LTPA Extension

Concepts

• abbey wood
• military research and technology
• ltpa extension
• ltpa
• t&e capabilities
• 31st march
• t&e services
• march
• defence
• t&e

Location

Abbey Wood

Description

Amendment of CB/FT/001 (LTPA) to enact an agreed extension of 5 years

Total Quantity or Scope

In March 2003, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) let the LTPA (Long-Term Partnering Agreement) contract with QinetiQ which is a 25-year commitment to 31st March 2028, including an option to extend. The LTPA provides for the operation and management of MOD assets and sites geographically dispersed across the UK, as well as the performance of T&E services to ensure the continued availability of T&E capabilities, enabling Defence to accept capabilities into service and to assure the through-life performance of capabilities. The Authority intends to extend the contract by 5-years to 31st March 2033 by exercising the agreed option. The extension will not materially alter the scope and nature of the LTPA. The extension is exempt from the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR) under Regulation 6(3A)(a) due to the security classification of the projects and the storage and transfer of UK sensitive information. The extension is also excluded from DSPCR under Regulation 7(1)(a) as there is a need for QinetiQ to employ Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel with the appropriate Security clearances. By invoking the agreed extension in the current contract, it will ensure continued availability of T&E capabilities to Defence and to allow for an organised transition to the follow-on arrangements to the LTPA by March 2033. In parallel, the Authority has commenced the Defence Test & Evaluation Services (Future) (DTES(F)) project for the Authority’s centralised T&E capabilities beyond the LTPA. In due course, the project will be launching Early Market Engagement with Industry to support the project in developing a range of artefacts.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 73410000 - Military research and technology

Indicators

• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

Having consulted CLS and the DSPCR, it is considered that invoking the option to extend, without a change to the scope or overall nature of the contract, is permissible. The DSPCR (Chapter 8 – Procurement Procedures, Para. 109) states the following: The exercising of a priced option or an option which has mechanisms for determining price will not require a new procurement procedure, if the scope and nature of the option as well as the conditions under which it may be used were set out within the contract. In exercising the option the overall nature of the contract must not be altered. Any values stated in this notice are provisional and a contract extension has yet to be awarded. The Authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law or 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 marking applies, or otherwise. The link below to the Gov.uk website provides information on the Government Security Classification.