---
title: "Bi-Lateral GLA Aviation Services Project"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-043c4f"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-043c4f"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-043c4f.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-043c4f.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "NORTHERN LIGHTHOUSE BOARD"
published: "2025-05-27"
---

# Bi-Lateral GLA Aviation Services Project

Buyer: NORTHERN LIGHTHOUSE BOARD  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-043c4f

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## Summary

The Northern Lighthouse Board, in conjunction with the Corporation of Trinity House, is currently progressing through the tender stage for the Bi-Lateral GLA Aviation Services Project. This public procurement, centred on hiring helicopters with crews, falls under the services category and is crucial for supporting the Marine Aids to Navigation Strategy of the General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) until 2037. The project encompasses diverse tasks like transporting technicians, materials, and handling emergency situations across locations in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands. The procurement process is competitive, following a selective method with a procedure involving negotiation. Notable dates include the tender period ending on 3rd March 2025, with a contract period expected to start in July 2026 and conclude in November 2039. The prime procurement authority is the Northern Lighthouse Board based in Edinburgh, UK.

This tender provides substantial opportunities for business growth, particularly for enterprises skilled in aerial and related services such as helicopter operations. Companies specialising in logistics, particularly those capable of handling complex, multi-stage transport tasks with specialised equipment, would find significant potential in this contract. With the procurement process designed to accommodate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), experienced firms in aviation services can leverage their expertise to secure a position on the shortlist and compete for the contract extension options available. As the selection criteria emphasise quality and financial aspects, companies with a proven track record and robust financial standing are well-positioned to benefit from this opportunity.

## Notice

The procurement of the Northern Lighthouse Board and the Corporation of Trinity House (together the General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs)) helicopter services support for their Marine Aids to Navigation Strategy to 2037 by providing the means to access and maintain their more remote Aids to Navigation. An effective helicopter service is a vital element in the provision of the GLAs' service to the mariner: a reliable, efficient and cost-effective network of marine Aids to Navigation. The required outcomes of this contract are: -A reliable, integrated, passenger and cargo (internal and underslung) service. -A helicopter service which is able to recover from weather, aircraft technical failure and other disruptions to planned activities -A service able to respond quickly and efficiently to casualties (light or other navigational aid failures) at any time and in any place in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Key Requirements: -Capable of landing on a helipad with a safe loading of four tonnes on a footprint of 250mm x 250mm. -Capable of operating from the helidecks of the GLA vessels. Task examples: - A smaller task would be to carry two technicians with small tools and emergency overnight kit to a lighthouse in the morning and return later the same day; the radius of action is likely to be between 5 and 100 nm. - A larger task might require twelve workers, their baggage and several tons of underslung material to be carried out in several trips from a vessel close by or an onshore location nearby and brought back a few days or weeks later. In practice there are a wide variety of tasks in terms of size, distance and complexity. A task may change to include underslung loads at any time Underslung loads represent between 15 and 32% of the operational flying tasks per year (averaging 22%). They are usually flown from a GLA vessel close by or from an accessible point on the nearest mainland to reduce the distance and duration of the operation. The support of building and renovation tasks at lighthouses creates the requirement for a great variety of weights, shapes, sizes, and natures of underslung loads with different aerodynamic characteristics. The helicopter service will be required throughout the operating areas of the two GLAs (except Gibraltar). Additional information: The GLA Helicopters are to be twin turbine helicopters equipped, certified and capable of operating single pilot Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations and to operate under Sub-Part HOFO, capable of: - operating from legacy helidecks of GLA vessels - operating from sub-1D elevated lantern top helipad - operating on rough and uneven ground (including ground with bird nesting holes and burrows).

Options: Following a period of mobilisation (expected to be from July 2026 to November 2027), the anticipated term of the ASP contract is ten (10) years from the service commencement date (expected to be 1 December 2027) with an option to extend for a further two (2) years

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027901-2025 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Competitive procedure with negotiation |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning, Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 27 May 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 3 Mar 2025 |
| Future notice date | 9 Apr 2024 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 11 Jul 2026 - 30 Nov 2039 |
| Recurrence | 2037 |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £67,000,000 |
| Lots value | £67,000,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NORTHERN LIGHTHOUSE BOARD |
| Additional buyers | THE COMMISSIONERS OF IRISH LIGHTS; THE CORPORATION OF TRINITY HOUSE; THE CORPORATION OF TRINITY HOUSE OF DEPTFORD STROND TRINITY HOUSE |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH2 3DA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | City of London |
| Electoral ward | Tower |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
- 35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment
- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 34711400 - Special-purpose aircraft
- 34711500 - Helicopters
- 35612300 - Support helicopters
- 35613000 - Unmanned aerial vehicles
- 60424120 - Hire of helicopters with crew
- 60440000 - Aerial and related services

## Release History

- 27 May 2025 at 18:05 - TenderUpdate - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027901-2025
- 31 Jan 2025 at 14:05 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003294-2025
- 22 Feb 2024 at 19:05 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005884-2024

## Notice URLs

- https://nlb.delta-esourcing.com/respond/4D48H2YJ6T
- https://nlb.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Edinburgh:-Hire-of-helicopters-with-crew./4D48H2YJ6T
- https://trinityhouse.co.uk
- https://www.delta-esourcing.com/
- https://www.irishlights.ie/
- https://www.nlb.org.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-043c4f. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-043c4f.json.