RRS James Cook Refit Contract 2025

In accordance with the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023), the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service is deemed lawful under Schedule 5, paragraph 13 of the PA 2023. This exemption applies because the goods, services, or works required under the public contract are strictly necessary due to extreme and unavoidable urgency, preventing the contract from being awarded through a competitive tendering procedure. Following the failure of the originally planned contract, the scheduled and essential re-fit of the RSS James Cook can no longer be accommodated at the previously designated yard. As a result, the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has been compelled to re-contract for the essential annual maintenance of the vessel, scheduled for June/July 2025. Given the urgency of scheduling and resource requirements, an immediate booking was essential to ensure the legal compliance & safety of the vessel.