714923450 - BBMF Chipmunk PDS

There is a requirement to contract for Post Design Services (PDS) for the BBMF Chipmunk aircraft.

The BBMF Delivery Team, part of DE&S in the UK Ministry of Defence ("the Authority"), intends to award a 3-year contract to Musketeer Services Ltd, acting as Prime Contractor, for the provision of BBMF Chipmunk Post Design Services (PDS). The services will be delivered through the established exclusive working relationship between Musketeer Services Ltd and De Havilland Support Ltd (DHSL), who will undertake the Design Authority and Type Certificate Holder functions required to deliver the PDS activities. The contract will include a further five option years for extension until the aircraft Out of Service Date (OSD) of December 2035.

It is considered that this contract can be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 because the direct award justification specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 (Technical reasons) applies as there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works.

The Authority considers that this justification applies because the required PDS activities must be performed by De Havilland Support Ltd (DHSL), the approved Type Certificate Holder (TCH) and Design Authority for the Chipmunk aircraft. DHSL operates through an established commercial arrangement with Musketeer Services Ltd, who acts as a thin-prime contractor for the provision of these services. DHSL will not provide services through any other arrangement. Whilst the proposed contract will be placed with Musketeer Services Ltd, the technical services can only be delivered by DHSL through its unique ownership of the relevant design data, intellectual property, approvals and regulatory accreditations. There are no reasonable alternative suppliers capable of providing these services whilst maintaining the required regulatory approvals and design authority responsibilities.

The BBMF Chipmunk is primarily used for training, and without the Chipmunk PDS activities, this critical training cannot be conducted. There would also be a serious risk to airworthiness of a single legacy platform with significant importance to the history of the RAF and Britain.