R-Cloud for suppliers

R-Cloud (version 4) is based on Dstl’s 22 research capabilities. And underneath these capability areas sit further skills areas.

For further details of the R-Cloud taxonomy, including statements of requirement for each capability and skill, go to R-Cloud.

As a supplier, you submit your application in R-Cloud (the process is designed to make it easy to apply, supporting the diverse range of contracts placed on R-Cloud).

You select the skills and capabilities relevant to your organisation from the R-Cloud taxonomy list. This selection is used in R-Cloud tasking procedures to target opportunities based on areas of expertise and interest. Once approved, this selection can be updated at any time.

Binding agreement with MOD

By completing and submitting an application to R-Cloud, suppliers are creating a binding agreement with MOD. It’s essential that the application is submitted on behalf of the legal contracting entity that proposes to contract with MOD.

Unsuccessful application

If your application is unsuccessful you will receive feedback to explain the decision and have the option to choose to re-apply.

Technical narrative

Due to the diversity of suppliers in R-Cloud the technical narrative can be flexible in how it’s completed. This gives suppliers the scope to demonstrate their capabilities and experience in the way that best suits their organisation. You don’t need to complete an individual technical narrative for every research area applied to - the assessment process is a high level review of supplier capabilities and experience as relevant to defence and security research and development (R&D) as a whole.

Character limit

You don’t need to use the entire character limit, as long as you’ve provided clear evidence or explanation of relevant capability and experience. Previous examples of working in MOD (or other defence and security) R&D can be helpful here, but are not essential.

The R-Cloud pricing matrix

The pricing matrix (hourly rates against each role) requested on application to R-Cloud sets maximum rates for future work. Applicable rates will be established on a task by task basis.

Dstl Commercial Services assess submitted rates to confirm that they are within an acceptable range. This assessment is based on the average range of rates held in R-Cloud and any other relevant information.

Financial information

The application should be completed by the organisation applying to R-Cloud, and not, for example, a parent company.

There’s an option to upload supporting information to your application to assist in demonstrating or clarifying this section. For example, if you are a new start-up this section can be used to explain the current financial position.

The mandatory fields in the financial data section currently have a maximum limit of 10 characters. If your organisation requires more characters, please input £0 to these fields and instead upload the information via the supporting information section.

Issues submitting your application

Applications can only be submitted once all sections are complete. If you can’t seem to submit your application, make sure all sections have been marked as complete.

Check the following:

• at least 1 capability area has been added
• all elements of the application including sub-sections are marked as complete
• the 2 tick boxes at the bottom are ticked

R-Cloud (Version 4) terms and conditions

The R-Cloud (Version 4) terms and conditions will apply to all contracts placed via R-Cloud and it’s a mandatory requirement of applying to R-Cloud that confirmation of acceptance is provided. The terms are hosted on R-Cloud - these are linked from the grey footer at the bottom of each page, and in the main body of the application (next to the checkbox asking applicants to confirm acceptance).

You can access the strictly non-negotiable terms and conditions in R-Cloud. We’re unable to provide Word or PDF versions.

Additional terms and conditions may be added from time to time as part of the tasking process. We will provide these details in the tasking form (part A).

Shortlisting to tasking procedures

When your organisation is shortlisted to participate in a tasking procedure, you will receive an email notification (this will go to the registered admin email address). The opportunity will also be visible in your R-Cloud dashboard.

Shortlists are produced by the R-Cloud and are based on the R-Cloud taxonomy.

When creating a task, the buyer selects the capabilities and skills relevant to their requirement. R-Cloud then matches this selection with the capabilities and skills selected by suppliers. This means only those tasking procedures which match your chosen areas of interest will be ‘pushed’ to you for consideration.

Buyers upload all the information you need to understand their requirements and directions to respond to the opportunity. This includes the R-Cloud tasking form, which contains the authority’s statement of requirement for the services.

Only the opportunities your organisation is eligible to participate in will be visible. So you don’t need to review adverts or requirements which are irrelevant to the research areas you’ve selected.

Communicating with the buyer

Messages and clarification questions can be sent directly to the buyer via R-Cloud. The buyer will respond via R-Cloud either directly to that question or, if they think it’s relevant to all participating suppliers, as an ‘update’.

The contact details for the buyer will be visible in R-Cloud and in the tasking form in case of any technical difficulties.

Awarding a contract

All R-Cloud processes are completed in R-Cloud. This includes contract award which is an electronic acceptance notice.

