711583450 - Defence Digital Test and Management Service (TaMS) - Contract Notice

Defence Digital (the "Authority")part of the UK Ministry of Defence ("MOD"),is seeking to appoint a service provider to deliver Test and Management Services (TaMS) to provide Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) testing capabilities to support changes within equipment programmes. The Authority provides testing for deployed and base ICT,enabling System of Systems integration in support of operations,major capability development programmes,and innovation,research and experimentation activity. The TaMS will deliver the test delivery components necessary to deliver the outcomes required this includes: (i) The Testing service will manage,maintain and configure the testing capability on behalf of the Authority and deliver the test outcomes to the Authority's customer base which includes all Front Line Commands, Defence organisations and their suppliers. The TaMS will provide specialist advice and support to deliver testing throughout Customers project/programme lifecycles. The service provided will operate at different security classifications up to and including Top Secret. Utilising different technologies and systems using the suppliers service expertise and skills. The service provider will employ the provided connectivity,tooling and application. The service will require the provision of off-site testing,where equipment and expertise can be deployed to customers' locations for defined periods. (ii) The TaMS provider will be responsible to the Authority for delivering a service that will constantly seek to improve the quality of their resources,skills,systems and processes that the testing and management services provided to the customers are maintained and improved. Further details on the requirement can be found within the TaMS Supplier Prospectus held within the Defence Sourcing Portal. Security The Cyber Risk Profile for TaMS is HIGH. In order to be able to bid, a supplier must meet the requirements applicable to the handling of sensitive and classified information, including information classified to the level Top Secret,as the procurement has an exemption applied under Regulation 7(1)(a) of the DSPCR, in conjunction with Regulation 6(3A)(a) of the DSPCR. A contract will not be awarded in respect of this procurement for the provision of TaMS unless the successful supplier's contracting entity is: (a) registered and operating in the UK;and (b) an entity with at least 50% of its directors (or equivalent) who are both UK nationals and residents in the UK. The successful supplier would be required to be Facility Security Clearance (FSC) (previously known as List X) accredited by the anticipated date of award of the TaMS contract (and failure to achieve FSC accreditation may result in the supplier being ineligible for contract award). Further details on the security conditions can be found in section 2 of the PQQ and the Security Aspects Letter within DSP.

Additional information: In order to participate in the PQQ and to effectively manage security interests during the procurement, the Authority will require interested suppliers to enter in to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to receiving the PQQ, which will set out supplier's obligations of confidentiality in relation to certain confidential and/or sensitive information disclosed by the Authority in connection with this procurement. The process is detailed below:

1. Interested suppliers wishing to register interest in the PQQ should email [email protected] to receive an NDA to complete and return. Please ensure your email subject starts with 'TaMS PQQ Supplier Name'. 2. Upon receipt of an acceptable copy of a correctly completed NDA, access will be given to the PQQ held within the Defence Sourcing Portal (which is where the Supplier Prospectus and Conflict of Interest (COI) letter are also held). If an account is not already held, potential suppliers should register an account with the Defence Sourcing Portal ("DSP") as soon as possible at www.contracts.mod.uk 3. Suppliers who have signed an NDA and who wish to complete the PQQ should complete the PQQ in accordance with the instructions set out therein. Any clarification questions which a supplier may have in relation to the PQQ or any other aspect of this procurement will be managed in accordance with the process (including timescales, deadlines, selection process of PQQ Applicants to the nest phase of the procurement) detailed in the (PQQ). 4. At the date of this Contract Notice, the Authority intends to select up to a maximum of ten (10) applicants to participate in the next phase of the TaMS procurement. 5. All communication in relation to the TaMS procurement shall be made through the DSP Portal. Potential suppliers are to the note that the Authority has engaged external consultants to support the procurement. These external consultants are being managed by the Authority and have roles throughout the procurement process, both in drafting the procurement documentation, including selection criteria, and in evaluating applications. Appropriate Ethical Walls and Conflict of Interest regimes are in place. Participants in the procurement may be required to sign up to Ethical Wall requirements and provide a Conflict of Interest declaration.