Provision of Livery Spaces for Military Working Horses at HCMR

Army Commercial, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contract to Pentire Sport Horses (Pentire) for provision of livery spaces for Military Working Horses (MWHs). The contract will be for a term of 2 years (plus options for 3 additional years) and has an estimated total value of £1.135 million (inclusive of VAT).

It is considered that this contract can be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 because the direct award justification specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 applies.

This is because the requirement is for housing, care, and maintenance of up to 28 MWHs (18 horses at full livery for 12 months of the year and 10 horses at grass rest for 7 months of the year) on a full-time annual basis within 1 hour of Combermere Barracks and within 2 hours of Hyde Park Barracks. The provider must be equipped and willing to managed young MWHs. Pentire is the only supplier who meets all the technical requirements. There is no reasonable alternative which offers the capacity and capability in the defined geographical area.