Repair and Maintenance Services of Helicopters Tenders & Contracts

Active Control Structural Response (ASCR) Controller Obsolescence, to address ACSR installed on the Merlin Mk4/4a, as it had been identified that only the Mk4/4A would be modified and that the existing ACSR Controllers would be used to support the Merlin Mk2 fleet, therefore there is no commonality between the Merlin Mk4/4A fleet and the Merlin Mk2; the modification does not allow fitment of the existing ACSR Controller once an aircraft has been modified.

The Royal Navy, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a 1 + 1 year contract to Serco for the Air Engineering Support and Airfield Services (AESAS). As a covered procurement, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. In the circumstances, the authority may award this public contract directly in accordance with section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. The applicable direct award justification is that set out in paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 of the Act. This justification applies because the AESAS contract concerns the supply of services by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to existing services in circumstances where: a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving services that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing services. Namely, a different supplier would lack Serco’s (i) deeply embedded operational expertise and established relationships at Yeovilton and Culdrose, and (ii) suitably trained and experienced staff. And b. the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and/or maintenance. In particular, the difference in service provided by a different supplier would result in: i. unacceptable risks to performance and safety resulting from the need to rebuild critical trust and operational knowledge; ii. the contracting authority needing to invest additional resources in order to retrain staff, modify existing systems, and/or purchase additional equipment; iii. a risk to the continued readiness and support to MCT aircraft, which is critical to national defence; iv. significant adjustments to the Contractor’s Quality Management System, resulting in operational inefficiencies and increased costs; v. disruption to coordination and maintenance of ground support and equipment provision at RNAS Yeovilton; and vi. increase in lead times in returning airframes to flying operations at RNAS Culdrose and reduction in overall numbers of available aircraft in the forward fleet.

The Royal Navy, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a 1 + 1 year contract to Serco for the Air Engineering Support and Airfield Services (AESAS). As a covered procurement, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. In the circumstances, the authority may award this public contract directly in accordance with section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. The applicable direct award justification is that set out in paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 of the Act. This justification applies because the AESAS contract concerns the supply of services by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to existing services in circumstances where: a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving services that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing services. Namely, a different supplier would lack Serco’s (i) deeply embedded operational expertise and established relationships at Yeovilton and Culdrose, and (ii) suitably trained and experienced staff. And b. the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and/or maintenance. In particular, the difference in service provided by a different supplier would result in: i. unacceptable risks to performance and safety resulting from the need to rebuild critical trust and operational knowledge; ii. the contracting authority needing to invest additional resources in order to retrain staff, modify existing systems, and/or purchase additional equipment; iii. a risk to the continued readiness and support to MCT aircraft, which is critical to national defence; iv. significant adjustments to the Contractor’s Quality Management System, resulting in operational inefficiencies and increased costs; v. disruption to coordination and maintenance of ground support and equipment provision at RNAS Yeovilton; and vi. increase in lead times in returning airframes to flying operations at RNAS Culdrose and reduction in overall numbers of available aircraft in the forward fleet.

Provision of Support, Repairs & Spares of the Electro-Optic Sensor Turret (EOST)

PSNI currently have 2 Eurocopter Helicopters operating from a location in Northern Ireland. Provision of aerial support is a province wide asset managed by Crime Operations Air Support Unit. The direction of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) states that an operator (PSNI) of an aircraft must have a maintenance agreement in place with suitability licensed suppliers to provide continuing airworthiness and the respective maintenance services, without these formal arrangements in place the aircraft would have to be grounded. The supplier is the original and sole equipment manufacturer of the PSNI aircraft types; the design is their Intellectual Property and shall not be delegated or licensed to a 3rd party. The supplier is the Type Certificate Holder for the core aircraft design and it is responsible for defining the aircraft's "build standard, safe operation and maintenance of airworthiness policy". The platform design, qualification data and safety case empowers the supplier to specify the requirements and mandate modifications for all components (includes specialist role equipment) fitted to the core aircraft and mission systems. The supplier is an CAA approved continuing airworthiness management organisation and a BCAR A8-23 authorised helicopter maintenance organisation. They have intellectual proprietary rights to the equipment fitted on the aircraft. The aircraft is used for national security type specific duties and is fitted with specialist surveillance equipment. They have the unique competency to manage mature, high flying rate fleets as the OEM and they are the sole source for providing a single integrated solution, they offer an integrated logistics support utilising their supply chain, access to national stock levels and availability of all specialist tooling. They have existing infrastructure in place for the delivery of this service and have unique knowledge and experience in working with PSNI and their specific operational needs since aircraft entry into service.

