Bridge Set Infantry Assault (BSIA) In-Service Support - UK5

Combat Support Vehicles (CSV), part of the UK Ministry of Defence (“the Authority”), intends to place a new contract for the Bridge Set Infantry Assault (BSIA) to provide repair, Post Design Services (PDS), spares, and technical assistance with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) GDELS-BS. The contract shall span 8 years and is estimated to cost circa £5M. Bridge Set Infantry Assault (BSIA) is a modular assault bridge crucial for manoeuvring troops across various terrains.

Placing a Direct Award contract with GDELS-BS, will ensure safety and technical standards continue to be met at reasonable cost to the taxpayer. Justification for utilising Direct Award is under Section 41, Schedule 5, Paragraphs 6 and 7 of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23),based on there being no reasonable alternatives to BSIA, the need for additional or repeated goods, services, or works and an absence of competition for technical reasons. The decision is grounded in the potential technical difficulties that would arise if a change in supplier led to incompatible goods or services, particularly in terms of operational and maintenance challenges.

GDELS-BS is the only operator with the specific technical expertise required to support the maintenance and safe operation of the equipment. Using an alternative supplier would result in incompatibility and compromise safety, especially in tasks like technical welding which requires expert input from the OEM. Without access to the bespoke jigs and tools or to technical data and process information, a third-party supplier would not have sufficient information or capability to provide the required in-service support without significant operational safety risk and delays which are not operationally acceptable to the Authority.

A Direct Award contract with the OEM guarantees access to necessary support, spares, technical services, and expertise, whilst underpinning the safety case of the capability without major disruptions. It is deemed the only option which meets the operational and safety requirements of the BSIA equipment, ensuring continuity, and value for money while mitigating associated technical and operational risk.