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Provision of Election Night Flight Services

Argyll and Bute Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

12 Oct 2026 at 15:39

Award Notice
TenderUpdate

17 Jul 2026 at 12:11

Tender Notice
Tender

08 Jun 2026 at 09:20

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Argyll and Bute Council procured helicopter hire with crew to transport ballot boxes and election materials from designated island locations to Lochgilphead, so ballot counting could begin as scheduled. The service covers safe, secure and timely movement of election materials across Argyll and Bute. It is a transport services requirement focused on election-night logistics, rather than a general helicopter charter. The council is the buying organisation, and Lochgilphead is the destination for the materials. This requirement is most relevant to operators able to provide crewed helicopter services and coordinate time-critical collections from island locations.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to PDG Helicopters, a small and medium-sized enterprise; the contract was signed on 6 October 2026. The contract is valued at £117,855 excluding VAT, with the value described as an estimate based on three election cycles. The planned contract period runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2031, with an option for the council to extend by up to two years, subject to satisfactory performance and discussions with the supplier. The tender used an open procedure. Bids were due by 3pm on 17 July 2026, following an amendment to allow more time for submission. Evaluation weighted price at 30% and quality at 70%, covering operational delivery, timeliness, safety, risk, coordination, improvement and community benefits.

For a supplier that did not win, this award shows that Argyll and Bute Council buys crewed helicopter capacity to move election materials from island locations to Lochgilphead. A credible competitor would need to demonstrate safe, secure and dependable operations under a fixed election-night timetable, including a clear delivery method and effective coordination across collection points and the destination. Strong safety assurance, practical risk management and resilience are central to the requirement, alongside the ability to meet tight delivery timings. The evaluation also considered continuous improvement and community benefits, so suppliers should be able to explain these in relation to the service. The successful supplier was an SME, indicating that this requirement was awarded to a smaller specialist operator.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Election Night Flight Services

Notice Description

The objective of this Service is to ensure the safe, secure and timely transportation of ballot boxes and election materials from designated island locations to Lochgilphead to enable the ballot counting process to commence as scheduled.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The objective of this Service is to ensure the safe, secure and timely transportation of ballot boxes and election materials from designated island locations to Lochgilphead to enable the ballot counting process to commence as scheduled.

Renewal: The Contract may be extended for up to 2 years at the option of Argyll and Bute Council, subject to satisfactory performance of the Contract and following discussions with the successful Tenderer.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06af4a
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096195-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

60424120 - Hire of helicopters with crew

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£117,855 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
17 Jul 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
4 years, 6 months or 6 years, 6 months

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Argyll and Bute Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LOCHGILPHEAD
Postcode
PA31 8RT
Postcode Area
Paisley
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM2 Highlands and Islands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM20 Highlands and Islands
Delivery Location
TLM63 Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, Arran and Cumbrae, and Argyll and Bute
Local Authority
Argyll and Bute
Electoral Ward
Mid Argyll
Westminster Constituency
Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

PDG Helicopters

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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