Award

Procurement of Wire Insulation Piercing Probes (WIPPs)

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

14 Mar 2024 at 15:32

Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Defence, based in Bristol, United Kingdom, has completed the procurement process for the "Procurement of Wire Insulation Piercing Probes (WIPPs)" in the goods category. The procurement method used was a limited negotiation without publication of a contract notice. Thales UK Ltd has been awarded the contract valued at £375,000, signed on 11th March 2024. The contract involves the procurement of WIPPs over a fixed 5-year term, extendable for an additional 2 years, with an expected completion year of 2030.

This procurement process presents an opportunity for businesses involved in electronic meters or related electronic equipment sectors. Thales UK Ltd, as the exclusive manufacturer of the Wire Insulation Piercing Probes, has been awarded the contract by the Ministry of Defence due to their specialised technical know-how and exclusive licensing agreements. Businesses looking to provide similar ancillary equipment to defence sectors may find opportunities in such exclusive procurement processes within the UK Ministry of Defence or related authorities.

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Notice Title

Procurement of Wire Insulation Piercing Probes (WIPPs)

Notice Description

Procurement of Wire Insulation Piercing Probes (WIPPs)

Lot Information

Lot 1

Procurement of Wire Insulation Piercing Probes (WIPPs)

Options: 2 Option Years

Procurement Information

The Special Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search, Exploitation & Countermeasures (SEEC) Delivery Team, as part of the UK Ministry of Defence ("MOD"), intends to award a contract to Thales UK Ltd for the procurement of Wire Insulation Piercing Probes (WIPPs). These ancillaries are used in conjunction with a Long-Range Wire Diagnostic Tool (LRWDT). This contract will be for the procurement of WIPPs over a fixed 5-year term, with options to extend by a further 2 years to cover any emergent requirements. The contract will run to 2030 with an expected value of PS450,000 over the full seven years. This value is inclusive of an initial procurement of 620 sets of banana-end WIPPs (x6 per set). The contract is for the procurement of WIPPs only, there is no requirement for in-service support. The WIPPs have been in-service with the UK Armed Forces since 2021 as an ancillary that attaches to the LRWDT. The WIPPs have been developed and modified specifically for UK military use. The Intellectual Property for the WIPPs are held by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) - Warwick Test Supplies Limited. The OEM has an exclusivity agreement with the Contractor - Thales UK Ltd. Thales UK Ltd have been granted an exclusive licence to use the relevant technical information relating to the WIPPs (which is necessary to manufacture the WIPPs) by the OEM. Therefore, Thales UK Ltd are the only company with the technical know-how to undertake the manufacture of the WIPPs. The UK Armed Forces are trained in the operation of WIPPs. Introducing a new system and operating two systems in parallel would introduce an unacceptable additional training requirement and an unacceptable risk to safety. The WIPPs are specifically designed and modified to be interoperable with the LRWDT. Accordingly, Thales UK Ltd is the only Contractor which can deliver this requirement. It is therefore considered that this contract can be awarded to Thales UK Ltd using the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice pursuant to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the UK Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 for technical reasons.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0448b0
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008226-2024
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)


CPV Codes

38552000 - Electronic meters

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£375,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Mar 20241 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
11 Mar 20241 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
N/A
Post Town
Not specified
Country
Not specified

Major Region (ITL 1)
Not specified
Basic Region (ITL 2)
Not specified
Small Region (ITL 3)
Not specified
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Not specified
Electoral Ward
Not specified
Westminster Constituency
Not specified

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

THALES

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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