---
title: "Provision of MEDEVAC, General Aviation Support and Aerial Firefighting at BATSUB"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-035938"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-035938"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-035938.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-035938.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE"
published: "2022-08-05"
---

# Provision of MEDEVAC, General Aviation Support and Aerial Firefighting at BATSUB

Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-035938

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence is undertaking a procurement process for the 'Provision of MEDEVAC, General Aviation Support and Aerial Firefighting at BATSUB', classified under services and specifically the hire of helicopters with crew. The procurement method employed is a limited negotiation without prior publication of a contract notice, due to the unique technical requirements involved. Key dates include the anticipated contract start date of 1st October 2023, with a potential contract award likely to occur by mid-2023. The delivery of these services is essential for training operations in Belize, where the winning supplier must hold an Air Operators Certificate from the Belize Department for Civil Aviation.

This tender presents an excellent opportunity for aviation service providers, particularly those specialising in medical evacuation, general aviation support, and aerial firefighting. Companies with the capability to meet the necessary regulatory certifications, particularly those that are based in Belize or can obtain the required local certifications, are well-suited to compete. With a contract value of approximately £18.2 million, this project could significantly enhance the service offering of successful bidders, positioning them as key players in the aviation and defence sectors within the region.

## Notice

Provision of MEDEVAC, General Aviation Support and Aerial Firefighting at BATSUB

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The services required are as follows: a. Aviation Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) with twin-engine capability b. General Aviation Support (GAS) c. Aerial Firefighting (AFF)

### Procurement Information

1. The Authority intends to negotiate the award of a contract to Astrum Helicopters for the provision of MEDEVAC, General Aviation Support and Aerial Firefighting for British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) 2. It is considered that this contract can be placed using the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice pursuant to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR 2011) as competition is absent for technical reasons. There is a regulatory requirement, as laid down by the Belize Department for Civil Aviation (BDCA), that an economic operator within Belizean territory must obtain and maintain an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) to carry out commercial activity. It is also the BDCA's position that "foreign" certification (FAA/CAA/EASA recognised) is non-transferable. This certification must be in place by contract start date (1st October 2023). The process to start the certification application is triggered by a letter of intent from an economic operator to the Director of Civil Aviation in Belize, something which, due to the need for evidence of established processes for operations in Belize and cost implications, would be impractical and risk-laden to submit prior to contract award. It is likely that contract award will not take place until mid-2023. The current time-frame for certification is 12-18 months. The Authority cannot accommodate a break in service delivery as this will have a negative impact on training at BATSUB. MEDEVAC would have to be by land extraction, which does not meet medical planning guidelines due to risk to life (RTL) considerations. Ceasing training would also have a negative impact on the Authority's ability to deploy personnel. There is a potential reputational risk if the Authority cannot deploy an Aerial Firefighting capability. 3. Astrum Helicopters carry the requisite certification from the BDCA and can begin service delivery by the required contract start date. It is the Authority's belief that there are no alternate providers, either in Belize or elsewhere, who hold this certification and would be in a position to deliver these services by 1 October 2023.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021520-2022 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Negotiated without publication of a contract notice |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Aug 2022 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 3 Aug 2022 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £18,200,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MINISTRY OF DEFENCE |
| Locality | ANDOVER |
| Post town | Not specified |
| Postcode | N/A |
| Country | Not specified |
| ITL 1 | Not specified |
| ITL 2 | Not specified |
| ITL 3 | Not specified |
| Local authority | Not specified |
| Electoral ward | Not specified |
| Westminster constituency | Not specified |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ASTRUM HELICOPTERS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60424120 - Hire of helicopters with crew

## Release History

- 5 Aug 2022 at 09:35 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021520-2022

## Notice URLs

- http://www.army.mod.uk

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-035938. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-035938.json.