- Id
- 715853482 - FVVS Waymont TIGERTRAPS
- Status
- complete
- Procurement Method
- direct
- Procurement Method Details
- Direct award
- Why this procedure was chosen
- Defence Digital FIUS (Future Integrated User Services), part of the UK Ministry of Defence (“the Authority”), intends to place a new contract to procure TIGERTRAP Secure Gateway units and technical support services, including software maintenance services. The proposed contract shall be awarded to Waymont Ltd (“Waymont”) with a total duration of five (5) years (four (4) year core term plus one (1) year option year) and an estimated value of £1.06M ex VAT.
This award falls to be governed by the Procurement Act 2023 (the “PA 2023”) Chapter 3, Section 41: Direct Award in Special Cases. It is considered that the direct award to Waymont Ltd is lawful in accordance with PA 2023 Schedule 5, paragraph 6 – Technical Reasons. This is because of
(i) an absence of competition for technical reasons; and
(ii) there are no reasonable alternatives to the goods and services being procured, for the following reasons;
(a) There are no reasonable alternative secure gateways currently in the market that would meet MoD’s technical, performance and assurance requirements for the FVVS programme. (see below background information on the FVVS programme and additional justification).
(b) There are no suppliers that could design, build, test and obtain the necessary NCSC assurances or equivalent alternative level of accreditations to offer a reasonable alternative secure gateway in time to meet programme delivery milestones and would introduce unacceptable risk to operational capability and continuity.
(c) Waymont Consulting Ltd is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and sole authorised supplier of the TIGERTRAP solution, provided under an approved licensing arrangement for UK Government use.
(d) Only Waymont holds the necessary technical knowledge, design and tools, including proprietary documentation and information required to supply, configure, maintain, and support the TIGERTRAP system due to points a, b and c above;
and Waymont is not prepared to authorise any third party to use its proprietary information.
Therefore, the above reasons and constraints prevent any alternative supplier from delivering this requirement/capability.
Background Information and additional justification:
The FVVS procurement (please see: FVVS Opportunity Notice and Prior Information Notice) seeks to provide the provision of Secret Voice and Video Services both in the UK and Overseas, including but not limited to the provision of the core voice and video services for a five-year period.
TIGERTRAP gateways provide the required assured level of accreditation and associated level boundary protection for fixed voice and video services, and form a critical security component required to meet the Future Integrated User Services (FIUS) Fixed Voice and Video SECRET (FVVS) Programme, enabling secure communications.
TIGERTRAP gateways operate in accordance with MoD aligned security requirements for systems handling data. Thus requires the solution to demonstrate that the security risks are appropriately mitigated and independently assured prior to operation and throughout the capability lifecycle. As a result, Waymont TIGERTRAP Gateways are currently the only solutions with sufficient technical maturity, proven design and appropriate accreditation can be deployed within the operational environment and only Waymont has the requisite technical know-how, tools and means and information to provide the hardware and associated support services required. Further, Waymont is not authorised to subcontract or release information relating to the manufacture, content or support of the TIGERTRAPS due to the verification and examination process of the security functions of the product by the NCSC.
- Published risks
- 1. Integration and Environmental Dependency Risk
The performance of the gateway is dependent on successful integration with the FVVS voice and video infrastructure, including compatibility with network configurations, codecs, session capacity assumptions, and operational usage profiles. Unforeseen environmental or architectural constraints may affect deployment or operational performance.
• Gateway integration into MOD voice and video infrastructure.
• Defined session capacity and codec requirements.
2. Capacity and Scaling Risk
The solution has been assessed against current defined FVVS capacity requirements. Changes to usage patterns, operational demand, partner connectivity, or programme scope may exceed the originally assessed capacity assumptions, potentially requiring scaling, reconfiguration, or additional hardware or support.
• Reliance on defined voice/video session capacity in FVVS Schedule 2.
• Assessment based on current operational assumptions.
3. Programme Timeline and Dependency Risk
Delivery and operational performance are tightly coupled to FVVS programme milestones. Delays in adjacent programme activities, dependencies outside the supplier’s control, or changes to programme priorities could affect the timing and effectiveness of gateway deployment and integration.
• Explicit linkage to FVVS operational milestones and timeframes.
• Delivery within fixed programme schedules.