General Support Enabling Contracts

This notice serves to announce the issue of an Invitation to Tender. It is not to seek expressions of interest in a new opportunity.

The Authority is considering establishing a minimum of 3 Enabling Contracts to provide an enduring means of ordering consumable spares requirements that are not covered by other long term arrangements.

The scope of the requirement shall include those items that have been purchased against the existing Babcock DSG General Support Enabling Contracts and items that are currently subject to ad-hoc purchasing.

The duration of the Contracts shall be firm for 2 years with an option to extend for a further 1 year.

The initial competition shall be conducted on a sample of items that are representative of the range of items in scope of this requirement. Tenderers shall be provided with NATO Stock Numbers and the associated manufacturer's part number. Tenderers shall be expected to source line items using ISIS. In exceptional circumstances, Tenderers shall be provided with a copy of the relevant drawing.

The Authority shall award the Contracts based upon best value for Defence in accordance with the process detailed at Section D of DEFFORM 47.

Post-Contract award, each of the successful Contractors shall be provided with a list of new requirements on a periodic basis. Each Contractor shall be required to supply prices and lead-times for those items within a specified timeframe. Line items shall then be added to the Contract offering the most favourable terms.

All items awarded to the Contracts shall then be competed amongst the successful Contractors on an annual basis.

It is the intention to operate electronic trading. Babcock DSG is developing an electronic payment system; all potential suppliers will be notified of the new system and the migration plan in due course.

Any resulting Contracts shall contain a set of Key Performance Indicators in areas such as delivery and quality, and shall include remedies for poor performance.