. A systematic and independent examination to determine whether safety activities comply with planned arrangements, are implemented effectively; are suitable to achieve objectives; and whether related outputs are correct, valid and fit for purpose. It consists of all activities that enable an expert, professional, independent opinion to be reached on the safety of the system.
c. Safety Support. Should take the form of general guidance on the acceptability of a proposed safety argument that facilitates decision-making. In order to maintain independence, the ISA cannot recommend a specific approach, or contribute directly to the safety argument. Guidance that would be given to any broadly similar project and might cover the selection of suitable analysis techniques, the structure of safety arguments and the making of tolerability claims would be deemed general guidance.
The scope of the work is defined below but may include examination of the safety management arrangements and records of the following parties involved with the Typhoon project:
The Strategic Transport and Air-to-Air Refuelling (STAAR) PT and Hercules and TriStar PT (HTPT) for their interface with FAST Tornado and Typhoon with respect to airborne refuelling activities and the Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (SHORAD) and Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile ((BVRAAM) PTs amongst others who interface with FAST through the provision of munitions. There will also be a requirement to liaise with Industry and RAF bases details of which will be provided within the ITT.
The ISA should be able to demonstrate competence in safety audit skills as applied in the air domain, including knowledge of relevant safety policy and legislation.
The performance of this Contract will be subject to monitoring and management through key performance indicators.
Any further information required should be submitted to the Commercial contact listed above by 14:00 on Wednesday 9.10.2013. After which date no further questions will be taken.
Deadline for Interests to be submitted either by e mail or hard copy to the Commercial contact listed above is 12:00 on Friday 25.10.2013.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

79417000

II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): no

II.1.8)Lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.1.9)Information about variants

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

II.2.2)Information about options

II.2.3)Information about renewals

II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions relating to the contract

III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:

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

III.2)Conditions for participation

III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

III.2.3)Technical capacity

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Type of procedure

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Restricted

IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

IV.3)Administrative information

IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

FAST/00058

IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

Time limit for receipt of requests for documents or for accessing documents: 9.10.2013 – 17:00

IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

25.10.2013 – 12:00

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

IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

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

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, and the contract will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender. Suppliers interested in working with the Ministry of Defence should register on the MOD Supplier Information Database (SID) Register, available at www.contracts.mod.uk. The MOD SID is a database of active and potential suppliers available to all MOD and UK Defence procurement personnel, and is the main supplier database of MOD Procurement organisations. Please note: the registration and publication of a company profile on the MOD SID does not mean or imply that the supplier has in any way been vetted or approved by the MOD. Suppliers wishing to compete for advertised MOD contracts must respond to any specific call for competition by submitting a separate expression of interest in accordance with the instructions of the purchasing organisation.

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 GO Reference: GO-2013913-DCB-5117358.

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:13.9.2013