Shipwright Support Contract · UK public procurement notice

Quality - T Nielsen are uniquely positioned to provide the required services due to previous experience working on HMS Victory both in undertaking high quality repair work to the ship's hull and in delivering detailed surveys and design work. This experience has enabled T Nielsen to develop a thorough understanding of the ship in general and the conservation requirements of this project in particular.

Time - The aim is for T Nielsen to begin work during w/c 22 June, this would recover 3 months of a 6-month delay to port side conservation work. If a full procurement process were to be pursued, the opportunity to save this time would be lost. Onboarding and mobilising a new contractor unfamiliar with the ship would add time to the delivery timelines. T Nielsen can begin immediately and deliver the work to NMRNO's stipulated timeframe.

Risk - NMRNO has a preexisting and long-standing working relationship with T Nielsen and therefore joint risk management can be more effectively implemented than with a newly employed organisation. In addition, T Nielsens is a well-established specialist in traditional shipbuilding, rigging and restoration with a worldwide reputation for working with historic timber ships. The current team has not only worked on Victory, but has a breadth of experience working across the historic ships sector both nationally and internationally including work on other RNM historic vessels including HMS Trincomalee. Contracting another organisation, not in possession of this prior knowledge and experience, would present an additional level of risk to quality.

Health & Safety - Due to the long-standing relationship between NMRNO and T Nielsen, NMRNO's health and safety expectations and requirements are fully understood and shared and ongoing health and safety management will prove more effective. T Nielsen is specialist organisation with a worldwide reputation and unlike other boatyards, having delivered large scale maritime conservation projects, are accustomed to the safety requirements of a project of this scale and reputation.

As the contracting authority, NMRN Operations are required to comply with the Procurement Act 2023, including the legislation governing the use of direct award.

The Procurement Act 2023 allows a contracting authority to award a contract directly if there is specific justification. This contracted support will be undertaken through a direct award under Section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023. The justification is permitted under Schedule 5, 7(a)(b):