UK02 Preliminary Market Engagement - LIOS - 708004450

Descriptions

LAND INTEGRATED OPERATING SERVICE (LIOS) PRELIMINARY MARKET ENGAGEMENT NOTICE The LIOS programme aims to deliver the most radical land equipment support transformation in two decades by adopting a different through-life support model. It will support the Army’s modernisation agenda as an agile, integrated, pan-Industry collaboration which is scaleable, and expeditionary, ready for warfighting and in line with Defence and Security Industrial Strategy and Land Industrial Strategy. Specifically targeting the MoD's support contracts, it aims to deliver better equipment availability and readiness, maintained, or improved performance through life, and a regular drumbeat of capability upkeep, update and upgrade. Following the LIOS market engagement conducted under the Prior Information Notice (PIN) process allowed under the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR), which was published to the market in August 2024, LIOS is now commencing a new period of ‘Preliminary Market Engagement’ (PME) under the procedures allowed within the Procurement Act 2023 – i.e. whilst engagement conducted under the DSPCR has helped shape the Authority thinking, from here on engagement will be conducted under the Procurement Act 2023. THE SUPPLIERS WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE ENGAGEMENT This engagement will be focused on designing the operating model for LIOS and conducted with the ‘current service providers’ for the modernisation fleets (AJAX, BOXER, Challenger (CR3) and the Service Provision and Transformation Contract (SPTC)). Accordingly, the ‘current service providers’ who will participate in this are: General Dynamics UK (GDUK) (AJAX platform), RBSL (Heavy Armour), ARTEC BOXER UK (BOXER), and Babcock (Service Provision and Transformation Contract (SPTC)). THE INTENT The intent of the engagement is to work with these suppliers to develop a structured approach to LIOS that ensures the Authority’s support requirements are met whilst in parallel, designing the Operating model (Op model) for LIOS. The Op model will look to provide opportunities throughout the supply chain for suppliers to provide goods and services in the LIOS field, and this will mean LIOS will have both competitive and Direct Award tender opportunities – it is not yet determined what these will be but it might be that the Op model cedes the responsibility to conduct tender exercises over to ‘Tier 1’ suppliers at an unspecified point in the future. The Authority recognises that a number of suppliers have supported the LIOS Market Engagement exercises conducted under the DSPCR, and we will continue to engage via briefings and allowing opportunities for registered suppliers to comment on the Op model as it develops. If you are not a registered supplier this Notice sets-out how you can register and take part. ENGAGEMENT SUBJECT MATTER The engagement will be conducted in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 Section 16 (‘Preliminary Market Engagement’) enabling the Authority to discuss: a. developing the authority’s requirements and approach to the procurement. b. designing a procedure, conditions of participation or award criteria. c. preparing the tender notice and associated tender documents. d. identifying suppliers that may be able to supply the goods, services or works required. e. identifying likely contractual terms. f. building capacity among suppliers in relation to the contract being awarded. It will relate to platform specific elements of the above, as well as the potential for cross-platform elements of the above and the potential for supplier collaboration, ANTICIPATED CONTRACT AWARDS The Authority is likely in the first instance to place a series of LIOS related contracts over a period of up to seven years (2025-2032). Though it has not finalised either the number or nature of what these contracts will be, it expects to place initial support contracts in parallel after further developing the LIOS approach. Suppliers will be notified of these contracts as and when the Authority commences the procurement of them, via the appropriate Notice in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. The contract start and end dates, and the issue date for any ITN or Transparency Notice, that are set-out in this PME are indicative only. They should not be taken as an indication of any confirmed date(s) for such activity. FOR THOSE SUPPLIERS NOT TAKING PART At this stage, the Authority does not envisage extending this dialogue to any other supplier. However, it is possible that the ‘current service providers will engage with other suppliers that may be able to supply the goods, services or works required, at sub-contract level, should they or the Authority deem it necessary to engage them. All registered suppliers shall be kept informed of the engagement via email and when necessary, briefings conducted via Teams or at Defence Events (e.g. DSEI). The Authority anticipates holding a Teams briefing to update to registered suppliers on the programme, later in 2025. The Authority will also provide registered suppliers a briefing pack that provides more detail on the Authority’s strategic positions on LIOS that it will use as the start point for the engagement with the ‘current service providers. This will be provided via email prior to the briefing. REGISTERING AS A SUPPLIER Any supplier who has not previously registered for LIOS via the PINs published under the DSPCR (in December 2021, May 2023 and August 2024), is not eligible to receive a copy of the briefing pack or other correspondence, this is for registered suppliers only. However, new suppliers are allowed to register providing they follow the following process. To become a registered supplier, you must: (i) Express an interest in registering for LIOS to the following email address: DESLEVS-Futures@mod.gov.uk; (ii) Upon receipt of it, the Authority will send you a capability and skills questionnaire that you will have 20 working days to complete and provide your response to DESLEVS-Futures@mod.gov.uk; (iii) Once your answers have been assessed, you will be deemed a registered supplier, and eligible to receive the briefing pack and other correspondence. For clarity, suppliers who have already registered and provided responses to the questionnaire via the previous PINs do not need to register again, the above process is only for suppliers who have yet to register. CPV Codes • 50630000 - Repair and maintenance services of military vehicles.