HECLA 5 · UK public procurement notice

The Royal Navy, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a 2 + 2 year contract with a value of £3,500,000 to Teledyne for the IN-SERVICE SUPPORT SOLUTION AND TRIALS IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS (HECLA 5).

As a covered procurement, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023.

In the circumstances, the authority may award this public contract directly in accordance with section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. The applicable direct award justification is that set out in paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 of the Act.

This justification applies because the HECLA contract concerns the supply of services by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to existing services in circumstances where:

a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving services that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing services. Namely, a different supplier would lack Teledynes (i) deeply embedded operational expertise and established relationships with strategic partners, and (ii) critical interoperability with strategic partners.

And

the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and/or maintenance. In particular, the difference in service provided by a different supplier would result in:

Incompatibility with existing systems: alternative suppliers would not have access to the proprietary design and technical information required to ensure seamless integration with the existing Slocum glider fleet and associated systems, leading to operational inefficiencies and reduced system performance

Disruption to Data Flow: The integration of data from Gliders, profiling floats, and subsequent processing within the MoD’s systems would be disrupted, compromising the ability to collect and utilise critical oceanographic data in real time.

Loss of Interoperability: The inability to meet interoperability requirements with strategic partners would hinder joint operations and data-sharing capabilities, reducing the effectiveness of collaborative missions.

As a result, the services provided by any alternative supplier would be incompatible with the existing Slocum glider fleet and associated systems, leading to disproportionate technical difficulties in operation, maintenance, and mission assurance. Teledyne’s unique position as the OEM ensures that the services provided are fully aligned with the MoD’s operational requirements, safeguarding the effectiveness and reliability of this critical capability.