- Id
- 715910472
- Status
- complete
- Procurement Method
- direct
- Procurement Method Details
- Direct award
- Why this procedure was chosen
- The PROTECT DT part of NAD Group UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contract to MAS Zengrange LTD for the In-Service Support of Mini Demolition Remote Firing Devices (Mini DRFDs) via Direct Award. The contract will be for a term of 4 years plus 4 x Option Years if required at an estimated value of £504,167.00 ex VAT, (£605,000.00 Inc VAT).
It is considered that this contract can be awarded under section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 because of the direct award justification specified in paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 (single supplier – additional or repeat goods).
‘The public contract concerns the supply of goods, services or works by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to, or partial replacement of, existing goods, services or works in circumstances where:
A. change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and
B. the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance.’
Mas Zengrange LTD are the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of all variants of the Mini Demolition Remote Firing Devices (Mini DRFD) which are currently in service across all Remote-Controlled Vehicle (RCV) Platforms. These systems form part of an established capability used in support of Defence operations, including Contingency Operations and Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) taskings.
Mas Zengrange Ltd currently provides the established support solution for the capability, including maintenance, repair, configuration management, safety assurance, technical support and obsolescence management activities. Continuity of these arrangements is necessary to ensure the ongoing compatibility, reliability and availability of the capability across all platform and equipment variants.
Appointing an alternative supplier would necessitate the transition and re-establishment of support arrangements across a fleet comprising multiple Mini DRFD and RCV configurations. This would result in MOD receiving services which are different from the existing services and would create disproportionate technical difficulties associated with maintaining configuration control, assuring compatibility between system variants, validating maintenance and repair procedures and preserving existing safety and assurance arrangements. Such difficulties would increase the risk of interoperability issues, equipment downtime, degradation of performance, safety risks and reduced operational availability.
As the existing supplier and OEM, Mas Zengrange Ltd maintains the specialist technical knowledge, skills and configuration authority required to support and maintain the in-service equipment throughout the duration of the contract. Continued contract delivery by Mas Zengrange Ltd therefore represents the most effective means of maintaining operationally available, interoperable and safe equipment while avoiding disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance.