NSSL Extension

Description

Provision of Commercial Satellite Services, including Airtime, Equipment and Engineering Services. Lot 1: Defence Digital, Strategic Connectivity, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) intends to amend a contract to NSSL Global Limited to allow the continuation of existing NSSL Catalogue Enabling Contract for a further 18 months from 1 September 2022 to 29 February 2024 to maintain a product catalogue capability for various Front Line Commands (FLC) and other Government Departments (OGD) to purchase Commercial Satellite (CS) engineering services, airtime and equipment in support of military operations worldwide, prior to this requirement being consumed into the Service Delivery Wrap requirement currently being competed for separately. Justification For Non-Competitive Decision: In accordance with regulation 4 of Defence and Security Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 SI No. 2019/697, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (DSPCR 2011) as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that amendment of this contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 because competition is absent for technical reasons. Technical reasons: NSSL Global are the only economic entity that can provide the technical know-how and systems required to deliver the capability that meets the requirement within the required timescale to maintain operational readiness- NSSL Global Ltd currently provide a bespoke, ground-based network infrastructure which is owned and operated by NSSL Global Limited and the Authority does not have sufficient rights in the system to provide information to any third party to operate. An alternate service provider would need to provide a MoD Assured UK based Network Operating Centre with security cleared personnel and central Point of Presence in the UK with MoD Assured links to their various teleports and 3rd party communications services. Replicating the existing network infrastructure would be complex, technically challenging and not without significant operational risk. Such a process would normally take up to 2 years to design, build and gain the necessary Assurances/Accreditation before migrating to a new network. An alternate service provider would also require ‘List X’ status in order to ensure the same technical and security guarantees for MoD data. This includes access, operation and maintenance of secure Gateways on commercial premises (Redhill) and MoD owned sites as well as access and handling of high-grade Cryptographic equipment and information classified up to and including Secret.