When awarding a contract in R-Cloud, buyers will provide:

• purchase order number
• feedback to the successful supplier
• any other relevant documents to be uploaded as part of the contract that are not already linked to the task (for example, clarification questions and responses, completed Limitation of Contractors Liability (LoCL) Annex)

If you’re unsuccessful

If you’re unsuccessful, you’ll receive a notification in R-Cloud. You should receive this either in R-Cloud or via email.

If you don’t receive feedback within a reasonable amount of time following contract award, and you would like to request this, contact the buyer using the email address provided in R-Cloud or tasking form.

Roles and responsibilities

The role of buyers

Buyers in R-Cloud are responsible for the end-to-end management of their tasking procedures, including the award of any resultant contract.

The role of the Dstl R-Cloud management team

Dstl R-Cloud management team provides advice and guidance to help buyers and suppliers in their use of R-Cloud, whilst managing the overarching agreement. The team also assist with general use of R-Cloud, such as, escalation of technical issues.

Updating your login email address

You can amend your admin email address in R-Cloud, under ‘view account’ (supplier applicant accounts can’t be updated).

If you’re an approved supplier who can’t access R-Cloud to make a change, the R-Cloud management team can help; for security purposes, please email the existing account details, including written confirmation from the account holder (wherever possible), and the details to be updated to dstlrcloud@dstl.gov.uk

If you’re unable to get written confirmation from the account holder, please provide the reason for this.

Login issues

Both username and password entries are case sensitive on R-Cloud. If these are entered incorrectly, you won’t be able to access R-Cloud or receive password reset emails. (We are currently working on this issue.)

If passwords need to be updated manually, please email dstlrcloud@dstl.gov.uk

You will then receive a temporary password to access R-Cloud and chance the password to something more secure (under ‘view account’).

You can also email us for any other technical issues and queries with R-Cloud.

If your query relates to the tasking procedure, contact the relevant buyer (via R-Cloud if possible).

Intellectual property rights (IPR) in R-Cloud

IPR vesting in the supplier

As standard, contracts placed through R-Cloud will vest ownership of intellectual property rights (IPR) with the supplier. The R-Cloud agreement terms for IPR vesting in the supplier are in the R-Cloud (Version 4) terms and conditions (schedule 3, annex S3-A).

R-Cloud also includes the option to secure additional sharing or publication rights in certain deliverables. Where these rights are needed, this will be stated in the tasking form (part B).

Document marking

If you’re awarded a contract via R-Cloud, you must also comply with the R-Cloud document marking scheme set out in the tasking form (part A, annex 2):

• rights to publish: if the tasking form states that the authority requires a right to publish a specific deliverable, then the documents have to be delivered with markings indicating that the authority (for example, MOD), has the right to publish that deliverable. This includes the right to open source the information in them (but not the right to open source any relevant supplier-owned patents).
• UK Government Sharing Rights: if the tasking form states that the authority requires one or more specified UK government department(s) need to be able to share a specific deliverable, then the documents have to be delivered with markings indicating that those UK government department(s) are included within the definition of contract authority, which gives them the right to share the deliverable as confidential GFI (although only for their UK defence/security contracts).

R-Cloud+

Brand new for 2023, R-Cloud+ will open up more opportunities (if you opt in) to participate in UK government R&D contracts.

IPR vesting in the Crown

Buyers will have the option to require all or part of the IPR under a contract to vest in the Crown with R-Cloud+. These contracts could not be placed in R-Cloud before. We expect this to be a positive step in opening up R-Cloud even further as an efficient route to contract for both buyers and suppliers.

New supplier applicants

You can apply to R-Cloud+ as part of the main R-Cloud application by selecting ‘apply’ in the additional terms and conditions section. This will include R-Cloud+ within your application - you don’t need to complete any additional steps.

Existing R-Cloud suppliers

R-Cloud+ will be available to join in your R-Cloud dashboard, under the section ‘additional terms and conditions’ (select ‘apply’ to join). You don’t need to submit any additional information as R-Cloud will immediately apply this to your profile.

If you want to opt-out at a later date, the option to do this will remain available (select ‘opt-out’ on the dashboard). Selecting ‘opt-out’ will not remove access to any existing R-Cloud+ tasking procedures. You may still choose to continue with these, but the R-Cloud+ additional terms and conditions will apply.

R-Cloud+ is an entirely optional addition to R-Cloud and suppliers who choose not to join will still be able to participate in R-Cloud tasking procedures. Electing not to join R-Cloud+ will have no impact on your participation in other areas of R-Cloud or any non R-Cloud+ tasking procedure.

