Award

SACC/00113 - Provision of Link 16 Network Management System (L16 NMS) - VTN

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

20 Feb 2025 at 14:41

Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Defence, through its Situational Awareness Command and Control Delivery Team, has completed a procurement process for the provision of Link 16 Network Management System (NMS) under the title "SACC/00113 - Provision of Link 16 Network Management System (L16 NMS) - VTN". The process focused on data network management services within the defence sector and was conducted as a limited negotiation without the publication of a contract notice. The contract, valued at £1.6 million excluding VAT, with options for extension, is aimed at supporting Link 16 Network Management within the UK for two years. The official date for the award of the contract is 20th February 2025, and the awarded supplier is Thales UK Limited.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses that possess the technical expertise and capability to support specialised network management systems in the defence sector. Companies involved in the development and maintenance of data network management services, particularly those experienced in military communication systems, would be well-suited to compete in such tenders. Given that Thales UK Limited holds proprietary rights and technical knowledge essential for this contract, businesses looking to engage in similar future opportunities should consider forming strategic partnerships or developing niche technical capabilities that address the specific requirements of defence procurement contracts.

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Notice Title

SACC/00113 - Provision of Link 16 Network Management System (L16 NMS) - VTN

Notice Description

SACC/00113 - Provision of Link 16 Network Management System (L16 NMS) - VTN Situational Awareness Common and Control Delivery Team, part of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) within the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a Single Source Contract for the In-Service Support of a Link 16 Network Management System (NMS), with Thales UK Limited for a period of 2 years with options. Please note the Contract has not yet been placed. This VTN is for transparency purposes only.

Lot Information

Lot 1

VTN - JNMS The Situational Awareness Command and Control (SACC) Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (the Authority), intends to award a contract for the In-Service Support of a Link 16 Network Management System (NMS), with Thales UK Limited (the Contractor) for a period of 2 years with options. The estimated value of this Contract is PS1.6M ex VAT excluding options. In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR) 2011 as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (in accordance with the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 for technical reasons as the Contractor owns the relevant technical information relating to the equipment and only the Contractor has the required technical expertise and know-how necessary to fulfil the Authority's requirement. United Kingdom (UK) Defence has an enduring requirement to manage and monitor all Link 16 activity within the UK and support up to 2 deployed operations. The NMS allows the Network Management operators to monitor network activity and modify the network architecture to provide optimal Link 16 network operating conditions. NMS also monitors all Link 16 activity to ensure compliance with the MOD/Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) UK Frequency Clearance Agreement (FCA). The current equipment set up is unique and the software installed on the equipment is owned and supported by the Contractor. As the OEM with proprietary rights for the software that is installed on the equipment, support can only be provided by Thales UK Limited, as only they hold the technical information, tools and expertise required. In the immediate term changing the system would have a potentially detrimental impact and could result in an inability to utilise the Link 16 network across all platforms in the UK Flight Information Region (FIR). This would significantly curtail pan domain platform's ability to train for operations. The Cyber Risk profile is Low. The reference for the Risk Assessment is: RAR-240620A07.

Options: 2x 1 year In-Service Support Options

Procurement Information

VTN - JNMS The Situational Awareness Command and Control (SACC) Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (the Authority), intends to award a contract for the In-Service Support of a Link 16 Network Management System (NMS), with Thales UK Limited (the Contractor) for a period of 2 years with options. The estimated value of this Contract is PS1.6M ex VAT excluding options. In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR) 2011 as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (in accordance with the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 for technical reasons as the Contractor owns the relevant technical information relating to the equipment and only the Contractor has the required technical expertise and know-how necessary to fulfil the Authority's requirement. United Kingdom (UK) Defence has an enduring requirement to manage and monitor all Link 16 activity within the UK and support up to 2 deployed operations. The NMS allows the Network Management operators to monitor network activity and modify the network architecture to provide optimal Link 16 network operating conditions. NMS also monitors all Link 16 activity to ensure compliance with the MOD/Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) UK Frequency Clearance Agreement (FCA). The current equipment set up is unique and the software installed on the equipment is owned and supported by the Contractor. As the OEM with proprietary rights for the software that is installed on the equipment, support can only be provided by Thales UK Limited, as only they hold the technical information, tools and expertise required. In the immediate term changing the system would have a potentially detrimental impact and could result in an inability to utilise the Link 16 network across all platforms in the UK Flight Information Region (FIR). This would significantly curtail pan domain platform's ability to train for operations. The Cyber Risk profile is Low. The reference for the Risk Assessment is: RAR-240620A07.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04e523
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/006279-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
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

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support


CPV Codes

72315200 - Data network management services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Feb 20251 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
20 Feb 20251 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
Karmen Webber
Contact Email
karmen.webber102@mod.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8JH
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

THALES

Further Information

Notice URLs

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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