701480380 - Seafox CFVTN

Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency Notice 701480380 Seafox Mine Disposal System (MDS) FoS

Defence Equipment and Support Group (DE&S) part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence ("the Authority") intends to place a contract with Atlas Elektronik (AEUK).

It is considered that pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Regulation 16(a)(ii) of the EU Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations 2011), this contract can be placed using the Negotiated procedure without prior publication of a Contract Notice for technical reasons where the contract may be awarded only to a particular economic operator, as detailed in this notice.

The Authority's requirement is for the provision of in-service support to a complex system configured of multiple integrated sub-systems which is further integrated with multiple complex third-party systems. System capability (including technical interoperability between complex third-party systems,) must be sustained in order to ensure effective operational capability of the UK's Royal Navy Fleet. In addition, the Authority must ensure that the equipment being supported is maintained to strict technical and safety standards so that it continues to meet critical safety requirements for the Hunt and Sandown class of ships of the RN Fleet.

Atlas Elektronik (AEUK) are the only supplier with access to the necessary means, tools and specific know-how and expertise to provide these support services to ensure that the equipment, the platforms in which they are fitted and all function effectively and safely. AEUK are licenced by their parent company AE GmbH (the OEM and Design Authority) to have access to the system's required technical information, technical drawings and data. Without access to these documents and data it is not possible to fulfil this requirement as it would not be possible to meet all the required standards, including safety and technical standards. As the only economic operator with the required access AEUK are the only operator that can fulfil this requirement.