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ARTDIPT/073 Defence School of Transport - Delivery of Training & Related Services.

Prior information notice

Services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)

ARTD IPT, C&C;
Room 165, Building 370, Trenchard Lines
For the attention of: Mrs Kim Sanderson
SN9 6BE Upavon
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 1980615481
E-mail:

Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

I.2)Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions
I.3)Main activity
Defence
I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no

Section II.B: Object of the contract (Supplies or services)

II.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:
ARTDIPT/073 Defence School of Transport - Delivery of Training & Related Services.
II.2)Type of contract and place of delivery or of performance
Service category No 27: Other services
UNITED KINGDOM.

NUTS code UK

II.3)Information on framework agreement
II.4)Short description of nature and quantity or value of supplies or services:
Background.
The Defence School of Transport (DST) was formed up in 1996 as the "Centre of Excellence" for driver and transport management training to personnel from the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
The DST is situated in Leconfield, East Riding of Yorkshire, England on a former RAF base which is now called Normandy Barracks. Training is delivered by an establishment of some 230 military, 850 civil servants and support staff, and some 250 contract staff. The DST has 9 satellite locations in the South of England and 1 located in the north, at Catterick, which provide car licence acquisition under individual Defence Contracts with external training providers.
The DST provides some 114 different courses delivering transport management and operation training, for approximately 16 000+ trainees a year, and can train up to 1 400 students at any one time. This makes the DST probably the largest residential driver training school in the world. The main site at Leconfield has approximately 16 km of road circuits, plus 26 km of off-road cross country circuits, including hills and lakes.
Overall, the DST issues over 10 000 driving licences each year to Service Personnel. Training ranges from licence acquisition for all types of vehicles (ranging from motorcycles to HGVs). Following on from basic licence acquisition, DST Leconfield also carries out training on all matters relating to road transport including training on specialist military wheeled vehicles, ranging from the Honda 1300 cc Pan-American motorcycle to the 60-ton Kalmar RT240 rough terrain container handler. The DST operates a fleet of over 1 300 vehicles, that collectively cover over 5.5 million miles each year.
In addition to core training of military personnel, the DST provides specialist training to Emergency services (Police, Fire Service) and overseas training to Defence Attachés, bespoke courses for foreign customers, and additional courses to support military operations in Afghanistan and other overseas operational theatres.
Possible Requirement for Outsourcing and Training Transformation at DST.
The Ministry of Defence’s Business Strategy and Governance (BSG) team, as part of their work in support of the Strategic Defence & Security Review has undertaken a study on the options available to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the delivery of vehicle driver training activities, which are currently performed in-house both at the main DST site at Leconfield, and at the satellite locations across UK.
The BSG’s study has explored opportunities to alter current training management, delivery practices together with establishment support processes for the DST. Analysis has identified that there are opportunities to reduce the MOD’s current running costs of the DST through the introduction of efficiencies, whilst at the same time a need exists to modernise both the current training infrastructure and the manner in which training is currently provided.
The strategic assessment undertaken to compare current operating costs against potential savings demonstrated that efficiencies could be gained through doing things differently, and perhaps through greater involvement from industry.
The MOD requires a flexible, sustainable and modern training establishment that supports the delivery of efficient and integrated vehicle training. The MOD’s vision is therefore to achieve "21st Century training delivery for DST that represents best value for money” by meeting the following objectives:
- deliver financial savings against current operating costs,
- implement opportunities for training betterment,
- implement opportunities for improved establishment support,
- deliver improvements to the training infrastructure.
It is the MOD’s aspiration that the preferred training transformation solution will commence from mid/late 2014, bringing with it associated operating cost reductions.
The MOD’s Army Recruiting & Training Division (ARTD) Project team therefore currently wishes to explore with Industry (initially on an informal "without commitment” basis) a range of potential opportunities for reduced operating costs and transformation/modernisation of training delivery and support services at DST, and the extent to which this may include satellite training locations. The anticipated efficiency savings may potentially be generated through greater private sector involvement; this might involve a Private Sector partnering arrangement with MOD.
In the above context, consideration will also be given as to whether it is appropriate to procure a single contract covering the full extent of the training and support services currently being delivered by or to DST (including consideration of the extant contracts); or whether value for money will be best achieved through the continued use of the Defence-wide MOD contracts.
The ARTD Project Team also wishes to assess whether the anticipated efficiency savings might alternatively be generated through a Sale/Leaseback arrangement, involving a possible sale of the DST Leconfield site by MOD to Industry, with delivery of the relevant driver training services back to MOD, and would like to gauge the level of market interest in such a potential solution through engagement with industry.
Regardless of which solution is identified as the most appropriate, the MOD envisages that the chosen solution will be capable of:
- delivering MOD’s Statement of Training Requirement (SOTR),
- re-allocating training capacity in response to requirement changes over a period of time,
- designing the training, and training delivery to defined standards, for selected MOD personnel,
- managing the progressive implementation of the designed training,
- sustaining the training output required by MOD over a prolonged period from achievement of Initial Training Capability,
- operating a flexible estate and infrastructure at DST, that is able to respond to changes in the MOD’s future needs,
- maintaining the military ethos required of a Defence Training Establishment.
The ARTD Project Team would therefore welcome informal discussions on a without commitment basis from interested parties to gauge the overall levels of interest from Private Sector providers in providing any of the potential solutions identified above.

Lots

This contract is divided into lots: no
II.5)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

80500000, 80520000, 80521000, 80530000, 80630000

II.6)Scheduled date for start of award procedures
10.6.2013
II.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): no
II.8)Additional information:
It must be emphasised that in the event that Private Sector involvement is formally sought, to take forward the MOD’s aspirations as described above, then a formal Competitive Tender shall be run under EC Competitive Dialogue Process and an appropriate Contract Notice shall be published in OJEU in due course to solicit formal Expressions of Interest from Industry Providers who wish to be considered for participation in such a competitive tender process. Interested parties should note however that selection for participation in any formal Competitive Tender process is likely to be subject to pre-qualification processes.

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions relating to the contract
III.1.1)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:
III.2)Conditions for participation
III.2.1)Information about reserved contracts

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about European Union funds
The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
VI.2)Additional information:
Advertising Regime OJEU: These contract opportunities are published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and the MoD Defence Contracts Bulletin. The award of any subsequent contract arising from such requirements is subject to the Public Contract Regulations 2006. Tracker Reference: TKR-20111215-DCB-2806080 GO Reference: GO-20111215-DCB-2806081.
VI.3)Information on general regulatory framework
VI.4)Date of dispatch of this notice:
15.12.2011