Planning

Materiel Distribution Land (MDL) Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) PME RFI

DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT

This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

30 Jun 2025 at 10:42

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

22 May 2025 at 11:03

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
PlanningUpdate

22 Apr 2025 at 11:21

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

07 Apr 2025 at 12:46

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

04 Apr 2025 at 13:25

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process, initiated by Defence Equipment and Support, a central government authority located in Bristol, UK, concerns the Materiel Distribution Land (MDL) Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) project. This procurement falls under the industry category of transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation, with a gross budget of £378 million. It is currently at the planning stage with a focus on Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) to gather industry insights, especially concerning Off The Shelf (OTS) solutions. Key deadlines include the submission of PME responses by 2 June 2025 and clarification questions by 16 May 2025. The anticipated start date for this tender's contract period is 1 July 2027, with an end date in 2039, aiming to achieve Full Operating Capability by June 2029.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses capable of providing advanced heavy transport solutions. Companies with expertise in defence and security regimes, especially those specialising in heavy equipment transport and integrated support solutions, stand to benefit. The PME exercise encourages innovative partnered solutions, offering a platform for businesses to share existing or adaptable solutions that could meet the future demands of heavy operational movements. This process could foster significant growth for firms involved in the production, maintenance, and strategic support of heavy equipment transport systems. Businesses with the capability to deliver cutting-edge transportation technology with enhanced low mobility lift capabilities are particularly well-suited to participate in this procurement initiative.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Materiel Distribution Land (MDL) Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) PME RFI

Notice Description

The Ministry of Defence (the Authority) under the Materiel Distribution Land (MDL) programme is developing a requirement project for Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) platform. Initially circa 70 to 90 vehicles with an integrated support solution service for an initial period of ten years, with potential options to increase the acquisition volume and extend beyond the initial support period. Aspirational Full Operating Capability (FOC) is June 2029. This requirement aims to introduce a new, technologically advanced system for the delivery of heavy and out-of-gauge equipment, with a minimum threshold of eighty-five (85) metric tonnes, featuring improved low mobility lift capabilities. This system will significantly improve and sustain the operational movement of heavy, mission-critical equipment well into the future. The primary role is to transport heavy armoured equipment, including armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) and main battle tank (MBT), but it must also be capable of moving lighter equipment into the theatre of operations. Additionally, this equipment will be used during peacetime for training delivery both in the UK and overseas. A PIN has previously been released for this requirement reference 2025/S 000-002913.

Planning Information

As part option analysis, the Authority is inviting industry to participate in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in support of the development of our acquisition strategy for MDL HET. Specifically, we seek information from industry to help us: a. Establish the potential for an Off The Shelf (OTS) solution to meet the MDL HET requirement. b. Obtain a greater awareness of what the market can currently provide to inform the MDL HET requirement. c. The requirement includes the acquisition, repair, maintenance, inspection and, through-life service options through innovative partnered solutions. d. To inform through life cost and cost of ownership. e. To potentially inform further pre-market engagement activity. This PME is an information gathering exercise. We are looking to understand the potential for adopting or adapting solutions that are already in production. Your responses should be based on solutions that are already in-production. A questionnaire, consisting of 20 questions, will be distributed by e-mail following participants’ requests to partake sent to DESLEVS-FHET@mod.gov.uk. The questionnaire document describes in detail the process for completing and requests that all responses are submitted by the deadline of 1200hrs noon, Monday 2 June 2025 GMT. Any requests received after the dates within this notice will be sent a copy of the questionnaire for information purposes only. Due to the timescales associated with this PME, the Authority is only able to answer clarification questions that are submitted no later than 1200hrs, 16 May 2025 GMT, to this email address: DESLEVS-FHET@mod.gov.uk with ‘FHET PME Clarification Question’ clearly stated in the subject title. We will endeavour to provide our answers by 1200hrs, 23 May 2025 GMT. For the sake of equality of information, a list of clarification questions and the Authority’s response to those questions will be made available to all. Submitted questionnaires will be compiled for analysis and processed to inform the Authority's approach and procurement strategy. Any comments, indications of interest, participation, or non-participation by any organisation at this stage will not influence the process, selection and/or award decision for any future possible procurement, nor will it be taken as a supplier’s committed position. Non-participation in this pre-market engagement will not be taken into account in any related future procurement. For the avoidance of doubt, this PME does not constitute a commitment to launch a formal procurement procedure.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04fd69
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036032-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34000000 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£315,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jun 20257 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
31 Mar 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Jun 2027 - 1 Jul 2039 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT
Contact Name
Penko Vargulev
Contact Email
deslevs-fhet@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

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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