Published date: 29 November 2023

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 8 July 2023, 5pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Information technology services - 72222300

Location of contract

SW1P 3JR

Value of contract

£73,546.37 to £110,319.55

Procurement reference

CF-0109200D8d000003VQwdEAG

Published date

29 November 2023

Closing date

8 July 2023

Closing time

5pm

Contract start date

9 July 2023

Contract end date

8 July 2025

Contract type

Not applicable

Procedure type

Single tender action (below threshold)

A direct contract with a single supplier, without competition.

This procedure can be used for procurements below the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

The UK is required to collect position information from UK administered commercial fishing vessels over 12m in length, and where said vessels are fishing in EU states and other 3rd countries' waters, forward those position reports to those states. This condition has been in place since 1998 when predecessor regulations came into force for over 15m vessels, and it is required that said vessels send position reports from a UK approved transponder.

In 2011-12 the ageing transponders on the UK fleet, as well as equipping 12-15m vessels in line with emerging requirements under 1224/2009. The refresh was carried out under an open tender awarded to Applied Satellite Technologies.

This contract (RMP6270) was largely for equipping but also provided the required support arrangements only available from the equipping company. When this contract expired in June 2017 the UK fishing authorities could not operate without this support, which was not free from the supplier. Therefore, a single supplier support only contract was put in place.

The transponders are proprietorial in that AST Marine Science Ltd are the suppliers of the terminal, the bespoke firmware and the proprietorial network applications that receive and forward the position reports. It would not be feasible for a 3rd party to take control of these services.

More information

Attachments

Award information

Awarded date

5 July 2023

Contract start date

9 July 2023

Contract end date

8 July 2025

Total value of contract

£73,546.37

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

The AST Group

Address

Satellite House, Bessemer Way, Harfrey's Industrial Estate, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 0LX, Norfolk, NR31 0LX

Reference

None

About the buyer

Contact name

Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Address

Nobel House, 17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
United Kingdom

Telephone

03459335577

Email

network.procurement@defra.gov.uk