Defence Online

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom

MOD Prior Information Notice

GB-Salisbury: Weapons Sector Research Framework (WSRF)

1. Contract Title
Contract Title: GB-Salisbury: Weapons Sector Research Framework (WSRF)

2. Contracting Authority:
Ministry of Defence, DSTL, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
Dstl Porton Down, Building 5, Room G-02, ISaT F, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
Tel. 01980954132, Email: caflynn@dstl.gov.uk

3. Contract:
Type of Contract: SERVICES
Estimated value of requirement: Category B1: 100M – 250M GBP
Short description of the contract: In order to maximise the impact of Science and Technology (S&T) for the Defence and Security of the UK, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) role includes the responsibility for leading the formulation, design and delivery of a coherent and integrated MOD S&T programme using industrial, academic and government resources.

Dstl currently has an Industry managed research framework (The Weapons Science and Technology Centre – WSTC) in place to support the Future Kinetic Effects and Weapons (FKEW) Programme. There is a continued requirement to respond in a timely manner to FKEW research needs and in order to maximise commercial and technical efficiency, the MOD has a possible requirement for a replacement framework. The scope of the new arrangement, known as the Weapons Sector Research Framework (WSRF) will include but not be limited to, Complex Weapons, Novel Weapons, General Munitions and Energetics.

The MOD, via Dstl Platform Systems Division has a possible requirement to appoint a contractor to lead, manage and deliver the WSRF for a period of 5 years, with a total estimated value throughput of £240m, to commence during 2019. The WSRF will support the FKEW Science & Technology research needs and provide access to the Weapons Sector supply base. The Contractor shall develop effective management processes focussed around close collaboration between the supply base and MOD and shall be responsible for ensuring programme integration, coherence and exploitation.

The strategic aim of the WSRF will be to provide a coherent and coordinated approach to FKEW Science & Technology (S&T) planning and delivery of technical capability, satisfying the needs of both MOD and UK Industry by providing:

• A cohesive Research and Technology (R&T) plan that connects MOD and Industry funding
• Research and technologies to inform the decision making process.
• Seamless exploitation of the best ideas through to the fielded systems of the future so ‘bridging the valley of death’.
• Sustainment of weapons critical skills, expertise and advice in both Industry and MOD across the full spectrum of subsystem, system and system-of-systems.
• Innovation and research into disruptive technologies
• A flexible and responsive vehicle to undertake joint R&T planning and delivery between MOD and Industry
• Support to the competitiveness of the UK Weapons Industry (including export opportunities) through timely exploitable technology
• A rapid contracting mechanism across the supply chain covering activities:
o Across the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) spectrum
o All security classifications
o Ranging from small underpinning tasks to system level technology demonstrators

The WSRF will support the FKEW Programme Strategy with direct exploitation through the Complex Weapons (CW) Portfolio and Front Line Commands (FLCs). The WSRF will also support Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and Weapons Evaluation and Capability Assurance (WECA).

Work undertaken within the WSRF framework will also support existing national and international arrangements and will be coordinated with other Weapons Research. It has been determined that the majority of this work should be undertaken outside of Government with the broad, vibrant external supply chain for weapons research existing in Industry and Academia.

A Market Interest Afternoon for potential Contractor(s) and subcontractor(s) to find out more about the WSRF requirement is being held on Wednesday 2nd May 2018 in the Whittle Theatre at QinetiQ Farnborough, Cody Technology Park, Ively Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0LX. The event will start at 13:30. Lunch will be available prior to the event from 12:30 in the upper floor of the canteen on site.

The main objectives for the day are to:
a) provide an overview of the requirements for WSRF and associated timescales
b) discuss certain aspects of the procurement process
c) offer an opportunity for Q&A
d) provide a networking opportunity

Organisations who wish to attend this event must register their interest by email to Mike Purnell at QinetiQ Farnborough (mjpurnell@QinetiQ.com) copied to John Lake at Dstl (jlake@dstl.gov.uk). In registering your interest you must provide:

Full Name
Rank/Grade/Title
Organisation and Position
Nationality
Email Address

Please note that attendance is limited to 1 (One) person per organisation and you will be required to bring Photo ID with you. Please note that organisations who are already attending the WSTC Programme Out-Brief the same day do not need to register their interest in attending.
CPV codes:
73410000 – Military Research & Technology.

Additional Information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.Suppliers interested in working with the Ministry of Defence should register on the MOD Supplier Information Database (SID) Register, available at www.contracts.mod.uk. The MOD SID is a database of active and potential suppliers available to all MOD and UK Defence procurement personnel, and is the main supplier database of MOD Procurement organisations. Please note: the registration and publication of a company profile on the MOD SID does not mean or imply that the supplier has in any way been vetted or approved by the MOD. Suppliers wishing to compete for advertised MOD contracts must respond to any specific call for competition by submitting a separate expression of interest in accordance with the instructions of the purchasing organisation.

The Authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law or government policy. If any contract documents are accompanied by instructions on safeguarding classified information (e.g. a Security Aspects Letter), the Authority reserves the right to amend the terms of these instructions to reflect any changes in national law or government policy, whether in respect of the applicable protective marking scheme, specific protective markings given, the aspects to which any protective marking applies, or otherwise.

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