UK SBS SSAPR20024 Charter of MS Hebridean Sky

This is for an urgent ship charter, due to the COVID-19 emergency. The requirement is two-fold:

1. To provide safe accommodation for up to 118 staff returning from Antarctica. This will minimise the risk ofinfection to the Falkland Islanders as well as amongst themselves, and avoids placing an intolerable strain onthe limited infrastructure on the Islands; and
2. To provide safe passage back to the UK.

Additional information: The COVID-19 emergency has hugely disrupted the planned arrangements to return personnel from Falkland Islands to the UK in a manner that was not foreseeable, and there is an immediate need to place this contract to secure safe board and passage for the staff. Staff working in the Antarctic region who would normally return to the UK via the Falkland Islands, would usually make use of the MoD Air Bridge to return to the UK. MoD advise the Airbridge is now prioritised for medical and other emergency staff and in addition its normal routing is compromised.

The usual alternative route planned for in the event of difficulty using the Airbridge, is through Chile, which is not viable as the country has closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Justification for the choice of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a call for competition in accordance with Article 32 of Directive 2014/24/EU:

Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the directive

The COVID-19 emergency has hugely disrupted the planned arrangements to return personnel from FalklandIslands to the UK in a manner that was not foreseeable, and there is an immediate need to secure safe boardand passage for the staff.

Staff working in the Antarctic region who would normally return to the UK via the Falkland Islands, would usuallymake use of the MoD Air Bridge to return to the UK. MoD advise the Airbridge is now prioritised for medical andother emergency staff and in addition its normal routing is compromised.

The usual alternative route planned for in the event of difficulty using the Airbridge, is through Chile, which is notviable as the country has closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

No other safe, reliable alternative arrangements (e.g. commercial aircraft) are available. It is neither practical norsafe for staff to remain in the Falkland Islands for any extended period. Charter of a ship is the best solution and the MS Hebridean Sky is the only suitable vessel in the vicinity, that is immediately available. Accordingly theextreme urgency exemption permitted under Regulation 32 (2) (c) applies.

This Direct Award complies with the provisions of PPN 0120, which require that Regulation 32(2) (c) may beinvoked in response to the current COVID-19 outbreak, so long as the following tests have all been met:

1. There are genuine reasons for the extreme urgency;
2. The events that have led to the need for extreme urgency were unforeseeable;
3. It is impossible to comply with the usual timescales for PCR;
4. The situation is not attributable to the contracting authority.

All of these tests are satisfied in the current circumstances.