Supply of VR Forces Licenses, Associated Maintenance and Hardware

CPV: Analytical or scientific software package · IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support · Maintenance of information technology software · Mathematical or forecasting software package · Software maintenance and repair services · Software package and information systems · Software programming and consultancy services · Software supply services · Software-related services

Procedure method

Negotiated without publication of a contract notice

Legal basis

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

Procurement category

Goods

Notice status

Awarded

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Competitive procedure

GPA / WTO covered

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

14 Aug 2023, 08:20 BST

Last source update

14 Aug 2023, 08:20 BST

Authority reference

RQ0000027028

FTS notice number

2023/S 000-023661

Classification (CPV)

Analytical or scientific software packageIT services: consulting, software development, Internet and supportMaintenance of information technology softwareMathematical or forecasting software packageSoftware maintenance and repair servicesSoftware package and information systemsSoftware programming and consultancy servicesSoftware supply servicesSoftware-related services

Delivery area

UK

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-03ef5a Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The products involved are manufactured purely for the purpose of research, experiment, study or development under the conditions stated in the directive; The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Published justification

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) acting on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence (the Authority) intends to award a contract to ST Engineering Antycip Limited for a term of up to 5 years and an estimated value of £345,000.00

In accordance with the provisions of The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 SI No. 2020/1319, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) as amended (in particular by SI 2020/1319). 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 32(2)(b)(ii) of the PCR 2015 because competition is absent for technical reasons.

The Authority has a mandate to demonstrate the benefits of a consistent, cohesive and sharable approach to federated modelling & simulation (M&S) for Testing and Evaluation (T&E) across all of the UK Ministry Of Defence (MOD). This common approach needs to be able to bring together existing and new M&S from across MOD, including models from Science & Technology, Defence Intelligence, Front Line Commands and industry. As part of this mandate, The Authority is required to build multiple simulation and modelling test benches that can be loaned to governmental, industrial and academic partners.

A specification for these was designed in conjunction with The Authority’s industry and Governmental partners, and resulted in a need for battlefield simulation software. As a result, the Authority has a requirement to procure battlefield simulation software that is compatible and able to interoperate with (including but not limited to) other DSTL modelling and simulation projects and the RAF GLADIATOR and associated projects that currently utilise the MAK VR-Forces software.

The MAK VR-Forces software is the only battlefield simulation software currently available on the market that can meet all of the Authority’s technical requirements. Including, but not limited to, its ability to follow industry open standards to allow the federation of external models, datasets and hardware-in-the-loop into the simulation, it’s scale of simulations (e.g. simple first person individual training) to full scale realistic scenarios (e.g. opposed carrier task force supported amphibious landing) across all domains (land, air, maritime, space and cyber etc) and it not being limited to specific government departments or ITAR controls. It also has to be compliant with the Defence Modelling and Simulation Coherence Technical Authority in line with JSP 939.

The proprietary rights in the VR Forces software, hardware and maintenance are owned exclusively by MAK Technologies, Inc., for which ST Engineering Antycip Ltd are the sole UK distributor. Both companies are part of the same company group, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. ST Engineering Antycip Ltd is therefore the only economic operator that is capable of meeting the Authority’s requirement.

• ST Engineering Antycip LtdAwarded supplier The Hub, Twyford Mill, Adderbury, South East, OX17 3SX

No document links were published on the notice.