Detection apparatus for mines. The Authority has a potential requirement for the supply of Choker Lite Systems; this will be a pushed trailer designed and developed for Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) activities. The system[s] shall be of a similar size or slightly bigger than the average towing trailer with more intricate and extensive Hydraulics and Pneumatic systems.
The Choker Lite Systems will be designed to fit to existing UK Wheeled Vehicle Platforms and shall weigh no more than 1 000 Kgs, therefore a Commercial of the Shelf (COTS) system is preferred but other designs will be considered. The Choker Lite Systems needs to be modular with easily inter changeable parts and all components will need to be NATO Codified.
The Choker Lite Systems needs to be designed, manufactured and in service by December 2012. It is currently envisaged that between 50 and 100 systems will be required (exact number of units to be confirmed) however this is subject to variation.
Apart from the UK, the Choker Lite Systems will be deployed and utilised in the Middle East but will not necessarily be restricted to these areas. Therefore consideration to the diverse weather conditions [i.e extreme heat – extreme cold] shall be required to ensure that the systems and host platforms are not adversely affected in said conditions.
Expressions of Interests are invited from companies who can demonstrate competence in the pushed trailer environment and who preferably already have a system developed and fully qualified. Companies shall note that the project has very aggressive timescales for supply.
Upon receipt and assessment of the responses to the Pre Qualification Questionnaire [PQQ], it is the Authority’s intention to consider inviting a minimum of 3 and no more than 6 companies to submit tenders. An Invitation to Tender [ITT] may be issued to selected companies following the Authority’s assessment of the Pre Qualification Questionnaire and will contain details of the procurement and protential options for future purchases. ITT’s will be assessed to establish the most economically advantageous / best value for money solution which fully meets the requirement within the aggressive timescales of the project. Full criteria will be specified in the ITT alongside the evaluation process.
Additional Information.
The contracting process for this requirement will utilise the Accelerated Restricted process timescales due to the Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) status of this project and shall be in accordance with the European Union Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR) 2011. Any late expressions of interest from companies will not be considered. Similarly requests for extensions to timelines for return of the PQQ and ITT will not be considered in this instance except for in the most exceptional of circumstances. All responses shall be in English language.
Should interested parties wish to provide any promotional material for review at the expression of interest stage, please ensure this does not exceed 5 A4 pages. An expression of interest shall be returned to the Commercial Officer no later than close of play (5:00pm) 19th March 2012.
The announcement of a future requirement is not to be construed as confirmation that a tender/contract will subsequently be issued. Announcements are for information only. Thus the issue of a possible future purchase notice, or the issue of an invitation to tender, is not to be construed as a commitment by the MoD to place an order as a result of the tendering exercise or at a later stage. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of the potential suppliers. Announcements herein may also be published in the MoD Defence Contracts Bulletin, the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) or the European Defence Agency’s Electronic Bulletin Board as appropriate.