MCWP Test Loop Rig - Operation and Maintenance

The Platform Equipment Delivery Team (PEDT) part of the Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contract to Babcock Integrated Technology Limited (BITL) for the maintenance and operation of the MOD owned Test Loop Rig to be used as part of the certification and acceptance process for Main Circulating Water Pumps.

The MOD owns a single MCWP Test Loop Rig. This rig is used to test all main circulating water pumps across the submarine fleet and every pump, whether newly manufactured or in the repair loop, must use the test loop rig prior to being declared serviceable. The Test Rig has been maintained and operated as part of a complete support contract for the past 14 years: this support contract was awarded without the prior publication of a contract notice in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 for technical reasons and has now expired. It is the intention of the Authority to disaggregate elements of the support contract to allow a competition for the work to be held.

The Authority has identified an enduring requirement for work that cannot be included in the competition – specifically, to maintain and operate the Test Loop Rig - to ensure that support to in-service submarines can be maintained. The Rig is a large and complex structure and is over 30 years old. The Authority will be investigating options and anticipate that the operation and maintenance contract will need to last approximately 3 years.

The security requirements for this contract limit the potential suppliers to UK companies with list X facilities. In addition, all contractors must meet stringent quality requirements (Quality Assurance for Safety in Submarines (SSP25) for all 1st Level work on RN Submarines) - this also applies to maintenance equipment for 1st line components such as the MCWP - as such, the Test Rig must also meet these requirements.

Over the course of the preceding contract, the incumbent Support Partner made significant improvements to the Test Rig which increased efficiency but also added complexity: this would need to be understood by any new operator. Whilst MOD has access to operating manuals the Improvements made by BITL in the PROCESS, ELECTRONICS, SOFTWARE and CONSTRUCTION of the Rig means that it is not possible, at this time, to operate this equipment merely by reading the operating manuals. Indeed, within BITL, only the specialist team at Whetstone are qualified and competent to operate the rig whilst maintaining Quality standards.

Without access to this critical information and knowledge no supplier would be able to perform the contract and deliver the required support solution. The technical knowledge and experience required to update the operating manuals and associated data packs is currently held by SQEP at BITL. None of the team operating the Test Loop rig would be eligible for TUPE considerations so it is unlikely that a new supplier could be found to bid for the management of the Test Loop Rig alone.

Any future contractor or MOD would require a specific training program to be provided by the incumbent Support Partner to ensure the requirements are met. Moreover, the test site is the only known test-site that could meet the requirements – an alternative site would require appraisal to include ground surveys (to confirm that the terrain is suitable to house the test rig and concrete laid underneath i.e. is not subject to subsidence / future fracking sites) as well as a demonstrable ability to install, assemble, calibrate and operate the test rig to meet the exacting standards and requirements of the support contract. This would require significant pre-contract investment that would not be palatable, or commercially viable, for an alternative contractor. Therefore, BITL and only BITL are capable of delivering this requirement.