R-Cloud for suppliers
Guidance for suppliers of science and technology research who sign up to R-Cloud and R-Cloud+ to access opportunities from across the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Research Cloud (R-Cloud) (version 4) is based on Dstl’s 22 strategic capabilities.
View statements of requirement for each capability on R-Cloud.
How to sell to or work with us via R-Cloud
1. Register in R-Cloud
Register in R-Cloud and select the capabilities and skills relevant to your organisation. Your application must be submitted on behalf of the legal contracting entity that proposes to contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) - and not a parent company, for example.
Your application will include your hourly maximum rates against each role. If this is £0, your application will be rejected.
You can upload supporting information. If you’re a new start-up, for example, you can use this section to explain the current financial position.
The mandatory fields in the financial data section currently have a maximum limit of 10 characters. If you need more characters, please input £0 to these fields and upload the information via the supporting information section.
2. Receive application approval (creates a binding agreement with MOD)
If your application is unsuccessful for any reason you’ll receive feedback and have the option to re-apply.
Due to the diversity of suppliers in R-Cloud, completion of the technical narrative is flexible. This gives you scope to demonstrate your capabilities and experience in the way that best suits your organisation - you must provide clear evidence of capability and experience.
You don’t need to complete an individual technical narrative for every research area you apply for.
3. Tasking
You’ll receive a notification from R-Cloud when there’s a capability skills match to requirements (tasks). Only the requirements that match your capabilities or skills will be pushed to you for consideration.
R-Cloud provides all the information you need to respond to the opportunity (including the tasking form or statement of requirement).
4. Clarification questions
Send clarification questions to the buyer for response via R-Cloud only.
5. Evaluated against published evaluation criteria
All bids presented in R-Cloud are evaluated against the published evaluation criteria.
6. Awarding a contract
All R-Cloud processes are completed in R-Cloud. This includes contract award which is an electronic acceptance notice. When buyers award a contract in R-Cloud, they’ll provide the following:
- 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 unsuccessful, you’ll receive a notification and feedback if you who want it. Contact the buyer for feedback as soon as possible using the email address provided on the R-Cloud tasking form.
R-Cloud policy and process
The following is a quick reference guide. It’s not an exhaustive list. And so please review the R-Cloud Terms and Conditions in full before you apply and participate in tasking.
Sub-contracting
Suppliers must notify the authority of any intended sub-contracting in advance and get 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.
R-Cloud and R-Cloud+ contracts must not be sub-contracted above a 50% contract value. This is to support SME engagement.
If a waiver to the 50% limit is needed, contact the buyer before the response deadline.
Limitation of Contractors Liability (LoCL)
The process for managing LoCL in R-Cloud is set out in the R-Cloud (Version 4) Terms and Conditions (schedule 3, clause 23).
Any request to include a cap on liability under an R-Cloud tasking procedure must be:
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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)
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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. If you do, your response could be rejected as non-compliant with the R-Cloud process.
Social value
When you join R-Cloud, you agree to identify potential social value benefits for a tasking procedure (R-Cloud (Version 4) Terms and Conditions (clause 4.8)).
You should provide any assessment of social value benefits to the buyer as part of a response or as otherwise requested.
Security in R-Cloud
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 risk assessment
A cyber risk assessment will be conducted for every contract or task placed under the R-Cloud terms. Suppliers might also have 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 in the tasking form, but the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership also provides further information.
The following information is guidance on security in R-Cloud, but this is not exhaustive and so 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.
Get further information on contractual process: placing contracts or releasing assets, and ‘Subcontracting or Collaborating on Classified UK MOD Programmes’.
How to sell to or work with Dstl
If you have any further questions or need information not included in this guidance or in R-Cloud, please email dstlrcloud@dstl.gov.uk
Issues and updates
Login issues
Both username and password are case sensitive on R-Cloud. If entered incorrectly, you won’t be able to access R-Cloud or receive password reset emails. (We’re currently working on this issue.)
If passwords need to be updated manually, please email dstlrcloud@dstl.gov.uk
You’ll then receive a temporary password to access R-Cloud and change 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).
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 can’t get written confirmation from the account holder, please provide the reason for this.
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 apply to all contracts. Acceptance of these Terms and Conditions is a mandatory requirement. These are linked from the grey footer at the bottom of each page (we can’t provide Word or PDF versions).
If additional Terms and Conditions are required, these will be highlighted in the applicable tasking form.
R-Cloud and Intellectual property rights (IPR)
Contracts placed through R-Cloud vest ownership of intellectual property 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.
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:
- 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+
R-Cloud+ is an optional addition to R-Cloud.
R-Cloud+ provides more opportunities to participate in UK government research and development (R&D) contracts.
New supplier applicants
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.
You can opt-out at a later date if you want to (select ‘opt-out’ on the dashboard). This will not remove access to any existing R-Cloud+ tasking procedures. You can still choose to continue with these, but the R-Cloud+ additional Terms and Conditions will apply.
Suppliers who choose not to join R-Cloud+ are still able to participate in R-Cloud.
R-Cloud+ tasking
The additional Terms and Conditions on IPR which apply to R-Cloud+, are on the R-Cloud (Version 4) Terms and Conditions (schedule 3, annex S3-B).
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 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).
R-Cloud+ IPR
In R-Cloud+, IP will be required to be vested in the Crown. These contracts could not be placed via R-Cloud previously which requires IP to be vested in the supplier. The addition of R-Cloud+ allows for IP vesting in the Crown.
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.
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 a suitable Design Rights and Patents (Sub-Contractors) Agreement in place. 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.
The R-Cloud Design Rights and Patents Sub-Contractor’s Agreement is on the R-Cloud (Version 4) Terms and Conditions (schedule 3, annex S3-A and S3-B).
Last updated 1 December 2023 + show all updates
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Updated guidance for suppliers.
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First published.