UKSA Active Debris Removal (ADR) National Mission

Description

This is a Prior Information Notice not a call for competition. UK Space Agency (UKSA) would like to invite interested suppliers to the Preliminary Market Engagement Event with relation to the planned procurement of the Active Debris Removal (ADR) National Mission. The aim of the event is to engage with space sector organisations to: A) Understand the market's current capacity and capability to deliver this requirement, and their interest in the procurement; B) Outline UK Space Agency's draft technical and mission requirements, contractual provisions and outline procurement strategy; and C) Give potential suppliers the opportunity to confirm their appetite and to provide feedback on the intended approach. Background of the requirements The UK Active Debris Removal (ADR) Project is a UK National project that aims to achieve the Space Sustainability priority set out in the UKSA Corporate Plan 2022-2025, supporting the National Space Strategies (NSS) plan to lead the global effort to make space more sustainable. The mission requires the safe capture and subsequent removal of at least two UK-licensed defunct satellites in the congested LEO zone. These debris, also known as the Target Satellites, must be unprepared for capture; that is, not fitted with technologies intended to aid In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (ISAM), such as docking plates and fiducial markers. The Target Satellites must also be completely uncooperative. The Project will enable the UK to seize key opportunities in the global ADR and ISAM markets and establish itself as global leader in space debris remediation. This planned procurement of ADR National Mission will see one supplier contracted through a competitive flexible procedure procurement, to deliver the service. Please note that this procurement will be subject to the Procurement Act 2023, not the Public Contract Regulations 2015. More information on this is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/the-procurement-act-2023-a-short-guide-for-suppliers-html Lot 1: Scope of the Procurement: • Development and construction of a vehicle capable of removing two agreed pieces of debris (defunct UK registered satellites) from orbit, then remaining in orbit with the capability to be refuelled. • Launch of the vehicle. • Operation of the vehicle in orbit to remove two agreed space debris from orbit within an agreed time frame. • Vehicle to be in a stable orbit and in a refuellable state at completion of mission. Constraints and Dependences: We would like to flag for supplier's information that the budget for delivery of the mission has not been confirmed yet. We are conducting this engagement with the market to explore the interest and what is possible in the event the budget is approved through the Spending Review process. The procurement is also conditional on successfully obtaining all necessary internal and external approvals. Date Time and Location The event will take place on the 24th of February 2025 at 10.00 am in: Jupiter Room - Satellite Applications Catapult Electron Building, Fermi Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QR, UK Event registration This is an in person only event. Please ensure you register for the event by sending an email to commercial@ukspaceagency.gov.uk . Please include a clear reference to the event UKSAC24_0095 ADR National Mission Engagement Day in the title of your email. We would appreciate the number of attendees to be limited to 3 participants per organisation. Please note that the event is intended for Suppliers who believe they would have the capacity to deliver the entire contract as the prime supplier. Please ensure that you secure your place at the event before 17th of February 2025. Once you have registered your interest, ahead of the engagement day, we will share with you the Agenda. We will also share drafts of the following documents so that you have an opportunity to review them ahead of the day: - Mission requirements - Contractual provisions - including proposed KPI's, Liabilities, Cross waver, Insurance levels, Intellectual Property Rights - Timeframes of the procurement - Procurement strategy - Social Value - Pricing structure On the day There will be opportunity to ask questions regarding all aspects of the requirements. Questions and Answers will be captured and shared with the suppliers after the event. Dependant on numbers expressing interest, our aim is to provide interested Suppliers with the opportunity to meet with us '1-to-1' in private, to help facilitate open and frank conversations. If you are interested in such a meeting, please ensure this is clearly stated in your email response. If too many Suppliers express interest to accommodate on the day, places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis and/or we may at our sole discretion offer alternative dates to meet. Reasonable steps will be taken to provide the same amount of time to each Supplier. Additional information: Please note the following general conditions: • This PIN is not a call for competition and as such potential providers will need to express interest in any future tender opportunity once a contract notice is published on Digital Platform. The procurement will be subject to the Procurement Act 2023, and future notices will be issued as provided for in that Act not the Public Contract Regulations 2015. • Any and all costs associated with attendance and/or the production of a response in any form must be borne by Suppliers. The UK Space Agency will not contribute in any way to meeting costs . Information contained within this document is confidential and must not be revealed to any third party without prior written consent from us. • No down-selection of potential providers will take place as a consequence of any responses or interactions relating to this Preliminary Market Engagement . • No information provided by a potential provider as a result of the engagement will be carried forward, used or acknowledged in any way for the purpose of evaluating the potential provider, in any subsequent formal procurement process.