PSNI currently have 2 Eurocopter Helicopters operating from a location in Northern Ireland. Provision of aerial support is a province wide asset managed by Crime Operations Air Support Unit. The direction of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) states that an operator (PSNI) of an aircraft must have a maintenance agreement in place with suitability licensed suppliers to provide continuing airworthiness and the respective maintenance services, without these formal arrangements in place the aircraft would have to be grounded. The supplier is the original and sole equipment manufacturer of the PSNI aircraft types; the design is their Intellectual Property and shall not be delegated or licensed to a 3rd party. The supplier is the Type Certificate Holder for the core aircraft design and it is responsible for defining the aircraft's "build standard, safe operation and maintenance of airworthiness policy". The platform design, qualification data and safety case empowers the supplier to specify the requirements and mandate modifications for all components (includes specialist role equipment) fitted to the core aircraft and mission systems. The supplier is an CAA approved continuing airworthiness management organisation and a BCAR A8-23 authorised helicopter maintenance organisation. They have intellectual proprietary rights to the equipment fitted on the aircraft. The aircraft is used for national security type specific duties and is fitted with specialist surveillance equipment. They have the unique competency to manage mature, high flying rate fleets as the OEM and they are the sole source for providing a single integrated solution, they offer an integrated logistics support utilising their supply chain, access to national stock levels and availability of all specialist tooling. They have existing infrastructure in place for the delivery of this service and have unique knowledge and experience in working with PSNI and their specific operational needs since aircraft entry into service.

PSNI currently have 2 Eurocopter Helicopters operating from a location in Northern Ireland. Provision of aerial support is a province wide asset managed by Crime Operations Air Support Unit. The direction of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) states that an operator (PSNI) of an aircraft must have a maintenance agreement in place with suitability licensed suppliers to provide continuing airworthiness and the respective maintenance services, without these formal arrangements in place the aircraft would have to be grounded. The supplier is the original and sole equipment manufacturer of the PSNI aircraft types; the design is their Intellectual Property and shall not be delegated or licensed to a 3rd party. The supplier is the Type Certificate Holder for the core aircraft design and it is responsible for defining the aircraft's "build standard, safe operation and maintenance of airworthiness policy". The platform design, qualification data and safety case empowers the supplier to specify the requirements and mandate modifications for all components (includes specialist role equipment) fitted to the core aircraft and mission systems. The supplier is an CAA approved continuing airworthiness management organisation and a BCAR A8-23 authorised helicopter maintenance organisation. They have intellectual proprietary rights to the equipment fitted on the aircraft. The aircraft is used for national security type specific duties and is fitted with specialist surveillance equipment. They have the unique competency to manage mature, high flying rate fleets as the OEM and they are the sole source for providing a single integrated solution, they offer an integrated logistics support utilising their supply chain, access to national stock levels and availability of all specialist tooling. They have existing infrastructure in place for the delivery of this service and have unique knowledge and experience in working with PSNI and their specific operational needs since aircraft entry into service.

The Royal Navy, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a 1 + 1 year contract with a value of £13,267,000 to Serco for the Air Engineering Support and Airfield Services (AESAS). As a covered procurement, this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. In the circumstances, the authority may award this public contract directly in accordance with section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023. The applicable direct award justification is that set out in paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 of the Act. This justification applies because the AESAS contract concerns the supply of services by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to existing services in circumstances where: a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving services that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing services. Namely, a different supplier would lack Serco’s (i) deeply embedded operational expertise and established relationships at Yeovilton and Culdrose, and (ii) suitably trained and experienced staff. And b. the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and/or maintenance. In particular, the difference in service provided by a different supplier would result in: i. unacceptable risks to performance and safety resulting from the need to rebuild critical trust and operational knowledge; ii. the contracting authority needing to invest additional resources in order to retrain staff, modify existing systems, and/or purchase additional equipment; iii. a risk to the continued readiness and support to MCT aircraft, which is critical to national defence; iv. significant adjustments to the Contractor’s Quality Management System, resulting in operational inefficiencies and increased costs; v. disruption to coordination and maintenance of ground support and equipment provision at RNAS Yeovilton; and vi. increase in lead times in returning airframes to flying operations at RNAS Culdrose and reduction in overall numbers of available aircraft in the forward fleet.