FOR TRANSPARENCY ONLY - Future In-Service Support (Asset Availability Service) of Royal Navy Survey Vessel Hydrographic Oceanographic Vessels (HMS ECHO & HMS ENTERPRISE) and Ice Patrol Ship (HMS PROTECTOR)

The Commercially Supported Shipping (CSS) Team manages the In-Service Support of a diverse range of platforms which includes the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) flotilla and the Royal Navy (RN) Hydrographic and Patrol (H&P) including Survey Ships. The majority of contracts which support these platforms will expire in 2018.

The Contracting authority has a potential requirement for an Asset Availability Service (on balance sheet) solution (previously known as Contracting for Availability (CFA); hereafter referred to as AAS) for the RN Survey Vessel Hydrographic Oceanographic (SVHO) Class Vessels HMS ECHO, HMS ENTERPRISE and the Ice Patrol Ship (IPS) HMS PROTECTOR. The Authority will look to best utilise learning from experience whilst ensuring competition and Value for Money are achieved. Post contract award, the successful bidder will be required to support all requirements under the Contract over the planned 10-year duration of the contract.

The planned contract period is ten (10) years with a mid-term Value for Money review. The Authority will have the option, at its sole discretion, to break the contract at the five (5) year point if it believes Value for Money is not being achieved.

Years one (1) to three (3) will be firm price i.e. not subject to variation, and years four (4) to ten (10) will be fixed price, subject to the price index / indices stated in the contract.

Additional information: This notice and the associated Tender documentation are published for Transparency purposes only.

Prior Information Notice, Advertsiement and Pre-Qualifying Questionnaire were all published earlier this year for the requirement via Defence Contracts Onlince (DCO) and OJEU.