Hydrogen In-Air Monitoring System (HIAMS) Support - Contract Award Notice

CPV: Technical support services

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

2 Jun 2023, 11:07 BST

Last source update

17 Aug 2023, 13:36 BST

Authority reference

707513450 - PEDT/0036

FTS notice number

2023/S 000-024178

Classification (CPV)

Technical support services

Delivery area

UKSouth West (UKK11)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-03d336 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Published justification

The Secretary of State for Defence (the “Authority”) intends to enter into a services contract (the “Contract”) with KeTech LTD (the Contractor) to take effect on and from 31st April 2023 for a period of 5 years for the provision of in-service support (Test, Calibration, Repair and Storage) of the Hydrogen In-Air Monitor System (HIAMS) currently fitted to the Vanguard and Trafalgar Class Submarines. The Contract has a value of £508,000 (inc VAT). The Contract is let for 5 years. The value above is inclusive of those option years.

In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 for technical reasons. It is believed that the services to be provided under the contract can only be supplied by the Contractor, and that therefore, competition is absent.

KeTech LTD are the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for HIAMS, that are fitted to Vanguard and Trafalgar Class Submarines. The HIAMS is a reliable sensitive system that continuously monitors the air in the battery ventilation trunking for potentially hazardous concentrations of Hydrogen. Hydrogen becomes potentially explosive at concentrations as low as 4% and the HIAMS detects hydrogen at concentrations much lower than this explosive limit and will give an active alarm to its submariners. With the equipment being obsolete only KeTech LTD have the technical information, tooling and suitably qualified & experienced personnel, to perform the calibration, testing, repairs and provide a Certificate of Conformity and Warranty on this equipment. Without this documentation the MoD cannot provide assurances to its end users that the monitors are fit for purpose.

Furthermore, KeTech LTD hold a purpose-built test rig which has the sole purpose of testing the HIAMS units to the required standards. The testing rig is essential in order to complete the required testing and repairs on this equipment. There is no other testing rig on the market that meets the technical requirements, and the test rig is located on the KeTech site and is not available for use by other Contractors.

There are no other identified companies that could conduct the required work on the equipment, without increasing the risk of the probability of single failure and impacting whole boat safety as defined above. In order to maintain the safety of the platform and personnel the Contract with KeTech LTD is essential.

Publisher note: Opportunity Listing: https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=56365

• KETECH DEFENCE LTDAwarded supplier NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, East Midlands
• KeTech Defence LTDAwarded supplier 3 Fulwood Park Caxton Road Fulwood, Preston, UK, PR2 9NZ

No document links were published on the notice.