Open Framework for Boat Recognised Organisations

Lot awarding rule: All requirements will be subject to the Procurement Act 2023 regulations and to the requirements of MOD’s standardised Terms & Conditions. Only when a supplier has been officially accepted onto this Open Framework will they be able to access and bid for competitions within the Framework. Initial acceptance onto the Open Framework does not guarantee work but outlines the opportunity to bid for individual requirements which will be developed on a case-by-case basis. All requirements will be issued via further competition, via a TAF procedure, available to all signed onto the Framework, which will then result in a call-off award to the winning bidder. Where only one supplier wishes to participate, the work will be directly awarded only if they provide a compliant bid. The Commercial Process for this Framework will have the following components: Stage 1: Invitation to Participate in the Framework Candidates wishing to participate in this opportunity must submit a complete and compliant response to this opportunity through the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) before the deadline. The deadline for Candidates to submit their response is 05/03/2026 at 17:00. This stage is focused on determining which Suppliers are technically capable and best suited to delivering the required services This stage will be broken down into the following scored sections: Technical Question 1 - Has your organisation been acknowledged by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a Certifying Authority for boats? (Weighting 45%) Technical Question 2 - Has your organisation been acknowledged by the UK Ministry of Defence's Naval Authority as a Recognised Organisation for boats? (Weighting 45%) Social Value Question - What specific measures will you implement to reduce carbon emissions? (Weighting 10%) All suppliers wishing to submit a bid must also agree to sign the Security Aspect Letter (SAL) as well as the Conflicts of Interest declaration. To be accepted onto this Framework, you must also agree to the Standardised Contracting (SC1B) T&Cs as well as complying with the other mandatory conditions and DEFCONs included. Stage 2: Acceptance onto the Framework Companies accepted at Stage 1 will be invited to sign the Recognised Boat Organisation Framework Agreement and subsequently be awarded a place on the Framework. All Candidates that submitted a Request to Participate shall receive an assessment summary letter explaining their award or rejection based on their response to the ITT. Stage 3: Framework Call-Off Successful Candidates from Stage 2 will be awarded a place on the Framework in readiness for the SDA to utilise ("Call-Off") via the running of the competitive process.

• Condition of participation

  The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have two certification tiers: Regime 1A & Regime 1B.

  Regime 1A covers MoD crafts that are equivalent, both in nature and role, to their civilian counterparts, including safety boats or Rigid-Hull Inflatable Boats. These crafts must be fully compliant with statutory requirements and can be certified by any of the 12 MCA-recognised Certifying Authorities (CAs).

  Regime 1B covers MoD vessels that have a specific military role that may or may not compromise their compliance with statutory requirements. Their involvement in armed operations and exposure to extreme environments leaves them operating outside the scope of MCA certification. Therefore, such vessels require a specialised set of standards to ensure that they remain safe and effective for operations carried out by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and United Kingdom Special Forces. CAs able to perform Regime 1B certification services are known as ROs.

  To be accepted onto this Open framework you must provide evidence of Regime 1B boat certification and a Ministry of Defence Naval Authority delegation as a Recognised Organisation.