Original Tender Description
The Ministry of Defence (“MOD”) is seeking to support the development and trial a low-cost interceptor, as detailed below:
• Optimised for drones, loitering munitions and missiles at close ranges and low altitudes
• Achieve a favourable ‘cost-exchange ratio’ and reliably counter diverse targets at varying speeds, altitudes, and trajectories
• The fundamental requirement being, cost-effective, multi-threat interception capability.
This requirement has been denoted Project GOSHAWK.
The purpose of this Contract Notice (“CN”) is to advertise the requirement and invite potential suppliers to express their interest to participate in the competitive procurement and receive the ITT for Project GOSHAWK. Suppliers should only respond if they are (themselves or as part of a consortium with other suppliers) in a position to undertake the full programme and can meet the full requirement as set out above.
As a pre-requisite, suppliers who intend to participate in Project GOSHAWK and who express an interest must be able to meet the following essential criteria:
1. Initial RFI response:
a. Be able to receive and process information classified up to SECRET (in accordance with the UK’s Government Security Classification Policy) from the commencement of the Project GOSHAWK contract in accordance with GovS 007: Security
b. Sign a Confidentiality Undertaking
c. An outline of the supplier’s existing capability, detailing cruise speeds, sprint speed, intercept ceiling, operational ranges, manoeuvrability, kinetic payload, guidance, seeker performance, communication requirements, capability protection, deliverability timeline, launch system, outline plan for testing against credible scenarios, target interception rates, production costs, deployment ready date and integration requirements.*
*Please note the information provided will be treated as commercially sensitive.
2. During the competition the suppliers will be required to demonstrate (including but not limited to and as will be further detailed in the procurement documentation):
a. Technical ability to develop low-cost missiles to meet the Authority’s requirements;
b. Future scalability of production for a potential follow on contract with an estimated demand of approximately 3,000 to 7,000 units per year, subject to successful trials. Further clarity of the estimated annual demand will be provided during the procurement, however the Authority reserves the right to not place any follow on contract(s);
c. Export controls - Ideally no export controls, but European export control will be acceptable if required
d. Desirable criteria – A high proportion of spend under this and any future related contracts will be UK based, which may include but not be limited to missile development and production.
Suppliers who provide the essential criteria listed at 1 (a) to (c) above will be invited to participate and submit a response to the GOSHAWK ITT (see further detail below). The Authority will reserve the right in its absolute discretion to exclude suppliers if they are not deemed to credibly meet the essential criteria above.
Intended Procurement Process
The procurement is planned to consist of:
• An Invitation to Tender (“ITT”). The ITT procurement process will be used to evaluate supplier’s tenders for a low-cost interceptor optimised for drones, loitering munitions and missiles at close ranges and low altitudes to reliably counter diverse targets at varying speeds, altitudes, and trajectories, with the fundamental requirement being, cost-effective, multi-threat interception capability. Contract: for Project GOSHAWK.
The Authority intends to award between one to two (1 – 2) contracts for Project GOSHAWK development and trialling, the terms of will be set out by the Authority in the procurement documents. It is anticipated that the Project GOSHAWK Contract(s) will last approximately twelve (12) months from Contract award.
The Project GOSHAWK contract(s) are a funded phase of the programme where suppliers will develop and mature their proposed solutions to meet the Authority’s requirements. The solutions will be trialled during the contract(s), further detail to be provided in the procurement documents. Subject to successful trials, the Authority currently intends to place one or more follow on contracts for the production of low-cost interceptors in the future.
General
Whilst what is set out above is the intended procurement process, the Authority, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to amend in any way and/or cancel the procurement process. The Authority reserves the right to withdraw this notice at any time for any reason.
The Authority reserves the right not to award any Contract to any supplier at any stage during the procurement. The Authority does not bind itself to enter into any Contract(s) arising out of the proceedings envisaged by this CN and no contractual rights express or implied arise out of this CN or the procedures envisaged by it.
This Procurement is exempt from the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 (“PA 2023”). By expressing and interest to participate in the Procurement you acknowledge (and continue to acknowledge) that none of the obligations, rights or remedies deriving from the PA 2023 apply to this Procurement.
Any suppliers who respond to this procurement (irrespective of whether they are assessed to meet the ITT requirements or are evaluated to be successful suppliers) shall be fully responsible for the cost of responding to the procurement and the Authority does not accept any liability for any costs howsoever incurred including but not limited to those costs arising out of or in connection with any amendment to, or cancellation of, the procurement process.