In-service Support for the Ground Based Air Defence Battlefield Information System Application (GBAD BISA)

Concepts

• engineering support
• bristol

Location

Bristol

Description

The Joint Sensors and Engagement Networks Team part of the UK Ministry of Defence (“the Authority”), intends to award a contract for a period of three years with one option year. The contract will be awarded to BAE Systems for the continued in-service support and provision of software licences and equipment for the Ground Based Air Defence Battlefield Information System Application (BISA). This support will continue the compatibility with the Bowman System of which it is hosted.

Total Quantity or Scope

Not provided.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

1 year

CPV Codes

• 71336000 - Engineering support services

Indicators

• Options are available.

Legal Justification

The Authority considers that the single source procurement of this non-competitive contract falls within the circumstances set out in regulation 16 (1)(a)(ii) use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice for technical reasons as detailed below. BISA is owned by BAE as a bespoke application developed solely for the use with the BOWMAN system. Procuring with a new suppliers would not be possible as the BISA software and licences are wholly owned by BAE. Security will also be an issue as BOWMAN is an American system and anything integrated into it would come under the ITAR ruling. As such, this would lead to increased time and cost to integration and disposal once out of service. BAE are the only supplier to have access to both GD(UK) and the various BOWMAN/DS2 test and reference facilities. BAE are the GBAD BISA Developer and Design Authority, and as such hold the knowledge and expertise of the current fielded in-service capability and developmental history of the product over its lifetime. A continued contract with BAEs will assure the continued availability of GBAD BISA and its utility to the Military End User. The option represents the minimum scale of effort required to maintain a dedicated base In-Service support capability through the contractor. Proposed activities within the scope of the single source contract will mitigate the risks identified and continue the support solution accepted by Sponsors and Military End Users at ISD. BAEs have exclusive rights to the Alternative Messaging System (AltMS) and Local Network Software (LNS) software components which are essential to the security of BISA. The licences under which the AltMS and LNS software is provided do not allow the MoD to seek support from a third party. The MoD has exclusive rights of the remaining software components; however, these rights cannot be exercised as the MoD does not possess the required technical material. This is further complicated by the fact it is not possible to view the different software components in isolation, as the existing GBAD BISA software is a single application, which is subsequently incorporated onto the BOWMAN platform and, as such, it is not possible to split out these software components, isolate them, and support them individually – in summary BISA is owned by BAE as a bespoke application and they are the only supplier who can provide enduring support and updates, they own the licences and the BISA software. BAE are the only supplier to have access to both GD(UK) and the various BOWMAN/DS2 test and reference facilities.

Other Information

The Authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law of Government policy. If any contract documents are accompanied by instructions on safeguarding, classified information (e.g a Security Aspects Letter), the Authority reserves the right to amend the terms of these instructions to reflect any changes in national law or Government Policy, whether in respect of the applicable protective marking scheme, specific protective markings given, the aspects to which any protective markings applies, or otherwise. The link below to the gov.uk provides information on the government security classifications. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-security-classifications