Award

703918454 - PA23 EOST Contract Award Notice

DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

19 Mar 2026 at 17:02

Award

19 Mar 2026 at 16:09

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process involves Defence Equipment and Support, a public authority under the central government, based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The contract titled "703918454 - PA23 EOST Contract Award Notice" pertains to the provision of support, repairs, and spares for the Electro-Optic Sensor Turret (EOST). This procurement falls under the defence and security category, specifically focusing on services related to military transport helicopters. The process uses a direct award method due to technical reasons, with Leonardo UK Ltd., headquartered in Basildon, England, appointed to deliver these specialised services. The contract, valued near £7.8 million, commences on 1st April 2026 and concludes on 31st March 2027. Upcoming milestones include a signature scheduled for 31st March 2026.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in defence sector services, particularly those with capabilities in helicopter maintenance and repair. The requirement for specific technical skills and proprietary knowledge underscores the value for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or entities equipped with specialised defence capabilities. Companies possessing the necessary technical expertise and proprietary information, like Leonardo UK Ltd., are ideally suited to compete for contracts of this nature, showcasing the potential for business growth in niche markets. This direct award approach highlights the importance of possessing unique capabilities within the defence industry, offering growth avenues for businesses that hold exclusive rights or substantial expertise in military equipment maintenance and support.

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Notice Title

703918454 - PA23 EOST Contract Award Notice

Notice Description

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

Procurement Information

The Secretary of State for Defence (the 'Authority') intends to extend contract CHC/648 by 1 year with the end date set for March 2027. The contract is held with Leonardo UK Ltd (previously Leonardo MW Ltd, Selex ES Ltd, DRS Technologies UK Ltd) for the delivery of continual support to the UK Chinook fleet's existing Electro Optical Sensor Turret (EOST) system. The estimated contract value for this extension is circa PS2M (Ex-VAT). It is considered that the award of this contract extension as a Direct Award is lawful in accordance with paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. This is on the grounds that, due to an absence of competition for technical reasons and given that there are no reasonable alternatives, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required. Leonardo UK Ltd is the Titan 385ES Turret Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and appointed Design Organization (DO). Leonardo holds the relevant technical skills, engineering know how and equipment and has exclusive rights to the necessary technical data, drawings and design information (which the Authority does not have a right to obtain). It is not possible for another supplier to provide the necessary support to the UK Chinook fleet's existing Electro Optical Sensor Turret (EOST) system without access to the skills, knowledge and proprietary technical information that only Leonardo holds. Due to this absence of competition for technical reasons, and there being no reasonable alternative, the Authority considers that a direct award to a single supplier is lawful in accordance with Schedule 5, paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066f78
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025459-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

50 - Repair and maintenance services


CPV Codes

34731700 - Parts for helicopters

35612400 - Military transport helicopters

50212000 - Repair and maintenance services of helicopters

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£7,801,148 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Mar 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Mar 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8JH
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

LEONARDO

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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