N/A · Zero Alpha Solutions Ltd for Ministry of Defence (Apr 2025)

CPV: Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

Procedure method

Restricted procedure

Legal basis

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

Procurement category

Goods

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

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

14 Apr 2025, 15:58 BST

Last source update

22 Sept 2025, 14:36 BST

FTS notice number

2025/S 000-058546

Latest notice

Transparency notice (UK5)

Classification (CPV)

Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

Delivery area

UK

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-0502bf Find a Tender

Why no open competition

Single Suppliers Technical Reasons

Published justification

As a covered procurement, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. It is considered that the direct award of the contract is lawful in accordance with section 41(1) and paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 (the “PA 2023”).

The Secretary of State for Defence, acting through DE&S (the “Authority”) intends to procure up to 6 (six) lithium battery storage containers in support of Project Asgard for experimentation and operational purposes. The estimated value of this contract is up to £650,000.00 (six hundred and fifty thousand pounds) and the proposed term is 5 (five) months.

In accordance with paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the PA 2023, the Authority wishes to directly award a contract for these containers to Zero Alpha Solutions Ltd (“ZASL”) for technical reasons. ZASL is the Original Equipment Manufacturer of a militarised lithium battery storage container solution, which has previously been procured by the Authority. Only ZASL produces the containers that satisfy the Authority’s safety assurance requirements for safe operation and use in-service, as well as accreditation for UK and global transportation regulatory requirements. Therefore, there is an absence of competition for technical reasons as no other supplier is able to supply containers that meet the Authority’s requirements and there are no reasonable alternatives to these goods.

The Authority has identified strict technical impracticality for a supplier other than ZASL to achieve the Authority’s technical requirements as it is necessary to use specific knowledge and tools which only ZASL currently has at its disposal. More specifically this relates to the safety and deployment of the requirement.

Due to the timescales for this requirement, only ZASL can achieve the Authority’s strict and necessary deadlines for production and delivery of the storage containers to ensure there is no detrimental effect on the management of the batteries. Obtaining goods from any other supplier would result in unacceptable technical, capability and safety risks to users when conducting operational and experimentation activities.

• Zero Alpha Solutions LtdAwarded supplierGB-COH: 10427096 Building 543 Dragon Way, St Athan, Wales, CF62 4AFContact emailShow contact details
• Zero Alpha Solutions LtdAwarded supplier Wales, UK