R-Cloud+ tasking procedures

When a tasking procedure using R-Cloud+ is published, it will be visible in R-Cloud. The buyer will also use the R-Cloud+ tasking form.

Within the R-Cloud+ tasking form (part B, section E), buyers will identify whether annex S3-A (IPR vesting in the supplier) or annex S3-B (IPR vesting in the Crown) will apply to each deliverable.

Document marking

If awarded any contract via R-Cloud+, you must also comply with the R-Cloud document marking scheme set out in the tasking form (part A, annex 2)

Design Rights and Patents (Sub-Contractors) Agreement

Under any MOD contract (and only when authorised by the Authority to sub-contract any research services) you must put in place a suitable Design Rights and Patents (Sub-Contractors) Agreement. This creates a direct legal relationship between MOD and the sub-contractor which specifically ensures that the necessary rights of use in the sub-contracted elements of the work and associated deliverables.

Notification of IP Rights Restrictions

The R-Cloud tasking form (part C, annex B: Notification of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Restrictions) must be completed as part of every response to an R-Cloud tasking procedure and must be kept up to date by the supplier throughout the contract period.

This notifies MOD of any background IP or other restrictions associated with contract deliverables.

R-Cloud policy and processes

The following is provided as a quick reference guide to policies and processes in R-Cloud. This is not an exhaustive list and so we strongly recommend suppliers review the R-Cloud (Version 4) terms and conditions in full before applying and participating in tasking procedures.

Sub-contracting in R-Cloud

50% Sub-contracting limit

Contracts will not be more than 50% sub-contracted (based on contract value). This is to support engagement for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and non-traditional defence suppliers.

Buyers can chose to waive this limit where justified by the circumstances of the task. Contact the buyer to request a waiver to the 50% limit as early as possible and before the response deadline.

Requests for approval to sub-contract

Suppliers must notify the authority of any intended sub-contracting in advance and obtain express approval before entering into any sub-contract (RCloud (Version 4) terms and conditions (clause 12.8)).

The provisions of R-Cloud (Version 4) terms and conditions (annex to schedule S3-3: cyber security) must be included in any relevant sub-contract.

Get further information on contractual process: placing contracts or releasing assets, and ‘Subcontracting or Collaborating on Classified UK MOD Programmes’.

Limitation of Contractors Liability (LoCL)

Any request to include a cap on liability under an R-Cloud tasking procedure must be:

• submitted at the earliest opportunity and before the deadline for responses under the relevant tasking procedure, with sufficient time allowed for the authority to consider the request - buyers can state a deadline for any requests within the tasking form (the request must be submitted prior to the deadline)

• accompanied by a suitable risk assessment (evidence to support the request must be provided, to allow the authority to conduct a realistic and robust risk assessment and understand the potential financial liability being passed from the supplier to the authority) - the request must demonstrate that it’s reasonable for the authority to limit their liability against any proposed risk(s) and the authority must be satisfied that it’s value for money to do so.

Acceptance of any request to limit liability is strictly at the discretion of the authority.

You must not include any unapproved liability cap within your response - this may result in the response being rejected as non-compliant with the R-Cloud process.

Social value

When joining R-Cloud, suppliers have agreed to identify potential social value benefits for any tasking procedure (R-Cloud (Version 4) terms and conditions (clause 4.8)).

Any assessment of social value benefits should be provided to the buyer as part of a response or as otherwise requested.

Security in R-Cloud

The following is provided as guidance on security in R-Cloud, however this is not intended to be exhaustive and suppliers must ensure that all necessary steps are taken to ensure the security of MOD data and information.

Details of the information security notices that apply when working with MOD are on GOV.UK

Contact the relevant buyer if you have any further questions on any aspect of security that applies to an R-Cloud tasking procurement or contract.

Sharing information via R-Cloud

R-Cloud can be used to place tasks at any classification, but it must only be used to share information up to OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE (OS). Information classified above OS must be shared outside R-Cloud, in compliance with MOD commercial policy on the protection of information.

If you intend to share information classified above OS, you should contact the buyer for guidance.

Cyber Security

Cyber risk assessment

A cyber risk assessment will be conducted for every contract or task placed under the R-Cloud terms, and suppliers may be required to complete a security assurance questionnaire as part of a tasking procedure.

The cyber risk level and cyber risk assessment reference (if applicable) will be included in the tasking form (part A).

Guidance will be provided in the tasking form, but the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership also provides further information.