The Air Commodities Team (ACT), part of the Ministry of Defence (hereafter referred to as the authority) has an enduring requirement to provide support to range of computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools (and associated equipment) at various locations throughout the UK and Overseas. These machines ensure the appropriate level of component manufacture required to maintain the current level of Aircraft maintenance.

The authority is considering negotiating a contract for the ongoing support to various machine tools and associated equipment located across multiple UK and overseas RAF sites.

This support is currently delivered via several single contracts with multiple suppliers. The strategy is to replace these contracts with an amalgamated single contract that satisfies the Authority's capability requirements.

The authority has the requirement to support the following equipment types:

1) Harrison Alpha CNC Lathes;

2) Hardinge Vertical Machining Centres;

3) Hardinge Easy Plus CNC Knee Mill;

4) Jones and Shipman Cylindrical and Surface Grinders;

5) Freddy Mobile Coolant Recycling Vacuums;

6) Coolant Mist/Dust Extraction Systems;

7) Unison EV Bend 1000 CNC Pipebenders;

8) Unison Breeze 65 mm CNC Pipebenders;

9) Electro Arc 2DBGT Spark Eroder;

10) HURCO 425Mk2 Spark Eroder;

11) AXYZ CNC Routers;

12) SAFAN B-Shear CNC Guillotines;

13) Amada HF50-20 and HFP1003 CNC Press Brakes;

14) Accessories and fluids including but not limited to metal working fluids for operation the machines listed above.

The authority reserves the right to amend this list of equipment by adding and removing machine types as required during the duration of the contract.

The support solution will include, but not be limited to; providing a full in-service support solution, accessories and consumables provisioning, training courses and ad-hoc transportation of equipment. A draft version of the statement of requirement is available on request to assist in understanding the requirement, this document may be subject to minor change before release of ITN.

Variant bids will be accepted but the tenderers must submit a reference proposal, which is in accordance and compliant with the ITN. If a Variant bid is proposed, then the tenderer should identify opportunities to implement improvements or alternative methods to the support of the machine tools as part of their proposals to the authority. Proposals for improvements will only be evaluated if a compliant reference tender is received.

The contract will be for a duration of five (5) years, with the option to extend, in one year increments up to a maximum of seven (7) years.

Contractors interested in this requirement should complete the DPQQ linked to this advertisement no later than 15.1.2020. The information and/or documents for this opportunity are available on https://www.contracts.mod.uk/delta. You must register on this site to respond, if you are already registered you will not need to register again, simply use your existing username and password. Please note there is a password reminder link on the homepage.

Suppliers must log in, go to your response manager and add the following access code: B585456XDC. Please ensure you follow any instruction provided to you here.

The deadline for submitting your response(s) is 15.1.2020. Please ensure that you allow yourself plenty of time when responding to this invite prior to the closing date and time, especially if you have been asked to upload documents.

A maximum of six (6) suppliers will be down selected. These shall be those suppliers who have provided the 6 highest scoring compliant DPQQs.

Following an initial tender evaluation, if required, the three (3) highest scoring tenderers will be invited to negotiate. Tenderers will then be requested to revise or confirm their proposals to address issues discussed in negotiations. Full details of the requirement and details of the tender evaluation criteria, including anticipated negotiation phases, will be released with the invitation to negotiate documentation.

For queries please contact Ed Bulpitt (edward.bulpitt100@mod.gov.uk /DESASAC-ComrclContact@mod.gov.uk)