National Flagship Procurement - Design Phase 1

Descriptions

As announced by the Prime Minister the Ministry of Defence (The Authority) is seeking to procure a new National Flagship for the UK. This Flagship will give British businesses a new global platform to promote their products. The flagship will be contracted under a firm price contract, the total available budget being £150M. The Authority’s high level requirement for the National Flagship Programme is;•Launch of the ship in the last quarter of 2024.•In service by 4th quarter 2025•World class international design•A build that drives UK economic prosperity•To enhance trade throughout the world.•Maximum use of green technologies at the outset•Insert green technologies through life A typical six month itinerary for the flagship might include docking at a port in a country where a British Prime Ministerial visit is taking place to accommodate parallel discussions between British and local businesses, hosting trade fairs to sell British products to an emerging market and providing the venue for an international ministerial summit or major trade negotiations between the UK and another government.The ship, the name of which will be announced in due course, will be the first national flagship since 1997 when the HMY Britannia was decommissioned. However, its role will be distinct from that of any previous national flagship, reflecting the UK’s new status as an independent trading nation and helping us to seize the opportunities that status presents.As well as being a resource for British firms looking to export globally, the ship will also be a tangible manifestation of British ingenuity and shipbuilding expertise. The Government’s intention is to build the ship in the UK. This will create jobs, help drive a renaissance in the UK’s shipbuilding industry and showcase the best of British engineering around the world.In addition to promoting trade, it is expected that the flagship will play an important role in achieving the UK’s foreign policy and security objectives, through hosting summits and other diplomatic talks.Construction of the ship is expected to begin next year, and the ship will enter service within the next four years. An emphasis is placed on building a vessel which reflects British design expertise and the latest innovations in green technology.The assumption is that the ship will be crewed by the Royal Navy and is expected to be in service for around 30 yearsThe purpose of this Contract Notice (“CN”) is to formally advertise the requirement outlined by the recent Prior Information Notices (“PIN”s) for the Design and the Build Contracts, and to remind potential suppliers that they must submit a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (“PQQ”) to be considered for the National Flagship competitive procurement. Suppliers should only respond if they are (themselves or as part of a consortium with other suppliers) in a position to undertake either the Design and / or the Build of the Ship. Note that the Design is open to international competition, the build of the vessel will be within the UK. Intended Procurement ProcessThe procurement is planned to consist of: 1.Pre-Qualification Questionnaires. PQQ responses will be used to select suitable suppliers to tender for a;-Competitive Design Phase (“CDP”) Contract(s). This contract will comprise of a “Stage 1 Design (System Design)” and a “Stage 2 (Detailed Design)”. It is expected that up to several suppliers will qualify for the Stage 1 Design Contract, allowing the Authority to select the most suitable to take forward to the Stage 2 Design. And;-Competitive Build Phase (“CBP”) Contract. 2.An Invitation to Negotiate (ITN”) which will be issued to suppliers successful at the PQQ stage for these contracts.3.Contracts for the CDP Stage 1 & CDP Stage 2 and CBP will be agreed with the suppliers who are downseleted through the ITN process. Suppliers will develop their proposed Stage 1 and Stage 2 designs, with the opportunity to engage with, and receive feedback from the Authority and its representatives. Design deliverables supplied to the Authority during the CDP will form the basis of ITN issued to the Build Suppliers allowing a selected “build” supplier to contract for the Build CBP Contract. The mechanism by which the Authority will assess whether suppliers can deliver to the Technical Requirements, by the required dates, and to the available budget, will be articulated in the ITNs. The Authority will issue the ITNs together with the draft Contract to those suppliers who qualify. The supplier which provides the most advantageous tender, in accordance with the requirements of the published evaluation criteria in the ITNs, will (subject to approvals) be awarded the Contracts.General Whilst what is set out above is the intended procurement process, the Authority, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to amend in any way and/or cancel the procurement process. The Authority reserves the right to withdraw this notice at any time for any reason.The Authority reserves the right not to award any Contract to any supplier at any stage during the procurement (including the CDP Contract or the D&B Contract). The Authority does not bind itself to enter into any Contract(s) arising out of the proceedings envisaged by this CN and no contractual rights express or implied arise out of this CN or the procedures envisaged by it.Other than any amount that may be paid to successful suppliers in accordance with the terms of the CDP & CBP Contracts, any suppliers who respond to this procurement (irrespective of whether they are assessed to meet the PQQ requirements or are evaluated to be successful CDP & CBP suppliers) shall be fully responsible for the cost of responding to this procurement, and the Authority does not accept any liability for any costs howsoever incurred including but not limited to those costs arising out of or in connection with any amendment to, or cancellation of, the procurement process.