MCA Small Vessel Chartering Provision

Counter Pollution is one of His Majestys Coastguards (HMCG) Seven Functions and the Counter Pollution and Salvage (CPS) branch operates as the UK Competent Authority with specific responsibility for Counter Pollution preparedness and responding to at-sea pollution from shipping and offshore installations within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and the management of the UK Government's stockpiles of equipment and dispersant.

It is tasked to:

• Protect public Health
• Prevent pollution occurring by minimising the risk of pollution from ships and offshore installations;
• Determine any actual, or threat of, environmental impact and, where pollution occurs:
• Minimise the impact on the UK waters, the UK EEZ, coastlines and economic interest. Take the lead in responding to pollution at sea from ships and/or monitor the at-sea-clean up contracted by ship owners/insurers;

CPS currently source its vessel hire requirements on a case by case basis and secure charters from a range of suppliers based on competitive market rates. The requirement moving forward however is to secure a long-term partner to work with the team in the delivery of all ship chartering services across all of its sectors, securing value for money, provide effective management of counter pollution risk and shall provide HMCG with a contract that is transparent and auditable.

The procurement will be undertaken in accordance with the new Procurement Regulations (Procurement Act 2023) which are due to come into force in February 2025.

The full scope of these changes setting out how public procurements will be undertaken from this date are set out here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/transforming-public-procurement