Award

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

714923450 - BBMF Chipmunk PDS

Defence Equipment and Support

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

09 Oct 2026 at 11:23

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Defence Equipment and Support is buying post-design services for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Chipmunk aircraft. The work supports the fleet’s continued safe operation and training role, covering Design Authority support, airworthiness management, technical advice, engineering investigations, amendments to publications, and configuration-controlled design changes. The requirement is for aircraft maintenance and related engineering services (CPV 50210000). The technical work is to be delivered by De Havilland Support Ltd, which holds the aircraft’s design data, approvals and regulatory accreditations and performs its role through Musketeer Solutions Limited. The service supports the BBMF Chipmunk fleet; the procurement does not identify a separate delivery location.

The procurement is complete and was directly awarded to Musketeer Solutions Limited, acting as prime contractor, with De Havilland Support Ltd delivering the technical services. The award is valued at £2.5 million excluding VAT (£3 million including VAT). The contract period is 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030, with costed options for further years of service and a maximum extension to December 2035. The award is recorded as pending. Defence Equipment and Support relied on technical reasons for a direct award: it considers DHSL the only supplier able to fulfil the Design Authority and Type Certificate Holder functions, with no reasonable alternative. The procurement is a single lot, marked as suitable for SMEs.

For suppliers considering comparable future work for Defence Equipment and Support, this requirement demonstrates demand for specialist support that keeps a legacy military aircraft fleet airworthy and available for training. A credible technical provider would need to hold, or have an established route to, the Chipmunk’s controlled design data, intellectual property, approvals and regulatory accreditations, and be able to discharge Design Authority and Type Certificate Holder responsibilities. Relevant capability includes airworthiness management, engineering investigations, technical advice, controlled design changes and maintenance of technical publications. The procurement’s direct-award rationale shows that these approvals and exclusive design responsibilities were decisive: general aircraft maintenance experience alone would not match the stated need. The selected arrangement used a prime contractor with the specialist technical provider, so a supplier able to maintain that delivery relationship would be positioned to meet the same requirement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

714923450 - BBMF Chipmunk PDS

Notice Description

Provision of Post Design Services (PDS) for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) Chipmunk aircraft, including Design Authority support, airworthiness management, technical advice, engineering investigations, publication amendments, and configuration-controlled design changes. The requirement supports the continued safe operation and training role of the BBMF Chipmunk fleet.

Procurement Information

There is a requirement to contract for Post Design Services (PDS) for the BBMF Chipmunk aircraft. The BBMF Delivery Team, part of DE&S in the UK Ministry of Defence ("the Authority"), intends to award a 3-year contract to Musketeer Services Ltd, acting as Prime Contractor, for the provision of BBMF Chipmunk Post Design Services (PDS). The services will be delivered through the established exclusive working relationship between Musketeer Services Ltd and De Havilland Support Ltd (DHSL), who will undertake the Design Authority and Type Certificate Holder functions required to deliver the PDS activities. The contract will include a further five option years for extension until the aircraft Out of Service Date (OSD) of December 2035. It is considered that this contract can be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 because the direct award justification specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 (Technical reasons) applies as there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. The Authority considers that this justification applies because the required PDS activities must be performed by De Havilland Support Ltd (DHSL), the approved Type Certificate Holder (TCH) and Design Authority for the Chipmunk aircraft. DHSL operates through an established commercial arrangement with Musketeer Services Ltd, who acts as a thin-prime contractor for the provision of these services. DHSL will not provide services through any other arrangement. Whilst the proposed contract will be placed with Musketeer Services Ltd, the technical services can only be delivered by DHSL through its unique ownership of the relevant design data, intellectual property, approvals and regulatory accreditations. There are no reasonable alternative suppliers capable of providing these services whilst maintaining the required regulatory approvals and design authority responsibilities. The BBMF Chipmunk is primarily used for training, and without the Chipmunk PDS activities, this critical training cannot be conducted. There would also be a serious risk to airworthiness of a single legacy platform with significant importance to the history of the RAF and Britain.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078484
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095562-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50210000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services related to aircraft and other equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£2,500,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

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
Postcode Area
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

Musketeer Solutions Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...