Dstl awards £350 million ASTRID contract to BAE Systems CORDA

Under the Analysis for Science and Technology Research in Defence (ASTRID) contract, BAE Systems CORDA will use leading-edge techniques to provide analysis on critical strategy, policy and investment challenges for Dstl and the Ministry of Defence. This will demonstrate, for example, that investment decisions provide the best value for money or offer the most efficient or practical solution. This research can also be re-purposed and shared across other areas within Government to solve similar challenges (subject to Intellectual Property rights), improving efficiency across the whole of UK Government.

BAE Systems CORDA will source and select the best supplier from its specialist supply chain to conduct analysis and inform decision-making. ASTRID will therefore help to ensure, for example, that investment decisions provide the best value for money.

The contract will operate across five areas: strategy, policy and enterprise, capability and investment for platform and system-llevel capabilities within current and future force structures, organisational structures (including back-office support, systems and processes), enabling services (including modelling and data collection) and horizon scanning.

ASTRID will run for five years from this point with options for a further two years. It replaces the Analysis Support Construct (ASC) framework contract, which was also managed by BAE Systems CORDA for Dstl. ASTRID is open to any customers across the Ministry of Defence and wider Government with in-scope requirements, and will build on the success of the ASC, which itsel delivered over 300 separate analysis activities for these customers.

Dstl divisional head Rob Solly informed Secuity Matters: “The ASTRID contract will maintain the provision of high quality analysis to underpin decisions across the Ministry of Defence and our partners in wider Government. It will build on the successful collaborative approach of the ASC, providing access to the best talent in the UK and overseas. We also aim to progressively and significantly exceed the Ministry of Defence target of awarding 25% of the work to SMEs, including non-traditional defence suppliers along the way.”

Suzanne Harrison, director of BAE Systems CORDA, responded: “We are excited about the opportunity to continue in our role as the Ministry of Defence’s partner of choice for analysis and decision support, and also about continuing to work closely with partners across the supplier community. Under the ASC, it has been fantastic to see collaborative teams from across industry and Government working to deliver essential support for defence and security decision-makers. Our approach towards ASTRID will build on the many strengths of the ASC, while also bringing in new innovations with a view towards improving on the successes of the last five years.”