Provision of Industrial, Medical Gases and Special Gases and Associated Equipment and Services

Atomic Weapons Establishment Plc (“AWE”) is looking to engage with the market to understand bidders’ capability and capacity to provide industrial, medical and special gases and associated equipment and services to support its Aldermaston and Burghfield sites.

AWE are considering an agreement with industry (single supplier) for a period of up to 6 years.

For clarity this document forms a part of pre-market engagement and is not part of any competitive procedure. Any information you submit will be considered solely for the purposes of building a greater understanding of the marketplace, and industry's ability to support the procurement category strategy

AWE is looking to engage with the market to understand the supplier’s capability and capacity to meet its needs for industrial, medical and special gases and associated equipment and services post expiry of its existing contract which expires on 31st December 2024. A procurement is required to secure future supplies under a new contract for the long term.

The supply of products and associated services will support the AWE sites at both Aldermaston and Burghfield. At present there are no plans to service other sites, however it should be noted that during the life of the contract term, the infrastructure and layout of the site may change which may in turn lead to required changes in respect of the in scope services.

In respect of the requirements, the following are deemed in scope. Please see the RFI Requirements document for more detail and note that a full list will be supplied at ITT together with specifications and sizes:

1. Compressed Industrial Gases

2. Compressed Medical Gases

3. Compressed Research/Special Gases and Gas Mixtures

4. Bulk Gases in Liquid Form

5. Cryo Liquids in Small Vessels

6. Solid Carbon Dioxide (CO2, ‘Dry Ice’)

7. Gas Regulators and Handling Equipment

8. Assorted Fixtures and Fittings

9. Maintenance and Inspection Services

10. Rental of Gases Tanks

11. Delivery Services

12. Gas Safety Training Courses

13. Demand and Inventory Management

In respect of requirement 13, it should be noted that AWE requires the successful bidder to undertake the inventory and demand management in respect of the requirements listed above. Continuity of supply is critical to AWE and as such, any successful bidder will need to implement an operating model to ensure that availability of gases meets AWE requirements can be met 365 days a year. The proposed inventory management solution should be light / zero touch from AWE staff, whilst demonstrating appropriate budgetary controls and contract management.

To support the development of our procurement strategy and understand how the market can support and fulfil AWE requirements, AWE is requesting interested parties to submit the proforma; Appendix A, to [email protected], including in the title of your email submission “Industrial, Medical Gases and Special Gases and Associated Equipment and Services ”. https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/44698214-d1ab-4dd6-bbbc-95e4be981414?origin=SearchResults&p=1

We ask that you register your interest in this PIN and RFI by Friday 4th August16:00 BST, submissions after this deadline may not be considered.

Once the necessary security checks have been carried out using the information submitted in the proforma, if successful, the RFI will be sent to the nominated email in your proforma.

Responses to the RFI should be submitted via email to [email protected], including in the title of your email submission “Industrial, Medical Gases and Special Gases and Associated Equipment and Services ”.

The nature of this PIN is such that AWE intends to operate restrictions within the relevant procurement regulations in order to protect essential national security interests. If an economic operator has connections with any hostile entity or foreign states which are deemed by AWE to pose a risk to the UK’s national security interests or is otherwise considered not to possess the reliability necessary to exclude risks to the security of the United Kingdom, AWE reserves its right to exclude them from this exercise.

In issuing this PIN and engaging with the market, the AWE is not committing to conduct any procurement in relation to this Programme. Equally non-participation in this Market Engagement will not be taken into account in any future procurement activities and will not preclude any organisation from submitting a tender in any future competitions.

Note: The nature of this contract is such that the award will be subject to supplier’s passing AWE’s security requirements as dictated by its site licenses.