Aerial Surveillance Service

Description

The Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) delivers accurate and real time Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) for the UK Government maritime security stakeholders. This MDA is facilitated by the Royal Navy Maritime Domain Awareness Programme (RN MDAP). JMSC provides the UK's maritime Common Operating Picture (COP) to all non-Defence users through the RN MDAP. The COP provides accurate and timely situational awareness to decision makers across government and operational agencies. Delivery of the COP requires a layered, pervasive, and non-pervasive data collection capability at multiple fixed and mobile sites to deliver accurate and timely information about users and activities within the UK Marine Area. The data layer from shore-based systems is limited to a few tens of miles from the sensor installations hence there are large areas of the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (UKEEZ) that require alternative aerial surveillance to provide data to the COP. The aerial surveillance is the subject of this notice. A map of the UK EEZ is available here https://data.admiralty.co.uk/portal/apps/sites/#/marine-data-portal. To date the JMSC has utilised the services of the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and Marine Scotland to acquire aerial surveillance data. However, the JMSC is now seeking to engage with a commercial aviation organisation to replace this current arrangement and provide the JMSC with the required levels of aerial surveillance as a fully managed service, including day and night imagery covering the UK EEZ. The aerial surveillance service provider will be expected to perform covert and non-covert surveillance sorties across all areas of the UK EEZ using either rotary, fixed wing manned or unmanned aircraft to locate and identify targets including vessels that are not broadcasting an Identification Signal. Aircraft sensor fit shall include Radar and Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) with cost-effective communication systems to allow the provision of the surveillance data to the JMSC in as near real time as practicable. The potential length of this contract will be 3 to 5 years in total (including any extension periods), with an estimated total value of up to £19 million if the contract is awarded for 5 years. The purpose of this market engagement is to assess the interest and capability of the market to meet the requirement and is not a call for competition and as such potential providers will need to express an interest in any future tender opportunity once a notice is published in Contracts Finder. It should also be noted that this notice invites individuals and organisations to express an interest in this market engagement exercise only and is NOT part of any pre-qualification or selection process. What to do to express an interest in this opportunity is contained within the Notes section of this notice. Additional information: The Joint Maritime Security Centre would like to engage with suppliers to determine the level of interest, capacity and capability to meet the requirement. They would also like to establish the most cost effective way to deliver the requirements, including any alternative or creative solutions. To do this, they would like to engage with the market by inviting interested suppliers to a market engagement event, where the Authority will present their requirements. This will be followed by further market engagement which is yet to be determined but is likely to take the form of a questionnaire, followed by individual meetings with interested suppliers. It is important to note that this notice is not a call for competition and as such potential providers will need to express an interest in any future tender opportunity once a notice is published. It should also be noted that this notice invites individuals and organisations to express an interest in this market engagement exercise only. It is not a pre-qualification questionnaire, and is not part of any pre-qualification or selection process. 1. To express an interest, participants must first be registered on the Home Office e-Sourcing Portal. If you have not yet registered, this can be done online at https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html by following the 'Register Here' link . Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering and who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. 2. Once registered on the Home Office e-Sourcing Portal, potential suppliers, who believe they are able to offer the required services, are requested to send an expression of interest to the JMSC procurement inbox procurementjmsc@homeoffice.gov.uk by 4th October 2024. The subject title of the email should read Aerial Surveillance Service - Expression of Interest, and the email should confirm your organisation's name, Jaggaer registration number, one contact name, one e-mail address and one telephone number. These contact details must be those used to register on the Home Office e-Sourcing Portal. Once the above two steps are completed, invitations will be made available via the portal, subject to parties signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). The current expected date for the Virtual Engagement Event/Industry Day is during October 2024, but the precise date is to be confirmed. The Authority has determined that the likely procurement route will be via a further competition using the Crown Commercial Service Space Enabled and Geospatial Services RM6235 Dynamic Purchasing System https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6235, so any potential bidders will need to be registered on this Dynamic Purchasing System when the Authority commences their shortlisting/tendering process, potentially in December 2024.